DIY Elizabethan cat collar made from a plastic bottle or cardboard. Collar - protection for dogs: do it yourself

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When and who needs a protective collar


A dog's rough tongue and sharp claws on its limbs can cause serious injuries and lead to suppuration of the sutures. For the purpose of warning negative actions applied from the pet side protective collar.

  • Ophthalmic surgery or eye treatment. Diseases of the visual organs such as conjunctivitis, blepharitis, iridocyclitis are usually accompanied by lacrimation and itching. Scratching the sore spot with your paws worsens the situation. In addition, ophthalmic ailments require application medicinal ointments for a long time.

After eye surgery for cataracts or corneal ulcers, it is extremely important to protect the operated area from mechanical damage from the pet's side. In this regard, the animal mandatory a protective collar must be worn.

The protective device will prevent unwanted mechanical impact pet on problem areas postoperative period, during treatment with ointments, when treating against fleas and ticks.

Product options and their features

To protect a dog from self-harm during treatment or recovery after surgery, a wide variety of Elizabethan collars are used. The design of almost all protective devices is a truncated cone, the narrow part of which is fixed on the animal’s neck. Collars of various shapes and materials allow owners to choose the most suitable best option for your restless pet.

Soft

Soft models of protective collars are popular among owners. Their advantage is that the devices do not produce unpleasant or frightening sounds for the pet. Soft remedies protection against self-injury are made of water-repellent hypoallergenic material. Due to their lightness and flexibility, fabric models do not impede the pet’s movement, allowing them to easily take food and water, and sleep without experiencing discomfort.

TO positive aspects soft devices made of non-fabric material include their wear resistance and ease of storage and transportation. Soft models can be folded compactly and taken with you on a trip. Such devices are not suitable for large animals, since they do not completely cover the head, and the pet can wrinkle the collar.

In specialized stores, soft devices are available for sale, reinforced with a plastic insert, which gives the structure rigidity and prevents unwanted actions of the pet. Many models of soft collars are equipped with Velcro, which help securely fix the device on the dog's neck.

Inflatable

Models of protective structures for pets in the form of an inflatable lifebuoy are usually made of soft and flexible materials. The convenience of such devices is their ease of use. Inflatable models do not cause discomfort to the dog, do not restrict freedom and are pleasant to the body. Models equipped with a nylon cover are durable.

Ease of storage and transportation, ensuring comfort when worn, make inflatable collar models popular among owners of dogs with short limbs. Short pets are physically unable to reach the protection on the neck and pull it off. For representatives of large breeds with long limbs, such collar models are not suitable.

Plastic

Plastic models of protective devices are widely available in pet stores. They are made of transparent or colored material and are inexpensive. Positive quality plastic barrier agents is the possibility of them quick cleansing from pollution, application disinfectants. IN transparent design The pet's view is not limited.

The disadvantage of plastic Elizabethan collars is high level noise. Animals often get scared, especially when they touch foreign objects with the device. In addition, plastic models become brittle over time, cracking and breaking.

An alternative may be elastic neck corsets. They are made of foam material and are used when the diseased area is on the body of the animal, and not on the head.

How to choose a size

Whatever model the owner prefers, it is necessary first of all to take care of the correct choice of protective device according to the size of the pet. In this matter, they are guided by the width of the protective field. Sizes No. 10 and 12 correspond to a width of 10.5 and 12 cm and are suitable for dogs of dwarf and miniature breeds.

A protective structure with size No. 15 should be chosen for a medium-sized pet with a neck circumference of no more than 15 cm. For dogs of large breeds, it is necessary to purchase protective products in sizes No. 20 and No. 25.


Collar Size Chart

Elizabethan animal collars are usually sold unassembled for ease of transportation. Assembling the collar is easy, following the instructions. As a rule, the structures are given the appearance of a cone and secured with special clamps. If the size is chosen correctly, the protective cone protrudes slightly beyond the boundaries of the dog's head.

A well-chosen protective design does not limit the pet’s view, does not hinder its movement, and does not interfere with the intake of food and water.

Making your own protective collar

Many owners prefer homemade devices to protect their pet from self-harm. The easiest way to make a design for small breeds dogs. The material for the collar in this case can be an unnecessary x-ray or a flexible office plastic folder for papers. Thick corrugated cardboard is suitable for the same purpose.

From the selected material, cut a blank in the form of half a donut. To ensure that the collar fits well and does not hinder your pet’s movements, you should know two parameters: neck girth (the diameter of the fastened collar) and the length from the neck to the tip of the nose. The first measurement on the workpiece is the inner diameter of the circle. You should add 5 cm to the second - this will be the outer diameter of the workpiece.


