Has your pet ever needed to wear an Elizabethan collar, or E-collar, otherwise known as the cone of shame?
For those who aren’t familiar, the animal wears the hard plastic cone around its neck, which prevents him from reaching incisions so he won’t pull out stitches, or from reaching wounds so he won’t scratch, lick or hinder healing.
When Ike was neutered shortly after we adopted him at 8 years old, he had to wear the cone. We positioned the unwieldy contraption around his neck and secured the fasteners. What happened next surprised me. Our usually sweet and docile dog freaked out.
He thrashed, pawing at the collar, whining. He tried to run away and crashed into walls. The fear in his eyes broke my heart. We ended up taking it off whenever we were near to supervise. And believe it or not, classical music helped soothe him the times he did have to don the cone.
Of course, there truly is no shame in wearing the “cone of shame,” just as there is no shame for us to wear protective gear to keep us safe. If Ike ever needs to wear the cone again, I wish I could explain to him how it is for his own good.
I can relate–I sometimes struggle against things that are for my own good, too. I can take comfort in understanding that God knows what is best for us, however, and has well-equipped us for whatever we must face.
As for Ike, I think he knows I’d never do anything to hurt him. That doesn’t mean he’ll ever like wearing the cone. But I’ll tell him it’s a cone of strength and courage, and I’ll hug him and love him, and together we’ll struggle a little less.
