Best Alternatives to Surgical Dog Cones (2025)
Good alternatives to surgical dog cones include soft collars, inflatable collars, and recovery clothing.
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Written byCatherine Collins
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13+ years creating insurance and personal finance content
Co-founded MillennialHomeowner.com
Catherine leverages her background in education and finance to write articles that help readers make informed decisions about their insurance and finances.
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Edited byKatie Powers
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Licensed auto and home insurance agent
3+ years experience in insurance and personal finance editing
NPN: 20564519
Katie uses her knowledge and expertise as a licensed property and casualty agent in Massachusetts to help readers understand the complexities of insurance shopping.
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Surgical dog cones can help stop your dog from licking wounds, stitches after surgery, or other problem spots. Though useful for preventing further irritation, the traditional dog cone is an often-uncomfortable plastic cone that can quickly get grimy. You have several dog cone alternatives to consider to replace the typical “cone of shame” for your dog.
Here’s what you need to know about the traditional dog cone collar and popular alternatives to find the best solution for your dog.
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When do pets need a dog cone collar?
If your pup recently had a surgical procedure — like a spay or neuter procedure — a dog cone collar prevents them from licking, biting, or scratching their wound while it heals.
Veterinarians typically send dogs home with a plastic surgical cone to wear after surgery or to stop them from licking or scratching irritated skin or hot spots. These plastic cones can be uncomfortable or problematic for some pets. You may see cones with this shape referred to as Elizabethan collars, or E-collars.[1]
Issues with traditional dog cones
Traditional cones can create problems for dogs in a few different ways. For starters, pet cones can cause pets to bump into walls, feel discomfort, and experience psychological distress.[2]
Traditional dog cones can also make it harder for your dog to:
Eat and drink
Play
Sleep
Exercise and go for walks
Walk up and down stairs
Learn More: What Does Pet Insurance Cover and Is It Worth It?
Best surgical dog cone alternatives
If your dog doesn’t like wearing a dog cone, or it upsets you to see them wearing one, you have comfortable alternative options for your pet, including soft cone collars, inflatable collars, recovery clothing and onesies, and protective clothing for hind and front legs.[3]
These alternatives can help you keep your dog’s wound site clean and healthy without putting your pet in an uncomfortable plastic cone. If the following best dog cone alternatives don’t fully work for your dog’s situation, you can ask your vet about medication to prevent pain or itching. Reducing the wound’s sensation might help your pet stop licking it.
Soft collars
Made with soft fabric, soft collars resemble cones but provide more comfort than their hard plastic cone counterparts. If you’re looking to buy a soft collar, you may also find them sold as a “comfy cone,” “comfy collar,” or “pillow collar.”
Soft E-collars have a couple potential drawbacks to keep in mind. Due to their cone shape, they can still block your pet’s peripheral vision like a plastic dog cone. And your pet may be able to chew through the collar’s soft material, exposing the wound or affected area to further irritation.
Keep Reading: How Can You Lower Pet Insurance Costs?
Inflatable collars
Inflatable collars look a bit like pool floaties, but they’re popular with many pet owners because they don’t obstruct your pet’s peripheral vision. Inflatable dog collars are available in a wide array of fabrics and colors.
When not in use, you can deflate these collars, which makes storing them easier. This type of collar is a good option that provides more comfort than a hard plastic E-collar.
Recovery clothing and onesies
Recovery suits and sleeves are protective clothing items made with comfortable fabric that your pet can wear while recovering from surgery or an injury. You can use this protective clothing to keep bandages or gauze pads in place if your pet needs them.
Whether you have success with protective clothing for your pet will depend on how comfortable your dog is with wearing a layer of fabric.
Some pet owners also purchase onesies or use one of their own T-shirts to make a protective layer. These solutions might help protect mild wounds, but it’s still possible for pets to scratch through layers of thin fabric.
Hind-leg and front-leg protective clothing
If your pet has a wound on its leg, you can also try placing a sock or a bootie on the limb — perhaps keeping it in place with a wrapped bandage tape. This will be more comfortable for your dog than wearing a cone.
