Inflatable/soft collar for after neuter?

Hello! Ferris is 8 months old and getting neutered next week. (I am raising him for Guide Dogs of America.) They will send him home with a plastic cone, but I'd love to have something more comfortable/less bashy. Any recommendations?

Ferris continues to do well. He's not huge -- only 45 lbs. Super sweet, on the lower energy side. He comes with me everywhere -- shopping, doctor/orthodontist/dentist appointments, restaurants, school. We haven't done public transportation or movie theater yet, so those are next on the list. He will have a big medical evaluation this spring, so paws crossed that he makes it through that!

Thor was neutered recently and his Mom asked some similar questions. Get a load of the photo of Thor in his very stylish boxer shorts in the second thread!

Preparing for the snipsnip

Neuter recovery and sedatives - Page 3

When Ram Jet Rocket Dog was spayed, I asked the vet if we needed to take particular precautions. He said "Naw... she's got subcutaneous sutures, she should be fine. Ten days later, she was on antibiotics, a T-shirt, an inflatable collar, an elizabethan collar AND had to be given sedatives. Oh, and having hot compresses applied every 4 hours.

Piece of cake.

Several surgeries ago, when I asked our vet about the inflatables, I was told that they see many dogs with post-surgery issues that came about as a result of using inflatable or soft collars. If a dog's going to try to get to an itchy spot, it usually takes a hard plastic cone to keep that from happening.

Mine all wore their cones for the recommended 14 days....even though most never gave their surgery sites a second thought....and we've never had any problems. I take off the collars for walks and meals and any time I am right with the dog and keeping an eye on the dog....not reading, not on the computer, no distractions. The cone serves another purpose...most dogs are quieted when they have them on and healing can progress as intended.

Luckily when each of ours was spayed/neutered, we were home so kept a close eye on them. At night, definitely a collar, both soft and hard depending on the dog. You have to judge how insistent Ferris is going to be about getting to the surgical site. Do error on the side of caution.

Depends on the dog. Linus gets out of every type of collar, so he wore shorts.

Personally, I’ve liked the Bite-Not collar the best, but it depends on the dog what will fit both their neck and temperament best.