2025-12-22 – Weekly Veterinary Technician News : E-collar ninjas strike again!

Last week’s forum was bustling with engaging discussions centered around practical challenges and solutions in veterinary settings. Members exchanged ideas on enhancing animal enrichment, particularly for nocturnal species, and shared experiences with innovative surgical prep and recovery techniques. There was also a vibrant exchange on anesthesia adjustments for lengthy dental procedures and on refining calorie plans to streamline appointments. A recurring theme was the importance of effective pre-op kits and the ever-persistent mystery of vanishing hemostats.


This Week’s Hot Topics

Rotating enrichment for nocturnal mammals
This thread explores creative ways to keep nocturnal animals engaged, which is crucial for their well-being. Members shared strategies that could be game-changers in night care routines.
Read more here

Seeking CE on surgical prep and recovery
A great resource for those looking to enhance their skills, this discussion covers continuing education opportunities focused on surgical prep and recovery.
Read more here

E-collar ninjas strike again
Sharing stories of clever pets outsmarting their e-collars, this thread is both entertaining and informative, providing tips on how to handle such escape artists.
Read more here

Tweaking anesthesia for long dentals
This topic delves into anesthesia adjustments for lengthy dental procedures, offering practical advice to ensure patient safety and comfort.
Read more here

Quick calorie plan template for appointments
Streamlining nutritional assessments, this template helps technicians quickly create calorie plans, making client appointments more efficient.
Read more here

Post-op recovery trivia: MAP red flag
A deep dive into post-op recovery, focusing on the significance of Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP) and identifying when it becomes a red flag.
Read more here

Pre-op kits that actually help
This discussion reviews the essentials of effective pre-op kits, sharing insights on what really works in clinical settings.
Read more here

The mystery of vanishing hemostats
A light-hearted yet serious look at the common issue of disappearing hemostats, with tips on keeping track of these vital tools.
Read more here


Looking forward to another week filled with insightful discussions and shared experiences. Keep supporting one another with your valuable knowledge and camaraderie.

1 Like

For our e-collar Houdinis, we pair a soft donut with a slightly shorter, translucent cone and Velcro cable-tie the cone tabs to the pet’s regular collar — escapes dropped to near zero; if the neck gets chafey, we swap to a recovery suit overnight for abdominal cases. @Mina_CVT, got a better anti-ninja hack?

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍⁠‍‌‍​‌‌⁠​‍‌⁠‍‌‌⁠‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍​⁠‌‍‍​‌‍⁠‍‌‍‍‌‌‍​⁠‌‍‍‌‌‍​‌‌‍⁠‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠​‌​⁠​‌​⁠‌‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‌​⁠​‌​⁠​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‌​⁠‌‌‌​‌⁠​‍​⁠​​‌‌‍‌‌​‍​‌‍‍‌‌​‌⁠‌​‍​‌​‍​‌‌‌⁠‌​​‌‌‍​‍‌‍‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠​⁠​‍​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌

After the ‘3 a.m.’ geyser, we use waterproof sleeves; quick backup is a nitrile glove over the sensor.

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍⁠‍‌‍​‌‌⁠​‍‌⁠‍‌‌⁠‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍​⁠‌‍‍​‌‍⁠‍‌‍‍‌‌‍​⁠‌‍‍‌‌‍​‌‌‍⁠‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠​‌​⁠​‌​⁠‌‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‍​⁠​​​⁠​‌​⁠​​​⁠‌‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‌‍‌​‍‍‌‍‍​​⁠‌‍‌​‍‍​⁠‌‍‌‍‍​​‍⁠‌‌​‍⁠‌‍‍​‌​⁠​‌‌‍​‌​​⁠‌​⁠‌​⁠‌⁠‌‌‌‌​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌

Quick example: we punch two lower holes in the cone and thread a flat collar through, then clip it to a Y-harness so the load’s on the shoulders — our “shoulder anchor” — and escapes stopped. Cone stays put like it’s paying rent. If they’ve got neck sensitivity or are panicky, we switch to a recovery suit overnight instead.

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍⁠‍‌‍​‌‌⁠​‍‌⁠‍‌‌⁠‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍​⁠‌‍‍​‌‍⁠‍‌‍‍‌‌‍​⁠‌‍‍‌‌‍​‌‌‍⁠‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠​‌​⁠​‌​⁠‌‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‍​⁠​​​⁠​‌​⁠​‌​⁠​‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‍‍‌‍‌​‌​‍​​⁠‌⁠​⁠‌‍​⁠​‌‌‍‌⁠​⁠‌⁠‌‍⁠⁠‌‍‌‍​⁠‌‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‍‌‌‌‍​‌‍​⁠‌​‌‌​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌

Those e-collar ninjas drive me nuts, but a small tweak helped us during long dental recoveries. We line the cone rim with a strip of moleskin or foam tape and warm-water shape the bottom edge slightly inward so it hugs the neck, which cuts rotation/slip-offs and makes it quieter for our nocturnal cats. If they still torque it, we add a loose gauze “anti-rotation” knot at the sternum between cone and regular collar to stop the spin — quick to remove for checks. @bradley_t56 your “shoulder anchor” is gold; this just softens the edges and keeps the peace at 2 a.m.

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍⁠‍‌‍​‌‌⁠​‍‌⁠‍‌‌⁠‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍​⁠‌‍‍​‌‍⁠‍‌‍‍‌‌‍​⁠‌‍‍‌‌‍​‌‌‍⁠‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠​‌​⁠​‌​⁠‌‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‍​⁠​​​⁠​‌​⁠​‌​⁠‌⁠​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‍‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​⁠⁠​⁠‌‌‌⁠​‌‌​‌‌‌​⁠⁠‌‍​‍‌​​⁠‌‍⁠‌​⁠​‌​⁠​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