But unless they’re fitted very well, these guards can easily fall off.
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Ways to manage your pet’s discomfort
In addition to having your dog wear an alternative to a standard dog cone, you have other ways you can try to reduce your pet’s discomfort and improve its quality of life.
Here are some ideas to keep in mind when your dog is recovering from surgery, injury, or irritation.
Make sure your pet has a comfortable place to rest. Place extra pillows or blankets in your pet’s rest area. Add one of your old shirts so your pet has the comforting scent of you while recovering.
If your dog sleeps in a crate, make sure it’s large enough to accommodate a dog cone or alternative. Your pet should be able to turn around in its crate without bumping into the sides, even while wearing a cone. If your crate isn’t large enough, ask your friends, family, or even your vet if they have one you can borrow when your pet recovers.
Purchase new toys and gentle games to keep your pet engaged. Check on your pet often to assess its mental well-being and see if it’s feeling better or worse after surgery.
Give your pet extra attention and speak to it softly. What your pet likely needs most during this time is to feel like it’s not alone. Surgery can be scary for animals, too.
Set up your pet somewhere it can look outside. This can be especially beneficial if your pet can’t go for a walk or play during the healing process.
Dog cone alternatives FAQs
The following information should help answer your remaining questions about surgical dog cone alternatives. If you have a question not answered below, you should consult your veterinarian to ask about best practices when it comes to dog cone alternatives.
What can you put on your dog instead of a cone?
You can have your dog wear a soft collar, inflatable collar, recovering clothing or onesies, or protective clothing for your pet’s hind or front legs. You may need to consider a few alternatives to find the best option for your dog.
Can you cover your dog’s wound without a cone?
Yes. In some cases, you can have your dog wear recovery clothing or onesies to cover your dog’s wound, stitches, or irritated spot. You can even use recovery clothing to help secure protective gauze or bandages.
For a wound on your dog’s leg, you can try securing a sock or bootie to your dog’s leg to keep it from further irritating its wound.
How long does your dog need to wear the cone?
It depends. In general, your dog needs to wear the cone until its wound heals. Some veterinary offices say to keep the cone on for one to two weeks after regular surgery and six to 12 weeks if your pet had orthopedic surgery.
Every situation is different, so consult your veterinarian to learn long your dog should wear the cone or a cone alternative, depending on your pet’s specific situation.
Can your dog sleep in a crate while wearing the cone?
Yes, but ensure your dog has ample room. Your dog can sleep in a crate while wearing a cone. In fact, some veterinarians might recommend it, especially after orthopedic surgery.
The key to keeping your dog comfortable while wearing a cone in a crate is to make sure the crate is large enough for your dog to move around in. Your dog should be able to turn around while wearing the cone. You may need a larger crate than you typically use.
How do you know if the cone fits correctly?
You should be able to place two fingers in between the cone and your dog’s neck so your pet has adequate space. Your dog shouldn’t be able to take the cone off by itself.
Make sure there are no hard edges or overlapping plastic digging into your dog’s fur, which could cause discomfort. Cones come in different sizes, so you can try a new size if the first one doesn’t fit your dog.
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Sources
- VCA Animal Hospitals. "Elizabethan Collars in Dogs."
- The University of Sydney. "The Cone of Shame makes pets miserable."
- petMD by Chewy. "Cone of Shame: What It Is and Cone Alternatives."
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Catherine Collins
Catherine Collins is a freelance financial writer and author based in Detroit. She's the co-founder of MillennialHomeowner.com and MomsGotMoney.com, and author of the book Mom’s Got Money: A millennial mom’s guide to managing money like a boss. She has written for US News, Huffington Post, Money, Business Insider, Investopedia, Entrepreneur, Go Banking Rates, and many other publications. She currently resides in Detroit, Michigan with her boy-girl twins and a rescue dog named Julep.
Licensed auto and home insurance agent
3+ years experience in insurance and personal finance editing
NPN: 20564519
Katie uses her knowledge and expertise as a licensed property and casualty agent in Massachusetts to help readers understand the complexities of insurance shopping.
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