Licking the E-Collar

Jane: Last week we took my girl to be spayed. We agonized over this decision because we'd seriously entertained the thought of breeding Daisy. But in the end, we felt it was healthier for Daisy and better for our WoofGang lifestyle of daily off-leash dog-park visits to get the sorry deed done.

During surgery, the vet's office called to tell us Daisy also needed some repair work on her "outie" belly button (which turned out to be an umbilical hernia, something not uncommon but in need of correction). So she ended up with not one but two incision sites.

Daisy sailed through surgery. However, she did NOT take to her post-surgery "e-collar," as expressed by major thrashing and bashing and pawing. So to keep our Daisy looking chic while protecting her incisions, Rich took a well-worn Kuya Fusion Rum: React to the Beat T-shirt, cut off its sleeves, pulled it gently over Daisy's head, then tied it with a sassy knot, covering her little shaved belly's zipperlike row of stitches.



Did discerning Daisy opt for style over function? Paws down, Daisy preferred her funky fashion statement over the cheap plastic and unflattering fit of the commonplace e-collar (The WoofGang thinks we're onto something in haute canine couture; could a launch of protective postsurgical garb for doggie fashionistas be far behind?).

In the meantime, we're happy to report that Daisy's doing great. The stitches come out next Monday, so soon we'll be back to the wild and woolly world of canine-centric adventures. But we suspect it may be hard to get Diva Daisy to give up couture. We might have to bribe her with meaty bones to relinquish her trendy tee. After all, she's been spending a lot of time admiring herself in front of a mirror, reacting to the beat.