New to board-Addison's Disease, Entropion surgery yesterday- who hates cones?!

[MyStellaDog]

Hi everyone,
I used to be on this forum when Stella was a puppy (as per an awesome friend's recommendation) -then things got crazy! Fast forward to five years later, here I am again.
I'm looking for support and guidance in the next two weeks that I'll be home with Stella as she recovers from surgery.
This is her 2nd Entropion surgery (first was just a tuck- dissolving stitches when she got spayed). She's been home for less than 24 hours and the cone is a complete nightmare! Can you hear my stressed typing?
She also despises the eye drops, runs away (while crashing into walls) when my husband and I try to clean up her incision area and I am just so incredibly fearful that she's going to cause trauma to herself despite the cone (she is so crafty, smart, hyper and strong willed!)

She also has Addison's Disease, but that is a story for another time...
Hopefully some of you have had labs with this surgery and can shed some light on what I can do to have the best success but also so I don't stress Stella (and myself!) out for the next two weeks.

Have any of you had dogs who have had this Entropion surgery? Or a cone-wearer post surgery?

[zd262]

Hi MyStellaDog!

My dog had surgery recently, so not only can I head your stressed typing, but I'm doing the same thing! No advice on the cone, we're taking it day by day. I tried to move the furniture around to allow for larger areas of movement because Bubba just did not care that he had a cone on his head and would sprint, crash, sprint, crash, etc.

For the eye drops, Bubba has gone through several bouts of goopy eyes and I finally did some research online for the best way to give eye drops. You may already know all this, so disregard if you do Sit on a low chair or couch, have the dog sit in between your legs facing out. Rest your wrist holding the eye drops on his head above the eye. This makes it so that no matter where your dog moves his head, your hand with the eye drops is still positioned over his eye. Tilt his head back, hold the snout/open the eye with the other hand and apply.

Good luck with everything and welcome back!

[smartrock]

The cone can be a nightmare for our pooches and ourselves. The last time my older boy had surgery on his face I got a Comfy Cone and while he didn't like it, it didn't seem like he was crashing around as badly, even though it was the same size as the plastic cone. It also didn't hurt quite as much when he ran into the back of my legs. There's also a way to fold a little section up or back, whatever, so that it's easier for them to eat. Since you have to have her in a cone so she cannot reach her eye to scratch or rub on the floor, you might look into one of these. I think I got the XL for Chase. Amazon.com : Comfy Cone Small Pet E-Collar, Black : Pet Recovery Collars : Pet Supplies

[MyStellaDog]

Wow Thank you so much!! I will try that eye drop method. I also really appreciate you saying to "take it day by day." It just feels good to hear that, I will try to remember to do so.

[MyStellaDog]

You hit the nail on the head. It does hurt when they run into you with the plastic cone. I thought it was only me! LOL and the fact that even immediately following surgery, Stella loves her food. I am calling the surgeon's office now to see if Stella could switch to that type of cone. Thank you! I so appreciate your help!

[Shelley]

Hi there!

Whatever you do, make sure she absolutely cannot get to her eye sutures for at least 2weeks. I have a small ex pen that I use to confine my girls after spays or lump and bump surgeries, they can stand, turn around, and that is about it. I put a big fluffy bed in for them to lie on, and give a sedative for as long as it takes to keep them relaxed. They fall into the routine pretty fast, and like someone else said, just take it day by day. Two weeks will fly by in retrospect, I promise!

Leash her to give her her eye drops, so she cannot get away from you, and do it in the chair like suggested above, which is the best way to do eye drops or saline rinses!

[MyStellaDog]

Can you recommend a sedative? I called but they said that will be a last resort to that we don't mask other symptoms. I will research it though.

[Tilly]

Very much agree with the advice about you on the couch, dog between your legs trick to get eye drops in. We have had to use drops regularly over the past couple of years and this has worked best for us. Although she still doesn't like the drops, I also found that giving her a massively high value treat afterwards and tons of calming strokes and 'what a good girl you are' meant that she will grudgingly endure the drops, and not try to run away.

No experience with the type of surgery Stella had, but Tilly needed to wear a MASSIVE plastic cone after a cyst was removed from her eyelid last year. I had bruises along the back of my legs from her banging into me (the repeat banging on the existing bruises hurts like all get out) and there was a bit of remodelling of wooden furniture and door jams as she would continue to barge ahead when she ran into them. I took a couple of weeks off work during this time, and was pretty overwhelmed at the follow up vet visit, when told she needed to wear the cone for an extra week and have more eye drops because of a slight infection.

Had a talk to myself and then just focused on getting through each day. I found that moving the furniture and her beds, to accommodate the cone helped, as did elevating her food and water bowls (I held the bowl for her meals as she would end up pushing the bowl around and not be able to eat her food - very frustrating for a lab!). I did also find that her head got quite smelly, as she couldn't clean it, and unfortunately it was pretty hot and humid at the time.

A celebratory glass of wine for me and a PB treat ball for her, when the cone came off (after a lot of rubbing the sides of her head along the grass and cleaning of her face with her paws). You will get there. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.