21.5.2014

My young, boisterous Plott hound is recovering from some fancy eye surgery, so e-collars have been of great interest around here. I've tried two of the soft collars, and the Comfy Cone is definitely the better choice. In fact. reading some of the reviews (and the description), I have the sneaking feeling that some of them may actually refer to the soft collar I didn't like -- the ProCone.If you've ever used the classic hard e-collar, you know what a nightmare it can be -- it's like strapping a bulldozer to your dog's head, the acoustics are horrible for the dog's sensitive ears, and sleeping, lying down, etc, get complicated. So any soft e-collar should be an improvement over the classic.I had ordered the Comfy Cone,but was worried it wouldn't arrive on time, so called a big-box pet store to see if they had it in stock. They said they did, so I asked a friend to pick it up on the way to my house. Turned out it was NOT the Comfy Cone, but the ProCone -- I think maybe "Comfy Cone" has become the generic term for all soft e-collars, like "Kleenex" is used to refer to all facial tissues, or "Google" all search engines. I was glad to have it, because in fact the Comfy did not arrive in time, and used the Pro for 5 days after surgery til I could get to the PO to pick up the Comfy.The ProCone was a LOT better than nothing, but I spent as much vigilance making sure the collar did not injure the surgical site as making sure the dog was okay. The Comfy, on the other hand, is pretty much perfect -- all the shortcomings of the Pro are addressed in the Comfy.The Comfy has lots of body, while still being soft and flexible -- that means it stands away from the dog's head (and ears), which is important if what you want to protect is the dog's head. It has two levels of body -- the cone itself is made of foam panels covered in ripstop, rather like an outdoorsy padded bra, so it keeps its round shape and does not droop. There's a nice side effect of all the padding, too -- even the most vigorous scratching with toenails does not translate to the dog's head. The Pro just has a double layer of ripstop between its stays, which lets nails, sharp corners, etc, have much more effect on the dog's head.The Comfy also comes with three removable stays which make it more rigid front-to-back. Having spent a lot of time wrestling with the unfortunate effect of the stays in the ProCone (snagging on every obstacle, making hard spots inside the collar to rub against the surgical site), I removed the Comfy's stays immediately, and have been very pleased with the result -- plenty of body, even for my crazy pup. But I would probably have been glad of them in the first few days after surgery, when the incision was at its most delicate and my dog was learning to use the collar and doing a lot of bumping into things.The ProCone also has a real tendency to droop between its stays, which lets the cone flop in and hug the dog's head -- it seemed to encourage sleep, but also rubbed the surgical site and compressed my dog's ears unless I arranged it exactly right -- with the overlap from fastening (the stiffest part of the collar) on top of my dog's head. Of course, that's the heaviest side of the collar, so keeping it uppermost requires constant fiddling. It also makes the bottom side of the cone behave kind of like a scoop, since it tends to hang down so far. The Comfy, by contrast, creates even more room around the head and ears when the dog lies down, because it keeps its round cross-section, stands nicely away from the surgical site, and also stands free of the ears.Both collars are made so they use your dog's normal collar as an anchor -- though the ProCone comes threaded onto a webbing strap with a velcro closure as anchor. Even in this minor aspect, the Comfy beats the Pro -- it has wide, strong elastic loops that really grip the collar and make it an integral part of the assembly, while the Pro has thin, round elastic cord which lets the cone move around relative to the dog's collar -- I found this especially irritating while trying to keep the close-over side of the Pro on top of my dog's head so the cone would keep its shape a little better.The Comfy costs a little more than the ProCone, at least in standard retail price, but skimping on the e-collar is a false economy, IMO -- when you've dropped a couple thousand dollars on the surgery, spending an extra ten bucks to make sure it heals properly just makes sense. It'll also let you sleep through the night, too, instead of having to cat-nap while you make sure the e-collar doesn't take out the stitches for which you've just paid so handsomely.