Collar pattern

After the future collar is cut from the selected material, its edges can be treated with soft fabric for comfortable wearing. It can be sewn or glued on both sides of the workpiece. To make the device convenient to put on your pet, it should be equipped with strong adhesive tape or lacing along the side of the cone. To attach to a collar or harness, it is most convenient to use lacing or special fasteners.


Cardboard protective collar

For a representative large breed the protective structure can be made from a soft plastic bucket. To do this, cut a hole in a suitable size bucket along the diameter of the pet’s neck and make a side cut so that a homemade collar can be put on the dog. The protective product is secured with lacing.

If the animal is medium-sized, then you can use a large plastic bottle to make a homemade Elizabethan collar. When performing work manually, avoid sharp edges to avoid injuring your pet.

To learn how to make a protective collar for a dog yourself, watch this video:

How to put the product on a dog

In the event that an animal is undergoing a planned surgery, such as sterilization, the owner should accustom the dog to wearing a collar in advance. To do this, the barrier device must be left in the dog’s field of view and allowed to sniff new item, get used to it.

Then the design is put on the pet. In this case, the animal should be distracted by play and, if no attempt is made to steal an unfamiliar object, the dog should be rewarded with a treat. The first attempts should be short in time so that the animal gets used to the new design.

In order for the protective device to reliably prevent the pet from self-injury, it must be carefully secured to a leash or harness. This is possible if the collar size is chosen correctly. The animal usually gets used to a comfortable and correct model within a few days and does not pay any attention to it.

A protective collar for dogs serves as a barrier structure that prevents scratching and licking. postoperative sutures. The device is indispensable in the treatment of skin diseases, ear diseases, ophthalmological problems in pets, and when treated with insecticides.

Various designs from different materials make it easier for the owner to choose. In order for the collar to reliably protect the pet from self-harm, it is necessary to choose the product correctly in size and accustom the dog to wearing it.

Useful video

To learn how to properly put a protective collar on a dog, watch this video:

No one is immune from disease. The cat is no exception. She could get hurt, get into a fight, or have surgery. Animals in wildlife lick wounds for cleansing, but domestic cats are capable of surrendering to instinct with exaggerated zeal.

You need to apply ointment, but the free-spirited furry personality persistently licks the medicine or tears the fixing bandage. The cat protests, actively expressing dissatisfaction and indignation... A protective Elizabethan collar, which received its second name for its resemblance to the lush trim of the dresses of the times of Queen Elizabeth I of England, can help in this case.

Protection is indispensable:

  • for skin damage, burns;
  • when injured;
  • during processing of wool and leather;
  • in the presence of fresh postoperative sutures;
  • after castration;
  • in the treatment of diseases of the eyes and ears.

The collar prevents licking and scratching, facilitating healing. By limiting access to the head, paws and torso, it eliminates additional injuries in a cat during the recovery period.

The collar can be bought at a veterinary pharmacy, pet store, or made with your own hands from available materials (cardboard, plastic kitchen napkins and flower pots, buckets small size). It is important that the collar is reliable, safe and comfortable.

Types of collars

The stores offer three types of Elizabethan collars from different manufacturers: plastic, inflatable and soft.

Plastic It is a truncated cone with tapes for fixing on a collar or bandage holders. Some manufacturers separate modifications for cats and dogs. Cat guards are generally lighter and smaller in size.

Plastic collars may have edges treated with soft fabric, which reduces wearing discomfort, and Velcro for fastening. The cone-shaped shape does not interfere with eating and allows sleep, so most animals get used to the need to wear protection for two to three days. Especially capricious cats If you refuse to eat or drink, the collar can be removed for a short time, giving the animal a short rest.

When purchasing, you must take into account that the opaque plastic blocks the cat’s side view, interfering with orientation in space. This unnerves the animal and causes even more stress.

Plastic collars are practical, easily disinfected, cheap, but not very comfortable and make noise when in contact with furniture and the floor.

Inflatable collars are made in the form of a roller or a circle. They are easy to use, do not cause irritation or allergies, are easy to clean and do not interfere with your view. Such collars cause less inconvenience compared to plastic ones, but their cost is much higher and they have less wear resistance. Sharp cat claws can damage the surface, so you should give preference to models with an additional durable nylon cover. Inflatable collars are typically used for long-term treatment.

Soft cone-shaped collars are made of non-woven water-repellent materials. They are as comfortable as possible, non-allergenic, affordable, but the least practical. Active cats they even crush thick fabric and easily reach a wound or scratch.

Sizes vary from very small (for kittens) to large (for large cats) and are selected individually depending on the structure and body weight. When choosing, you should focus on the circumference of the neck - the collar should not be too loose or tight. The optimal size is with a small gap in cervical spine, equal to the size of two fingers.

