Emergency Elizabethan Collars for Pets

• Disclaimer
• When To Use
• How to Make

This information page is for Westonka Animal Hospital & Laser Surgery Center clients only. If you are reading this web page and you are not a client of our practice, contact your regular veterinary care provider for all your concerns.

When to Use An Emergency Elizabethan Collar

Almost all pet dogs and cats will require surgery or sutures some time in their life. Most surgeries require sutures or staples to close the skin incision. These closure devices help the skin to heal more rapidly and to decrease scar formation.

Most pets will not lick nor scratch at their surgery sites and will leave any closure device alone. However, a few patients will attempt to bother their surgery sites. Thus, it is in the patient's best interest to discourage them from bothering their surgery sites. There are many techniques available to pet owners which aid to help achieve this. One such technique is the use of a restraint device, a device which acts as a physical barrier between the pet's mouth and the surgery site. The most commonly used such device is called an "Elizabethan collar". Elizabethan era royalty used to wear dresses that included large neck ruffs or "collars" at the top of their shoulders. If you find yourself in the situation where it is after our regular business hours and you have a need of such a restraint device for your pet, then this web page is for you. The instructions on this web page are to help you make a temporary Elizabethan collar for your pet. This collar is not intended for long term use and you should contact us when we are open so that a technician can fit your pet with a more sturdy Elizabethan collar and discuss with you other techniques to discourge licking and chewing of the surgery site.

Elizabethan era royalty exhibiting a large neck ruff

How to Make An Emergency, Temporary, Elizabethan Pet Collar

Materials:
• Sheet of cardboard or tagboard
• stapler or duct tape
• scissors or cutting blade
• (optional) masking tape

First, you will need to find or purchase a large piece of cardboard or tagboard. Cut the edges off so that the remaining board is in the shape of a large circle.

Draw a smaller circle in the center of the cut board. The diameter of the drawn circle should be slightly smaller than the diameter of your pet's neck.

Cut a long straight line from the outside edge to the drawn center circle. Then continue cutting along the drawn circle line until the center of board is a hole. Again, the diameter of the hole should be slightly smaller than the diameter of your pet's neck.

Along the edges of the inside hole, cut a series of straight lines 1 to 4 cm (smaller cuts for smaller pets and larger cuts for larger pets) directed towards the outside edge of the collar. What you are creating here are numerous small tabs which will help hold the collar in place. If the edges of the tabs are too sharp, you may cover them with duct or masking tape.

Now, place the collar around the neck of your pet. Fold the tabs back so that the edges of the tabs are pointing towards the rear quarters. To make a cone, overlap the edges of the collar. Shape the collar into a cone as seen in the photograph. The collar can be fastened with staples or duct tape. Tightness of the collar is determined by being able to place two fingers between the tabs of the collars and the skin. If you are able to place more fingers than that, the collar is probably too loose. If you cannot get your fingers between the collar and the skin, the collar is too tight.

Home Page    |    Health Tips