The Cone of Shame

hellosweetie1015

This is about to be our bichon, and I'm about to be her least favorite person ever.

She has the same stress reaction as me - she "picks" at any places she has. (Not good reactions for either of us, I know. We're working on it.) Now, she has gone through the same crap the rest of my family has in the last six months, so she's obviously stressed. 

I don't know if y'all know much about bichons, but they have CRAZY curly hair (it's actually called hair, not fur). They are supposed to be big and floofy, but she's a little country dog so we usually kept her short so she didn't get these huge honking mats while she played in the woods with our two big dogs. After the fire, she went to live with my brother and sister (and their two roommates, my brother's cat, and the two 6-month-old "house puppies" they all got together) and had been doing okay there, but not great. I mean, he was feeding and loving and taking care of her, but he didn't keep her shaved because he'd never done it, didn't have the clippers (in the house, burned with the rest of our shit, being replaced SUPER SOON), and just frankly didn't really know to, I guess because he didn't quite get exactly how insane her hair gets. Well, her crazy curly hair, combined with her stress chewing, has turned her into a matted, un-cared-for-looking mess.

She came back to live with us Wednesday night and wound up sleeping with FI and me, which is when I really got a good look at her and realized exactly how bad she was. My mom and I spent Thursday night carefully cutting mats out and getting her at least looking like she's been somewhat cared for. And I've noticed places where she's practically chewed the hair out. I'm about to take her to a pet store that has a wash-your-own station, and while I'm there I'm putting her in a cone and I'm going to see about getting anything I can to help the places she's already got, heal.

I feel like shit because she's gotten like this. She was living with my parents to AVOID stressors - I noticed it a few years ago when I lived with a 6-month-old Jack Russell Terrier. (I'll NEVER have a Jack Russell Terrier. Omaigawd. SO MUCH ENERGY.)

I guess I just needed to vent. I'm so sad she got to this point. 

luckya23

I ordered a soft cone (I think called comfy cone) off amazon- maybe try one of those to reduce the horribleness of having to wear it?

princessleia22

It's not a "Cone of Shame", it's a handy toy carrier!

hellosweetie1015

alucky23 said:

I ordered a soft cone (I think called comfy cone) off amazon- maybe try one of those to reduce the horribleness of having to wear it?

My friend had one of these (we called it the Boobooloon, because it was inflatable) because the hard plastic cone her (much-larger) dog had HURT and she was one of those that crashed into you when she was excited. She popped it at least three times and we had to duct tape it back together, haha. I'm definitely going to look into that. The pet store I'm going to has both kinds, so luckily I have options.

Thanks, @smichek. I mean, situation wasn't ideal, but she had a place to go before we even did, so I'm insanely grateful that my bro and sis were able to take her.

hellosweetie1015

@smichek I know she is. She's quite taken with FI. I came home last night and she was sitting in his lap just snug as a bug. 

doeydo

Hmm, my mom's friend has a jack russel terrier who eats and scratches her skin because she is allergic to something in flea bites.  She also will go under the bed and scratch her back on the frame until it bleeds.  So, her owner has to make sure she is up to date on flea medication and and give her Benadryl when she breaks out in a rash or something again.  

hellosweetie1015

She does have a flea issue, as well, and I've been watching her for them. I've been all UP in her hair, and I haven't seen more than a couple, so that's good. 

Her body, legs, and feet are now mat-free and she's so pissed off she won't even look at me. I need to get at her tail, but I'm going to have to wait until she's not so angry. Off to the bath we go.

hellosweetie1015

Back from bathtime! Replaced her collar (which came with a name tag!) leash, and brush, and got her a boobooloon (almost too small, but the next smallest size was too big), a rawhide chicken's foot, and some hot spot treatment. She's completely mat-free now, too; my mom and I tag-teamed her to get her tail. 

She has pranced around like a puppy since we got home, and she started messing with the cat for a minute until he shut that down.

Clean, pretty puppy!

freebread03

Awww @CaitTdid23 you should post pics! I always feel bad for dogs in cones, mostly because they put on that "really mom, you're making me wear this" face.

jdluvr06

Poor puppy. My doggy had to wear the cone of shame earlier this year. She was pissed at me the entire time.

FutureMrsN3312

Must be that kind of week. My little guy is rocking the cone of shame as well. ETA: I must say he still looks friggin adorable.

hellosweetie1015

I did have a pic! It worked, too! Try again, I guess.

She's actually not wearing it right now because having been dematted, I think she's feeling better and leaving them alone a little more. I also gave her some hot spot medicine that's supposed to help her deal with them. 

Puppy attempt #2: (I think it's sideways... we'll see)

hellosweetie1015

Awww @futuremrsn3312 he's so precious. I'm sorry he's stuck in the cone though!

steph861

Eeeeeeeeeeee! You have a bichon! So do I! Well, she's my parents' dog now, but they got her when I was in high school.

My beastie is losing her hair right now too. Partly from a tapeworm (now gone) and partly from age. And she's been stress-licking a lot lately, to the point that she's causing sores. She looks awful right now, but her hair is starting to grow back.

Sorry your baby is so stressed out (and understandably so). I hope she feels better soon!

hellosweetie1015

steph11814 said:

Eeeeeeeeeeee! You have a bichon! So do I! Well, she's my parents' dog now, but they got her when I was in high school. My beastie is losing her hair right now too. Partly from a tapeworm (now gone) and partly from age. And she's been stress-licking a lot lately, to the point that she's causing sores. She looks awful right now, but her hair is starting to grow back. Sorry your baby is so stressed out (and understandably so). I hope she feels better soon!

I do! I love her. She's SUPER NEEDY but she's the sweetest thing. She doesn't much look like one though, haha, and hasn't since about 2009. Now that we're in an actual normal house with a fenced-in yard and not on ten acres of woods, we can actually consider growing her back out. She's rather precious when she's shaved though....

I'm sorry yours is causing sores too. I'm trying this stuff from HomeoPet for hot spots; I'll update you if it helps my girl, if you want?

steph861

CaitTDid23 said:

steph11814 said:

Eeeeeeeeeeee! You have a bichon! So do I! Well, she's my parents' dog now, but they got her when I was in high school.

My beastie is losing her hair right now too. Partly from a tapeworm (now gone) and partly from age. And she's been stress-licking a lot lately, to the point that she's causing sores. She looks awful right now, but her hair is starting to grow back.

Sorry your baby is so stressed out (and understandably so). I hope she feels better soon!

I do! I love her. She's SUPER NEEDY but she's the sweetest thing. She doesn't much look like one though, haha, and hasn't since about 2009. Now that we're in an actual normal house with a fenced-in yard and not on ten acres of woods, we can actually consider growing her back out. She's rather precious when she's shaved though....

I'm sorry yours is causing sores too. I'm trying this stuff from HomeoPet for hot spots; I'll update you if it helps my girl, if you want?

That would be great!