24.3.2020

This appears to be a fantastic product -- it's a very comfortable-appearing (wouldn't know for certain, since I'm not the one wearing it) yet rigid cone of significant width and depth. My 110-pound, 29-inch-high Lab/Rottweiler (trunk to foot) has a 23-inch neck and the XXL size fits perfectly at the smallest sizing (XL, for him, placed him at the edge of the size scale, so I played it safe). I'd say this would fit a Saint Bernard comfortably. It's also 14 inches deep when worn -- all the others we've seen are 10 or 12 inches. All of this should have been perfect for keeping my dog from licking the wound on his back foot. Unfortunately, he figured a way to do it (again), and I will probably return this product.Let me restate that this is not through fault of the cone -- it appears to be fantastic. My dog is just too smart for it (God knows how he managed to bend backward and still shove his foot into his mouth and inside the cone.A few notes:1. My dog freaked initially when this was placed on. He can't see side to side, and it's not even slightly transparent like the plastic "Cone of Shame." He got used to it after about an hour, however. Expect a lot of bumping into the edges of walls and doors. But at least it won't mark up or damage anything. The cone includes insertable plastic strips for increased rigidity; these can be removed individually if you need to only keep part of the item stiff and not the entire cone.2. It has a nice reflective stripe around the outer edge of the cone, which probably prevents the dog from getting hit by a car if he/she's walking outside with you at night. It appears that the only color this product comes in is black (as is my dog), so that stripe is a very good thing for us.3. It lays semi-flat on the floor when the dog tries to rest or sulk, unlike the plastic cones (which nearly broke when we put one on our dog). It's heavier than the plastic cone -- I'd say about a pound vs. mere ounces -- so I don't know how your dog will respond long term if trying to keep his/her head elevated if atanding on the floor or upright on a couch. Mine didn't seem to care.4. The Velcro makes it easy to put on and take off; it's obviously meant for repeated use. Compare it to the plastic cones, which are a pain (figuratively and literally) to take off. The Comfy Cone also lacks the plastic edges/clips that dig into the dog's neck and irritate it further.3. Initial placement of the cone can be challenge -- you have to loop the dog's collar through small elastic straps at the base of the cone, similar to wearing a belt on jeans. It will be tough if the collar has ornaments or a thick head, but it's manageable. I can't speak to the durability of the straps. But this belt-loop arrangement helps keep the cone in place (as long as your dog's collar fits well), and makes it easier to remove the cone -- all you do is release the dog collar. This worked well with my dog, as he has a collar with a snap release. If yours has the traditional pin-in-hole type, you may have a tough time.6. Placing the collar around your dog's neck for the first few times requires practice as you learn to align the three outer Velcro squares and the inner Velcro strip (which runs the full depth of the cone). My dog was fairly cooperative, so it wasn't that bad. A more-hyper dog, and it will take two people. Removing the cone will be tough (and loud) initially, due to the tightness of the Velcro. Again, I can't speak to the pieces' overall durability.7. Lastly, your pet will NOT be able to eat or drink with this item on -- it's simply too large. Maybe a Great Dane or a Saint Bernard can manage if they place their entire head over the food or water bowl like a tent, and you have an elevated bowl. Maybe a smaller size works better on other dogs. But for my dog, and this size, it's cone off, food and water, cone back on. Cleaning appears to be easy; it has a waterproof backing (both sides), so you should be able to merely wipe away whatever food or drool ends up in or on the cone (and with my dog, that was definitely the case when he slept).Again, I think this product would be fantastic for most dogs. I didn't get to use it much (it lasted 1 day when we saw it simply didn't meet our need); hence the 4-star rating. It wasn't right for my dog, but most people should find this item to be a terrific alternative to the traditional plastic cone.

