Can you trust a dog in a surgical suit alone?
Deciding whether to leave a dog unsupervised in a recovery suit or a traditional cone is a major worry after spay or neuter surgery. Owners struggle to know if a suit will actually stay on safely while crated or if they should stick with the cone, especially when dogs hate wearing restrictive clothing or manage to kick at their incision.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- The most recent one is from October 2026.
- This comes up 11.3× more often in r/cats than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Using a traditional plastic cone of shameDid this help you?
- 2Using an inflatable recovery donutDid this help you?
- 3Combining a surgical suit with a coneDid this help you?
- 4Monitoring the dog via a pet camera while awayDid this help you?
- 5Putting baby socks on the dog's legsDid this help you?
- 6Using a donut collarDid this help you?
- 7Trying to confine the pet to a small room or closetDid this help you?
- 8Setting up a baby gateDid this help you?
- 9Buying a recovery suitDid this help you?
- 10Making a makeshift recovery suit out of old socksDid this help you?
- 11Creating a DIY e-collar using a paper plate with a hole cut into itDid this help you?
- 12Using a gently worn shirt with the owner's scent on itDid this help you?
- 13Leaving the recovery suit or sock on despite the cat disliking itDid this help you?
- 14Using alternative flower pillow collars or donut collars instead of traditional plastic conesDid this help you?
- 15Tying the collar to the pet's regular collar so it cannot be easily removedDid this help you?
- 16Cutting down drawstring ends to prevent the pet from chewing on themDid this help you?
- 17Deflating or checking the stuffing density of alternative collarsDid this help you?
- 18Buying a cone from a store or ordering one for same-day delivery via AmazonDid this help you?
- 19Using an airplane pillow or wrapping the cat up like a mummyDid this help you?
- 20Using a soft cone that looks like a little pillowDid this help you?
- 21Trying a newborn onesieDid this help you?
- 22Putting the pet in a coneDid this help you?
- 23Making a makeshift cone or clothing item like a sock outfitDid this help you?
- 24Using a large rigid plastic coneDid this help you?
- 25Giving the pet temporary cone breaks during feeding and litter tray useDid this help you?
- 26Switching to a soft donut collarDid this help you?
- 27Using rigid plastic cones for extended periodsDid this help you?
- 28Trying soft donuts and fabric collarsDid this help you?
- 29Applying DIY bandagesDid this help you?
- 30Hand-feeding and structuring lives around constant supervisionDid this help you?
- 31Stacking two different types of recovery cones, such as putting a stiff plastic one underneath a soft pillow one.Did this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“He got an abscess on his tail and now has to wear two cones to stop licking it while it recovers.”source ↗
“Dreamsicle wasn't happy with her cone and got it off regularly so I ordered this flower pillow collar thing off chewy and it works great.”source ↗
“She keeps licking her wound and I’m not sure what to do.”source ↗
“It’s took late to go buy a collar, even though I have checked the one peat store here repeatedly and they don’t have one that fits her.”source ↗
“He still has a big hole in his chest though and the vet is closed now and I just noticed he CAN reach and lick it (vet didn’t think he could)”source ↗
“Anyone have any advice on how to keep it clean? Should I try to make a little sock outfit for him while it heals or would that be bad and prevent the hole from drying out?”source ↗
“I’m happy to hang out with him and stop him licking but I will have to sleep at some point so what am I supposed to do then?”source ↗
“Has anyone got better suggestions for the next few days?”source ↗
“I'm not sure a soft collar would protect the forbidden bum area.”source ↗
“I give him cone breaks while he eats and uses the litter tray but he's mad as hell when I put it back on.”source ↗
“Would a suit work better?”source ↗
“she was definitely licking them (despite all my efforfs to stop her, i do unfortunatrly have to work and sleep and can't police her when i am)”source ↗
“mine just got spayed last week so can't have them licking the stitches”source ↗
“Fair warning our boy figured out how to pop his pillow collar somehow.”source ↗
“Cat has been in a cone for 1.5 months because of a minor paw wound/scab — I am at my wits' end and need advice”source ↗
“Soft donuts and fabric collars don't work either—he can still reach his paw with them.”source ↗
“When the sock is on her, it’s like she forgets how to walk. She freezes, flops over or walks backwards. Is that okay? It makes me really sad.”source ↗
“I meant pop as in deflate. I was then able to lick himself when he shouldn't have. :(”source ↗
“Soft donuts and fabric collars don't work because he can still reach his paw with them. Tried two different types and none worked 😞”source ↗
“Tried it already. He kicks them off easily. I'm afraid of tighten it too much and cut off circulation.”source ↗
“My question is, when we have to leave the house and leave her alone crated, did y’all trust your dogs to wear the onesie? Or should we stick with the cone?”source ↗
“When I got a diaper on her (bc she was dripping blood everywhere), she spent a solid 10m turning in a circle trying to get it off. And still hates it 2 days on. I don’t foresee her liking a surgical suit any better.”source ↗
“she was sent home with a cone, on the day of the spay i had to call her vet office to ask for advice because she was kicking near her incision. They told me suit + cone with the possibility of her needing socks as well.”source ↗