In Honor of Millie's Cone of Shame...

In honor of Millie's cone of shame, I thought today I would share with you all a product review of Millie's new Comfy Cone! When Millie was spayed, we used a plastic cone, which we pulled back out for her recent hernia surgery. I quickly decided that she looked miserably stiff in the plastic cone. She couldn't rest or sleep comfortably, and she needed to get some rest in order to recover. I had heard in passing about the Comfy Cone so I drove out to Petco and picked one up. Here's the Good and the Bad:

The Good

• In the scheme of cone-wearing, the Comfy Cone really does appear to be pretty comfy. It's flexible so Millie is able to move more freely.
• Since it's flexible, you can fold the cone over (instead of taking it off) when she needs to eat or drink.
• Also since it's flexible, she can get in and out of her crate much more easily than the plastic cone. She doesn't run straight in to things quite as easily, since the cone gives when she bumps things.
• The Comfy Cone is easy to put on. The plastic cone we had previously used had snaps that were difficult to clasp, but the Comfy Cone is just Velcro. It's much, much easier to put on a squirming dog who has no interest in wearing a cone.
• If you have a dog who might be able to weasel their way out of a cone, the Comfy Cone has loops that you can run your dog's regular collar though. I haven't had to use this feature, but it seems useful.
• It's also padded, so Millie can put her head down and use the cone as a pillow.
• The cone has a reflective band around the edge for safety.
• Thanks to Millie's nasty poop-eating habit (which we thought we had solved with a pineapple diet... that's another story), we have experienced first hand that the Comfy Cone is pretty easy to clean up (but then again, so is the plastic one). Just a damp sponge and a little dish soap does the trick.

The Bad

• Maybe this is just the result of wearing a cone in general, but Millie has gotten very matted around her neck. This isn't an issue for short-haired dogs, but if you have a long-haired dog, it's something to consider. The cone is thick, so there is more room for it to mat her fur than with the thinner plastic cone.
• Millie occasionally gets stuck to things because the Velcro can become exposed. She also accidentally carries around a lost sock or two that sticks to the Velcro. It's not really a big deal, but it certainly makes for a good laugh.
• Compared to the plastic cones which go for around $10 - 20, the Comfy Cone is a little pricey. If you buy it in store, it's around $25 - 50 depending on the size of your dog. You can find it a bit cheaper online.

Though Millie would prefer no cone at all, given the necessity, we give the Comfy Cone an overwhelming 4 paws up! Millie looks like one comfy cone-wearing pup!