28.5.2020

Finally, a collar that will prevent my little Havanese from licking.A tale of frustration, disappointment and persistence.One of my girls has a growth on her left hind leg knee that wasinfected when discovered. The vet put her on antibiotics to clearit up so he could remove it. We use warm compresses 2-3x dayand then put Neosporin on it, leaving it uncovered, as well as themeds she has to take. If you read the warnings on Neosporin,you’re suppose to call the poison control center if eaten.That means, if for no other reason, licking is NOT a good idea.I had bought an inflatable, donut shaped cushion collar a few yrs agowhen she had surgery.Having put it someplace where I wouldn’t lose it,I couldn’t find it but I was able to immediately locate an older plastic conecollar. We started out with that this time while I continued to try to locatethe inflatable one. Problem is, she’s apparently grown since she’d lastused it, thus could reach around it and lick her leg.Not able to find the old inflatable, I ordered another inflatable cushion collar.Her neck measures ~ 9.5 inches. I ordered the appropriate size, a medium.It arrived 2 days later immediately replacing the plastic cone. There was justone problem…. once again she could reach around it to lick her leg. Grrrrr!My research began for something that would work. It seems almost all thesecollars only measure about a 5-6” in depth for her size neck. She measuresabout 5.5” from her neck where her collar sits to the end of her snout. Oneafter another was eliminated—if they even told what that dimension was intheir descriptions. I think they are probably all made by the same manufacturer(s)and then private labeled, which explains why they’re all the same size.Depressed and frustrated, afraid she’d poison herself before we ever gotthe infection cleared up and her growth removed, I kept at it.Finally, I found the Comfy Cone., a padded, fabric cone style protective collar.They had apparently come up against this problem in the past of dogs gettingaround their recovery collars. They added extra sizes to their line meant to fit theneck, but provide a couple inches wider in depth so dogs with longer snoutscouldn’t get around them. Now, anyone who knows Havenese know they aren’tlarge or long anywhere, so how her 5.5” measurement could be considered “long”I don’t know. I think the inflatables are just trying to save a few pennies on materialscutting them shorter in depth. Anyway, Comfy Cone has a size “Small - Long”.It measures 8” in depth and fits a 9.5” to 11” neck. Yea!!!!It's deeper than she is long, neck > snout! I immediately ordered it.Here we are, one week after seeing the vet and 7 days into her 10 days ofantibiotics. She's still alive and doesn't seem to have poisoned herself yet.The Comfy Cone arrived a little while ago. She’s got it on -- apparently, it’lldo the trick. It comes with removable stays which I chose to remove, startingwithout them to see if they're needed. Without them, you can fold the conecollar back so you don’t have to remove it for them to eat, drink, etc. I foldeda small section back so she could see peripherally and wouldn't feel so isolatedfrom her sister or me. Right now she’s lying here by me, napping. It’s comfortablefor her and she can’t reach her leg to lick it. Yea!!! She might actually still be aliveto have the growth removed next week.Great design. Well made. Deeper to do what they’re intended to do, yet stilladjustable. Comfortable. Should be easy to clean if/when necessary.What else could you want from a protective, recovery collar?I’d give it 10 stars if I could.

9.5.2018

absolutely pleased with this product. (size small for 13lb cat and could not have been any smaller and fit)lots of attention to detail and over-engineering. would have paid twice the price and still considered it a bargain. my cat really does notice the difference between this and the several other's i have tried. he relaxes way more with it on than the others.. it is obviously more comfortable for him.the loops for the collar.. the removable stays.. the cover for the unused velcro strip.. the tab closure.. all well thought out. this collar is leaps and bounds above the others, and i have tried 4 different ones in addition to the comfy collar. being able to fold back the collar so the cat can eat and drink absolutely does work.you can leave in all the stays or just leave in the ones that suit your cat's purpose. or leave them all out. this collar is totally configurable for your cat's situation.i suspect some of the neg reviews are due to overall frustration from having an animal that needs something like this in the first place. true sizing can be a challenge, but that is not due to design, but to the physiological diversity of cats in general. hey if it doesn't fit, go to the next size. it is obviously a challenge for all brands, as i see none have a 5 star rating. the comfy collar deserves a 5 star rating, though.. it really does. this is not just some cheap peace of flat plastic.as for the visibility issue.. meh. my cat could see no better with the "clear" collars (which are not truly visibility clear - look thru one and see). he acted no different from having the blurry vision which the clear collars offer and the opacity of the comfy collar.regarding the collar being heavy.. i just don't see it. this collar weighs no more than the other four flat plastic collars i purchased. my cat holds his head up just as high with this one as the others. actually, since he is more comfortable in the comfy collar, his movements and posture are more natural. of course, no cat wearing any kind of a head covering is going to be his normal graceful self. cats will always exaggerate the effect of anything added to their body.i paired the comfy collar with a cat harness. what a great system. you can leave the comfy collar more loose around the neck because it is connected to the harness via loops. just perfect. and unlike one other reviewer, it was simple for me to remove and replace the stays while the cat was wearing the collar. you just have to push them from the opposite end from the exit hole.one custom addition i did have to add (and i would likes to see comfy collar come up with something like this) was a neck band below the collar to prevent neck scratching. my cat was scratching his neck raw. i just took a cottage cheese tub and cut the bottom off and put it around his neck.. then put the comfy collar on. the bell of the tub rides on his shoulder and the comfy collar kind of just funnels in to the other end of the tub. the tub thingy is loose enough that it just spins when he scratches it, yet will not come off because of how the comfy collar bells out. anyway it solved the neck scratching problem.i know the folks at comfy collar could come up with something way better than my poor idea.. maybe a little wide band type collar made out of the same material as the comfy that velcros in place and used in conjunction with their collar... or maybe an extension that velcros into place. anyway, the comfy plus harness and my tub has my cat on the mend! i very highly recommend this solution for your cat or dog.