The main problem in treatment skin diseases cats become restless and intolerant of third-party invasions. Smeared medicine The area of ​​skin will be immediately licked thoroughly. The so-called Elizabethan cat collar.

According to legend, the name of the protective cone, placed around the animal's neck and preventing the treated participants from licking the skin, comes from Queen Elizabeth, who introduced high luxurious collars into the fashionable style of high society.

This completes the educational historical excursion; let’s move on to the main question – where can I get an Elizabethan collar? or how to make it?


In large populated areas You can buy a protective collar at your local pet supply supermarket. The average price of a collar is several hundred rubles.

However, this path is not always possible. Alternatively, you can purchase a medical collar for cats in an online store, but delivery time can be two, three weeks or even several months.

In the case of time is critical, every day is fraught with the development of serious complications.

Therefore, we will use our ingenuity and learn how to make an Elizabethan collar for cats with our own hands from scrap materials. Plastic bottles and cardboard boxes, which are always available in every home and are easy to process.

DIY Elizabethan cat collar made from a plastic bottle

Factory-made pet safety collars are quite complex designs, attached to the collar with special straps, with a large number latches and Velcro fasteners. Or you can do this simple option:


It seems that in order to prevent the ointment from being licked off for half an hour, while the medicine is absorbed into the skin, all these sophisticated devices are not needed.

Note. Why do cats aggressively resist the application of ointments and lick the medicine from the affected areas?

In fact, it’s not the spreading process itself, but the sharp unpleasant odors caused by the ingredients of ointments. Tar, sulfur and other strong smelling medical supplies bring animals into an excited, even aggressive state, and not at all the process of gentle stroking.

To calm your pet, before the procedure you can give the cat a few drops of valerian, which, by the way, will somewhat eliminate the untidy smell of tar.

The Elizabethan collar sold in stores is equipped with many clasps, something like various kinds carbines and swivels in military ammunition.

To cope with all these complex devices requires a fair amount of skill and practice.

We offer a simple option on how to make plastic bottle, a collar made in a few minutes, which is put on and secured with one hand (while with the other three you hold back the desperately tearing, scratching and biting animal, which suddenly turns out to be surprisingly strong and nimble).

That's it. Such a homemade protective collar is quite enough to prevent the cat from trying to get to the smeared area within half an hour. During this time, the ointment should be absorbed.

If for some reason you don’t want to make this useful device for cats yourself, then you can purchase it very inexpensively in the Aliexpress online store:

  • first option;
  • second option;
  • third option;
  • all options .

DIY Elizabethan cat collar made from cardboard

A homemade protective collar made of cardboard is made similarly to the method described above.


The only difference is in the method of attaching the Velcro fastener - an adhesive connection here will not provide sufficient strength. It is better to sew Velcro to the edges of the cardboard collar using harsh threads.

  • Opinion. The option of securing an Elizabethan collar made of cardboard with tape sounds rather dubious from the point of view of manufacturability. Where can I get at least one more hand to operate with a roll of tape? And tape, according to Murphy's Law, in such situations always ends up with a lost end.

The cardboard protective collar is disposable, as it is severely damaged and dirty when used, and cannot be washed or cleaned. But the task of tearing the hated box collar to shreds will help distract the cat for the minutes necessary to absorb the ointment.

Advice. Before starting treatment and prophylaxis, prepare first aid supplies - hydrogen peroxide, iodine, bandages. This is not for the cat, but to heal the owner’s wounds received in an unequal struggle with the pet.

Video on how to quickly make a protective collar for a cat from cardboard:

Video on how to quickly make an Elizabethan collar for a cat from plastic:

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You will need a protective collar for your cat if she is injured. skin resulting from:

  • any type of injury;
  • operations;
  • scratching insect bites.

Treated with ointments wound surfaces the animal will definitely lick it. To prevent this from happening, you need to put a device on your pet’s neck that will limit unnecessary movements.

Those pets whose skin has been treated with medications for various infectious skin diseases will also have to wear protection.

You can purchase such a device at any specialized animal store or veterinary pharmacy, or you can make it yourself at home.

Fabric product

The shape of this cat accessory resembles a funnel, which in its narrow part should be tailored taking into account the size of the neck circumference pet. Even a novice seamstress can sew such a product:

  • The first step is to create a pattern for the future product on paper. To do this, use a compass to draw a semicircle with a diameter of about 23 cm. Then, fastening parts and a recess for the animal’s neck are applied to the resulting base (see diagram).
  • Using the resulting pattern, two identical parts are cut out from any natural fabrics.
  • The inner insert (seal) is cut according to the same pattern from felt or thick non-woven fabric. If there are no such materials in the house, you can sew several blanks from any thick fabrics, and use them to give the cone the desired shape.
  • All three parts are sewn together along the entire length of the perimeter. Only a small segment about 4–5 cm long remains unsewn. This pass is left unprocessed so that the product can be turned out through the resulting hole. After turning it inside out, the seal should be inside.
  • The resulting collar is carefully looked at, shaping the edges with an iron. The hole through which the product was turned inside out is sewn up manually or using a machine. Velcro or ties are sewn to the side edges.

