Elizabethan Collars for Dogs

Although, it sounds pretty ridiculous to purchase an Elizabethan collar for your dog, there is an actual reason behind the name, because personally, calling it a cone collar would be just as easy, and well some people do.

But, anyway, the Elizabethan collars are named from the ruffs that women, especially royalty, wore around their necks during the Elizabethan times.

Although, we put the Elizabethan collars on our dogs, cats, and even horses (but with a different overall design), we use them for different reasons than the women in the Elizabethan times.

You will commonly find Elizabethan collars called:

• Space collars
• E- collars
• Cone collars 

The Elizabethan collar is a proven medical device that is shaped just like a cone and is used to cause the animal from biting, licking, and scratching at wounds and injuries while they heal.

Typically the E- collar prevents the dog from reaching around his neck... Of course as long as it is sized and fitted properly.

The E- collar is typically attached to the dog's collar with strings, tabs, or loops that have been either strung through holes punched in the plastic collar or manufactured into the collar.

They really are a great way to help heal wounds and protect your dog's wounds from gettign infected.

I recently had to purchase an E- collar for my American Pit Bull Terrier, MIA. She started chewing the tip of her tail raw, leaving little to no hair and a constant scab or raw area. The little bugger would hide in the dark and/or in the open and put her tail under her paw, in attempts to hide it while she chewed.

Sizing your dog's neck for an E- collar:

When you are trying to find an Elizabethan collar to fit your dog, and your vet has sent you to the pet store because he is out of extras (yes, you can purchase E- collars at some pet stores), you want to make sure that you know how to properly fit your dog's neck to the collar.

Basically, you want the width of the collar to fit around your dog's neck just like his regular collar, with the two finger- width rule (IE no more and no fewer than two fingers should fit between your dog's neck and the collar).

You also want to make sure that the length of the cone is long enogh to allow your dog to eat and drink comfortably. For the most part the end of the Elizabethan collar should reach just a little longer than the dog's nose. 

You may find that even if the collar is fit perfectly, your dog may prefer to eat without the collar, which means take it off for meal- time, and put it back on after he's done eating.

No, you do not have to purchase a plastic E- collar for your dog. Although, these are much better suited for your dog's comfort, you can make your own.

You can make one using plastic and/or cardboard, or you can use lampshades, plastic flowerpots (the cheap ones that you get when you buy a new flower- typically for small dogs only), and various other LIGHTWEIGHT materials.

Just remember that you don't want your dog to attempt to strangle himself when trying to get out of the cone collar, which is why it is always better to purchase a real Elizabethan collar than make one out of scrap material.

Plus, if you think about it the manufactured ones have soft fabric trim along the edges to help increase comfort for your dog, and they have velcro for quick and easy removal in case of emergencies.

The last thing that you want to do is make your own E- collar, your dog get stuck on something, and find that it is a hassel to remove the homemade E- collar. And, while you struggle, your dog is suffering.