31.7.2019

So my dog has a genetic disease that caused him to lose his sight gradually. He is now fully blind and is prone to corneal abrasions as he occasionally bumps into things then scratches his eye, making it worse! He needs eye drops to heal his corneal ulcers which irritate his eye, leading to more scratching and more money his mom has to pay to fix it! He is also a very special little dog so he hates the plastic cone that the vet gave us. As he will probably need to have the cone on for another month, I decided to look for a better alternative.This cone looked the best so after struggling with the size chart I ordered this one. I didn’t want it to be too long as I wanted him to have a little more independence and comfort,while still protecting the eye. As you can see in the pics, it does not reach to his nose.My dogs neck circumference was around 11 so I was leaning towards medium but decided to get small. Again as I wanted him to have more independence and be able to reach things. The cone is on the verge of being too tight but works for him. We have it on the loosest Velcro strap.When it first came, it was very stiff but with regular use it has softened up. Immediately after we put it on him, he perked up and obviously felt more comfortable and free to sniff and roam around. He is able to sleep well with it on, as it has a little padding that makes it cushiony. He is also able to eat and drink and climb up and down steps with this but doesn’t usually because he is a drama queen. Also, as you can see in the pics, you are able to fold down the bottom of it so your dog can reach things better, such as food or water. However, be careful as sometimes when we have done this, if he shakes his whole body or his head, the cone may spin a little and the folded part will be in a different place, giving him access to scratch his eye. Depending on your needs this may not be an issue.The cone is thick and made of durable material. I can tell it will hold up well. Like other reviewers have said, you attach it two ways. With the Velcro straps that connect the two sides of the cone. It also has loops that run all along the bottom side for you to thread in a collar, exactly like how a belt runs through the loops on jeans. You then have to either buckle that collar or make a knot if you are using a long piece of fabric or rope. We have a strip of some kind of fabric the vet gave us for the plastic cone so we use that instead of a collar. As he doesn’t try to take off the collar, we don’t usually use the fabric and just use the Velcro to secure it . Others have mentioned their dogs get scared of the velcro noise but mine does not and he is a very special and nervous little dog. He seems to love the noise as it means we are taking the cone off.Yes, like others have said, the cone is thick and can trap body heat. I have felt my dogs head after he has had the cone on and it was actually pretty warm. I immediately took the cone off and let him cool down. However this has only happened a couple times and we are always monitoring him and checking to make sure that he is okay throughout the day. Also, the plastic cone has this same issue so keep that in mind. I am thinking of cutting a few slits in the sides of the cone to promote ventilation. If I do this, I will update with pics.Overall I am pretty happy with this as it is easy to use and my little dog is much happier and more independent with it on. We are thinking of having him use this permanently but still have to decide on that. I would recommend this for your animals.

15.7.2013

I admit to at first being quite skeptical about the Comfy Cone, as many "revolutionary" pet products I've purchased have been of poor quality and/or quickly defeated by my dogs. I've had Labs for over 30 years, and have had several unpleasant experiences with the hard plastic e-collars. After major leg surgery on my five-year-old yellow Lab, I was desperate for something that did not take the paint off my walls and make the dog miserable. When we put the plastic cone supplied by our vet on our dog, she simply stood in one place, refused to lie down, and assumed the ultimate, yes, hang-dog look as if she were being beaten and abused. That's when, out of desperation,

1.5.2014

Our dog had developed a nasty allergy to something all around his head and had been scratching so much he was starting to go bald (not to mention the effect on his skin!). We resorted to using a standard plastic 'cone' to stop him scratching as nothing else seemed to work, but he quickly developed an aversion to it - not because of the cone itself, but because he's so little ( a shih tzu) that he bumps into everything and can't see over the edge of it, not to mention the fact that it weighs so much that whichever way his head moves, the cone overbalances it to his max range of movement.On advice from his vet, we looked up the comfy cone and were rather worried by the colour,

16.10.2020

Not one to write reviews, but this warrants one big time due to the loving family dogs happiness during 2 surgical procedures once I started using this Elizabethan Collar combined with caring treatment. I think we can all agree we want what's best for our dogs while not needing to spend a fortune that most us don't have and this was worth every penny IMO. Out of all the Elizabethan Collars I've tried, this by far crushes them all when it comes to comfort, functionality, decent price, dog happiness and that's all I wanted. Honestly didn't have such high expectations, but glad I made the purchase. Wish it was a bit longer for certain surgeries, i.e. lower leg, which the vet wanted no bandage during middle stage of healing,

