Goldie had been licking her left front paw and back leg, resulting in self inflicted wounds.
Despite regular thorough cleansing and application of ointment, the wound was never completely healed. Instead the situation worsened. This problem had dragged on for a few months, for which we finally took her to see the family vet.
Took extracts of her fur - did a culture, examined under microscope, but couldn't find out the exact cause.
She had been given the long lasting anti-biotic injection (effective for 2 weeks). Told to clean the wound twice daily, apply ointment and wear the collar at all times. At the time of the first revisit (2 weeks later), little progress was observed. Goldie, who occassionally took off the collar by herself and licked the wound should be blamed.
It was in the midst of such disappointment that we spent time thinking of a way to better reduce chances of her licking the wound. We decided to make a glove for her to wear. As for the material, we chose the face mask for adult -- the material is breathable and could keep the wound dry. We use an elastic band to let her carry it around the shoulder.
This arrangement seems to work well, as the vet was happy with her progress during the second revisit (4 weeks since first consultation). Though she was given another dose of anti-biotic injection, the next appointment is now being extended to a month, with hope of getting a clean bill of health thereafter.
Another point worth noting is the collar should be made of soft material or else it could scratch her wound when she licks herself.
As an aside, there is still fun at home.....
