Cone of Shame

If you remember, Millie had a run in with a stick at the dog park at the beginning of the month. When we took her to get checked out, our normal vet was not available, and this other guy told us that either by bandaging or stitching and bandaging we could convince the dangling pad to reattach. We went with just the bandaging.

One week later, it only looked worse and Millie was more and more bothered by it. So we took her back, this time to our normal vet. He immediately said what we had thought in the beginning - the best course of action is to remove the pad entirely. There had been little flow of blood to the dangling part and the flesh had actually started dying. It was not going to reattach. So Millie stayed at the vet's office and got her pad removed and the remaining hole patched up with whatever skin was available on the edges. 

And now she must wear the cone of shame so that she does not lick and bite the stitches out. She doesn't try to take it off, but she has problems going through doors and nuzzling. The latter is more of a problem for Sam and me, as we're suddenly accosted by not entirely flexible plastic at knee and thigh level.

My friend said his dog learned how to take off the cone in a week. I don't think Millie is that smart; she just keeps looking sad and attempts more cuddling in order to convince us to take it off for her.