The BiteNot Collar looks like a big improvement over the old cone or lamp-shade Elizabethan collar vets usually use to keep animals from pulling out stiches or pulling off bandages. The BiteNot Collar avoids all the problems that come with the Elizabethan collar like reduced vision, hitting furniture, etc. with the collar, and difficulty reaching food and water bowls.
Shortly after we got Saffron, we found out she hadn’t been properly restrained after she was spayed–in fact she was driven home from the vet in the back of a pick-up. She had to have a compression bandage(a towel with masking tape wound around it) and an Elizabethan collar. I think she worried about what kind of crazy people she was living with now who would put her in such an crazy get-up. We all would have been a lot happier with the BiteNot Collar.
Check out these other alternatives to Elizabethan collars:
- the Neck’s Best Thing
- the DIY Body-Sock
- the Optivisor & the Novaguard
BAD
GOOD
Cool, never seen that before.. but cool. Looks more comfy too =D
I was just researching “cone collar” alternatives for my cat. Thanks for the reviews on the two (“bitenot” and “neck’s best thing”)!
That’s cool, but what if your cat has injury to their face? This doesn’t look like it would keep them from reaching up with their hind legs and scratching. That’s the problem my cat is having.
Can you send me information from the alternativ collar?
Thanks
Hello,
Can you send me information from the alternativ collar?
What’s the price of this alternativ collar?
Thanks
I just pulled up this page and thought it was a great idea. I went to WalMart and grabbed a velcro ADJUSTABLE human knee brace for $12. 10 minutes later after cutting it in half, I instantly had 2 neck braces for my terriers who have been biting up their hind ends. They thought it was a bit weird at first, but grew comfortable with it in just a few minutes and now they can’t seem to reach their heads around to bite themselves up. Now they need to rely on the benadryl and steroid cream for anti-itch. Great idea!
How sturdy are the Bite-Not collars?
I’ve made a homemade version of the bite-not collar by wrapping a piece of sturdy yet flexible cardboard (8″ wide) in towels and then using velcro straps to secure it to my 100 pound Labrador’s neck (and a couple safety pins in the back, just in case the velcro didn’t work well enough). Our Lab has “hot spots” on his front legs, and even though his current sore is at the top of his leg, he managed to get at it with my homemade collar. We’re back to the plastic cone lampshade & he’s back to running into walls, stools, cabinet handles, doors, furniture and getting stuck trying to go in and out of his “bedroom” (kennel).
If the Bite-Not is REALLY sturdy, I’d consider investing in it (especially since our plastic cone is now duct-taped together b/c it’s cracking from all the stress he’s putting on it running into things).
Thanks for your review & any comments you all can provide!
Wen, the Bite-Not is quite sturdy. There’s a layer of foam next to the dog’s skin and then quite thick plastic on the outside. The plastic is thicker than the plastic used on the cone collar we also have. There is velcro on the collar plus a velcro strap that wraps all the way around. There is also a large, adjustable loop of webbing attached that goes behind the dog’s front legs to further ensure the collar stays in place.
I would recommend trying to get one in a store where you can try it on your dog to fit it. I think the one we have for Saffron is a little too big. If she’s stand or sitting it’s fine, but if she lies down the collar is longer than he neck and looks like it’s going to pop her head off. But, do be sure to get one that’s big enough, or your Lab will probably still be able to reach his front legs.
I like your DIY collar though and wonder if it could work in other cases where people need to keep their pets from getting to their lower bodies. Do you have any pics of you Lab in his DIY collar?
I have used the bite not collar and I DO NOT RECOMMEND IT! I had two 4 month old border collie/lab mix puppies that both got neutered and had hind leg dew claws removed all at the same time. I desperately wanted an alternative to the cone collar and purchased these prior to their surgery. Both puppies could still reach almost everywhere on their bodies–front and hind legs, and the neutering site. After wearing these collars for several days, the edges started to dig into their skin and left a wound on their necks.
Maybe this would work for a spay as the site is a little higher up on the belly. It also might work for wounds on the chest, shoulders, or sides. But considering the damage it did to my boys, I won’t ever use it again, and I don’t recommend you do either.
I switched to the Comfy Cone after this fiasco. I have nothing but rave reviews for that product. You can check out my thorough review for the Comfy Cone at drugstore.com.
Check out the Lick Strip. I found this product on Facebook. I purchased the product a few weeks ago and love it. They are also on Twitter for all the fanatics out there like me! Look me up as well!
I used the BiteNot collar on my Aussie girl a couple of years ago when she had a double TPLO surgery and it was fantastic. She managed to get out of several e collar alternatives and tore some of her staples out, so I was desperate. It worked like a charm and allowed her to eat and sleep comfortably. With the cone collar, she just froze and was terrified, I didn’t have the heart to leave her like that. She didn’t like the BiteNot, but allowed me to put it on her so it couldn’t have been too bad. One needs to be very careful in putting it on, so that the corners don’t stick out and stab the dog – be sure to align the edges and I recommend having the corners at the back of the neck – if this were my product, I would make it easier to align and would round the corners!
I was surprised to read about the problem with the puppies, maybe this product is just better on a mature dog.
One more thing. It needs to be SNUG. It comes with instructions that tell how to fit it. If it’s too loose, it won’t work and might cause sores.
My 6-month Labrador puppy demolished Bitenot the first time I left him alone in the crate with it. ProCollar works better for us.
