When I worked at a vet clinic, we had one favorite phrase, "It's all fun and games until you end up in a cone."
Kaitlyn Cotter's dog, Gus, was neutered and you know what that means! Every dog with incisions must wear a cone until the area heals. With our three dogs, I've literally gone through ten or more cones trying to find the perfect fit. It's no laughing matter.
With that in mind, Cotter told us in an interview what inspired her to dress up her dog's 'cone', after his surgery,
"My roommate Hilary and I had a lot of fun dressing Gus up for Halloween and when I was searching for ideas, I saw a dog dressed as a martini with the cone so that was the inspiration and then it snowballed from there. It was a lot of fun coming up with new ideas every day and we were getting such good feedback from people."
If you have never lived with an animal that must wear a cone for a time period of over one day then you have no idea how miserable your animal may become as the cone makes playing and eating impossible (the point...) so your dog looks depressed. They get used it the cone and after awhile adjust!
There is no shame here! Cotter shared with People.com,
"He was not a happy camper," Gus' owner said of the dog's first days with the cone. "It was really sad because he didn't realize the width of the cone and would walk through doorways and the cone would bump off of the door frame! He's adjusted to it now but is still hesitant to walk through narrow areas with it on."
Making Gus the center of attention was clearly the way to his heart. When he wears the costumes Cotter creates it looks like he could care less about his annoying cone.
These Instagram pics can all be found at @_kcotts. Social media couldn't get enough of these!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BvsUKHZALMs/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BvkhaMEAgUa/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BvhPtkagIQz/
Which is your fave costume? We love the french fry costume and now have inspiration for our dogs the next time they have to wear the dreaded cone!
We cannot wait until Gus is cone-free to see if he seeks out the cone just so he can dress up for Cotter's friends...and for us!
There are many types of cones that a dog can wear and some prefer certain styles like the inflatable collars. The vet will typically give you a plastic cone but I hate those and think they're awkward. It's better to use that particular cone from the vet office to your house and then go to the local pet store and ask the staff to help you find one that is more custom.
Pet parents have lots of options and can go for one that is more of a custom fit. Some dogs have medical issues like hot spots and need to wear a cone of shame all the time so it needs to be comfortable. A Golden Retriever may wear a different type of e-collar!
Have you ever lived with a dog that wore a cone post-surgery? Please leave a comment below!
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