This device is distinguished by its softness; it will be comfortable for the cat to stay awake and sleep. The furry animal will be able to wear its new accessory around the clock until full recovery.

Such fabric products are especially suitable for post-operative cases, after castration, when the pet has to be limited in movement for several days, but at the same time the animal needs healthy sleep and comfort for recovery.

Plastic bottle collar

If for some reason it is not possible to sew or buy protection, it can be made from an ordinary two-liter plastic bottle. Plastic is much tougher and less comfortable than fabric.

Therefore, you can wear a device made from a plastic bottle for a short period and only when the animal is awake. A good owner should understand that a very hard collar creates certain inconveniences for a freedom-loving cat. Your pet will not be able to sleep in such a product.

This protection is done very simply:

  • A cone is cut out of a plastic bucket or bottle; its base should correspond to the circumference of the cat’s neck.
  • The height of the cone usually does not exceed 25 cm, this is enough so that the cat cannot reach its skin with its tongue.
  • Velcro or fasteners are attached to the edges that should meet using a stapler. If you don’t have a stapler at hand, you can use a knife to make holes at several points along both side edges of the collar through which you can thread the lacing.
  • The cut that will put pressure on the animal’s neck needs to be covered with a strip soft fabric or tape. The sections are glued over so that the plastic, when in contact with the pet’s neck, does not cause additional damage to it.

It is important that all its edges are completely smooth and even. Otherwise, unevenness and roughness may injure the animal.

Express method

If such protection is needed very urgently, it can be made in a few minutes from ordinary cardboard and tape.

To make such a craft with your own hands, you need to prepare everything necessary tools and materials:

  • scissors;
  • centimeter;
  • ruler;
  • compass;
  • stapler;
  • scotch;
  • cardboard.

All of the above can be found in any home. It’s easy to find a plastic bottle if you don’t have a sheet of cardboard that’s suitable in size and density.

On a sheet of cardboard you need to draw and cut out a semicircle with a diameter of 20 to 25 cm. Then the resulting part is rolled into a cone. A hole is made at its base, cut to fit the circumference of the animal’s neck. The resulting protective device is put on the cat, the side sections are connected and secured together with tape.

This option will help out when you need to limit the ability of an animal to lick its skin on short term. For example, after treating a cat's fur with flea and tick medications.

The dog is not always pleasant medical assistance or care procedure. It also happens that after surgery or injuries, you should not allow the animal to lick, scratch or comb the wounds. In order not to sit over the dog and prevent it from scratching where it wants, it is better to use a protective collar. It is also called postoperative.

This device is a truncated cone, which with a narrow diameter is attached to the dog’s neck. He prevents him from scratching a wound on his head with his paw (for example, cropped ears) or lick a wound on the body.

When is a dog collar used?

They are used quite widely:

In this way, you can not only speed up healing, but also prevent the spread secondary infection, as well as external preparations. If the postoperative collar is selected or made according to the dog’s size, it does not even interfere with food intake and can not be removed at all until the dog has fully recovered.

How to train a dog to wear a protective collar?

If the operation is planned in advance, then it is better to start accustoming the dog to wearing a protective collar before the operation.

  1. To begin with, you can introduce the dog to a collar laid out on the floor and allow it to take treats from it.
  2. Gradually bring the object closer to the dog while giving it a treat.
  3. Now put a collar on the animal and play with it.
  4. Let her decide that this thing is just complementing the fun game.
  5. At first, you need to put on the collar for just a few minutes, gradually increasing this time. After the dog decides that the device on it is not scary, it needs to be taught to move in it, and then to sleep.

Even if the operation was urgent or the animal was suddenly injured, she will completely get used to wearing the device in just a couple of days.

Should I buy or make a dog collar with my own hands?

The factory-made collar is made of flexible transparent plastic. There are also fabric options. With this, the dog will not make noise and will not break it. But plastic is easier to wash and disinfect, and it is also transparent and does not interfere with the dog’s vision of everything around him.

There are collars different sizes(8, 10, 12, 16, 20) for all dog breeds. The smallest is suitable for a Chihuahua, and the largest is for a shepherd. The collar also has four strips to secure it to the collar.

To make a protective collar for your dog with your own hands, you can use thin plywood, cardboard or suitable items. For example, for a small dog, a device can be made from x-ray or a plastic flask, cutting off the bottom and neck. For big dog use a plastic soft bucket.