6.4.2019

My 8-month-old puppy had a few procedures this week and, after much trial and error we found:- He chewed through part of the clear plastic collar the vet provided, then got it half-way off and wedged across his little jaw. A hazard.- Other cones we tried were not sized as expected, according to the confusing descriptions online.- One donut collar (Scenereal inflatable recovery collar) was a perfect fit, very comfortable and allowed my puppy to eat, drink, sleep and play with toys easily. It was fine as long as I could monitor him. He was protected from licking the surgical area on his tummy. But I worried he might get to the other stitches on his ankle, by lifting his leg around the donut.

20.2.2012

At one time or another dog owners will probably have to humiliate their dog by making them wear an "Elizabethan Collar" to keep them from scratching or licking surgical wounds. Our pug Spanky wore one, of course, after he got neutered and did quite well with it. But I hated the bulky plastic design. When recently we decided to get another one to prevent from licking some spots of irritated skin, I opted for this Comfy Cone. It looked a bit easier to use and not to mention, more comfortable.The Small Comfy Cone is designed for pets with necks measuring 10 to 14 inches around and 5.5 inches from neck. It just barely fits around my pugs neck. It has 3 Velcro straps on either side of the cone as well as a Velcro tab.

29.9.2020

My 8 year-old Boxer/Pit mix developed an ear infection and head-shaking behavior caused an aural hematoma. I opted for surgical repair to provide relief to my dog who was in alot of pain due to the amount of swelling and pressure. The incision was left open for draining, and her ear was sutured to the top of her head to allow for healing and prevent further trauma to the ear from head-shaking. She was given a standard clear "lamp shade" that she must wear at all times for 2 weeks. She got caught in EVERYTHING, I had to hold the food/water bowl up so she could eat/drink, and sleeping was very uncomfortable. Her ear bled for a few days, so I had to remove and reapply daily for cleaning,

19.6.2018

I bought this Comfy Cone size XL recently for my 100 + pound malamute due to a hotspot on his back. We love this cone, and it is SO much better than the alternative plastic ones.The pros:The Comfy Cone is soft, but it has structure to it so that the cone does not droop over the pets face.The cone is super easy to adjust! There are multiple neck sizes you can use with this cone and the cone is reinforced with velco for easy placement and removal. When using the plastic cone, we had to pull hard to get his head out when we were to give our pup a break, now it's super easy to un-velcro without any hassles!The cone is machine washable for those dirty pups, like mine!Even though the cone has structure around the sides and the top,

30.9.2016

The good: My chihuahua has severe allergies, and ended up scratching her eye so much that she got cherry eye. In short, she needed surgery so I used this pre-opt, post-opt, and I'm still using it to keep her from biting herself (because she makes herself bleed). There is not enough great things I can say about this e-collar. It is very close to perfect. When I first got it, I was unsure of it because it seemed a little bit on the heavy side for such a small dog, but she ended up having no issues with it. She wears it daily right now while allergy season is bad in AZ. She sleeps with it on every night, and it never itches her neck or gets in the way of her drinking water.

31.7.2016

Finlay the dog has had to have 2 ear operations in quick succession to try and deal with an aural hematoma - if you don't know what that is, google it, but prepare from some grim scenes, especially if you look up the videos on YouTube. Anyway, I degress...After the first op, he was attached to the vet's rigid, plastic 'Cone of Shame' and endured it miserably for 3 weeks. He was hot, couldn't get comfortable to sleep (have you ever seen a dog with bags under its eyes? Well we have!) and was like a bull in a china shop trying to get through doorways/into the car/sniff at lampposts, and on one memorable occasion,

10.2.2016

HI, Kathy's husband here doing the post. I'll start with basics that I was looking for when looking at other posts:1. Our dog is 41 pounds, female, Wirehair Pointing Griffon, 6 months old. The straight line distance from where the neck meets the body to the point of the nose (when she is looking up fully extended) is approximately 11 inches. If you go to Comfy Cone web site they give detailed instructions & this measurement is crucial. Less important the neck is 14" around, snug to fur.2. With info above we bought size Large. It fit perfect. The design allows you to expand or constrict the cone diameter quite a bit to fit the neck. However, the key measurement is the nose/neck length as stated in point #1.

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