I just bought the hard e- collar for my cat. she is itching so badly that her face has open sores. I keep putting neosporin on them, but she washes it off. The vet charges me $80.00 for a visit and an allergy shot. I did it once (& after 500.00 in vet bills for ONE month) & I cant afford to keep going back for a 80.00 shot every 3 months.
A friend at work told me her parents give their dog a childs benedryl with its food. I’ve crushed up a childrens beendryl & mixed it with my cat, Neko’s food. She ignores it. I’ve NOW mixed it with powdered sugar! but the sores are bad, so I am willing to try anything. I feel cruel putting it on her but the sores must heal!
Caroleena Jones – please immediatly put your cat on a food with no grains – I’d put money on the idea that that’s why she’s so itchy (assuming she does not have fleas). Try Wellness or another high quality food.
Dog owners with itch dogs – I had fantastic luck with avoderm for my dogs – but you have to be careful because of the fat content and cut back on how much your feeding or get the diet kind – anyways, it worked like a charm for me. I’ve also had great luck with Wellness Core, but it’s like the most expensive dry food I think!
Caroleena Jones – Definitely investigate grain free foods. My cat had similar allergies — he chewed off all the fur on his legs and belly. After multiple vet visits, cortizone shots (that don’t solve the problem AND can cause diabetes), and Hills allergy food, I finally found out about grain allergies and immediately started feeding him Wellness chicken.
He’s a picky eater, so it took him a day or so to actually get hungry enough to eat it, but a few weeks after starting him, his hair grew back and I haven’t had any problems since (has been ~4 years). You might also consider adding salmon oil which helps the itchy skin.
My cat also really likes the Wellness core grain free dry food.
Good luck with the kitty.
check out our alternative to the e-collar at http://www.stopbite.net. It is machine washable, has holes for ventilation so hair and skin can breathe, made of soft cloth so no yeast or bacteria can grow, night time reflectors, hook for leash.
We just took a bean bag airline neck pillow and sewed a collar on to it, works perfect! And our dog actually seems to like to rest her head on it as a pillow. It would only work on a big dog and would depend where the stitches are (she has 20 on her chest from getting cut by a stick while chasing a squirrel… ). But it saved us $40!
help
my nine pound male dog was just neutred.
i paid the vet $8 dollars for the cone collar.
my dog can still itch his butt and everything else while wearing the collar.!!!!!!!!!
It took 4 days to get our dog to settle in a buster collar after her spay. She then found she could scratch quite close to the wound so we made her ‘jamas instead. Its worked really well so I put it on here for anyone who wants to try: http://www.instructables.com/id/An-alternative-to-a-buster-collar-for-a-dog-with-a/
were do i get this collar in south africa
Will this work on a dobermann with lick granuloma on her ankles!!1
My cat had a tumor removed again due to being vaccinated and its on her side so do they make one for that. 14 stitches and tore them out any ideas guys. help!
julie
I’m not a big fan of the Elizabethan collar! My dog, Smokey, was injured chasing a possum and cut his belly up pretty good. I had to take him to the vet right away to get his gut stitched up. I was pretty worried about Smokey, he’s a great dog and wonderful with my kids. When he came out with that collar on – well – he looked pitiful. At first I thought he was traumatized from the surgery and being stitched up, but I later realized he was traumatized more by that plastic collar. After two restless nights, I took Smokey back to the vet and told her, this ain’t cutting it! Smokey is freak in out, won’t eat, won’t drink, wondering around like crazy, shaking trying to get the collar off! She said we needed to protect Smokey’s wounds and there was nothing she could do. I was not amused. On my way out of the vets office one of the juniors assistants suggested I use a new product called “scrubs for pets.” She described it and I said sounds good, I was ready to try anything for Smokey besides that collar. The vet’s office did not carry any “scrubs for pets” but the assistant of the vet had the owner’s contact details, so I called. Best call I ever made for Smokey. The scrubs came in a pair, were easy to slide onto Smokey and tie around his back, fit Smokey perfectly, were made of the same materials surgeons wear, and prevented him from getting at his wound. I changed them every day so while one was on Smokey the other was in the washer. Smokey was a changed animal. Thank you “scrubs for pets” and Smokey thanks you!
I love that collar! Much better than the plastic bucket!
I have tried many e-collars over the years, but my favorite is the “Cuddle Cone”, which is a sturdy foam cone with fleece on the inside and adjustable velcro. It’s very firm and does the job, but is also comfortable on your pet. I think it would work for a dog or cat, but you will need to check the size chart at http://www.designerecollars.com to make sure of the fit.
Best of luck!
For lick granuloma try the bite not collar. After multiple failures with other approaches (e-collar, anti chewing spray, antibiotics, etc etc), my poor dog was lame on that one leg and it was such a weepy mess. Gross! She was so sick that I almost had to put her down. After one month using the bite not collar, she is a new animal. Leg is nearly healed, and she is acting like a pup although she is 11 years old. Amazing product! I wish the vet had suggested it two years ago when the problem first began.
You might try a “Neck Hug” by Wag Tail Farms http://www.wagtailfarms.com. Designed with your pet’s comfort in mind, the “Neck Hug” soft e-collar helps prevent access to surgical site and provides an ultra-soft pillow to encourage your pet to rest while recuperating. The pet can easily walk, drink, eat, navigate through the house and look absolutely adorable! Barks & Hugs ~