The Bad

Here's a little video of Bandit amusing himself today. His leg appears to be healing nicely so I gave him a little extra freedom to move around, which he took full advantage of.



Bandit also sported a few new e-collar alternatives. The cervical collar worked great but it was chafing his neck and giving him a blister. So we tried a couple more--the Comfy Cone, which is an e-collar made of foam and fabric so it is pliable, and the Procollar, which you have to inflate and looks like a lifesaver. The Procollar alone did not prevent Bandit from chewing on anything, but if I use it together with the cervical collar, I don't have to tighten the c-collar as much.



The Comfy Cone works very well on Bandit. It's soft so it doesn't bang up against anything. The only flaws I've noticed about it is that if Bandit is rolling around on the floor or sticking his head in the many places he likes to stick his head in, the outer edge of the collar sometimes folds back, which then does give him access to his wounds. Also, since it's made of fabric, the edge gets worn easily. Bandit has had it for only 2 days and already the edge is a bit tattered. Still, way better than the standard e-collar. And of course, it doesn't stop Bandit from doing what he normally does.



Play with his toys.



Stick his head way down into the toy bin. I've realized Bandit has a very curious streak. He'll stick his head in everything!



Peeking out from under the desk.



And of course sleeping.



Bandit does not have many flaws that I've seen so far. He hasn't had a chance to be completely free due to his leg and things may change once he's healed, but so far, I'm hard pressed to find any really bad habits--except one. This dog can CHEW. His mouth works like Speedy Gonzales. Bandit is only 9 months old (estimated), so he's still at that puppy chewing stage. (Another way he reminds me of my german shepherds.) His confinement and the lack of any other outlet to expend his energy only makes it worse.

Here's a little project Bandit worked on for about 5 seconds and with me sitting right beside him before I realized what was going on:



This is definitely a correctable habit, especially once he's able to get out and exercise more. And like my german shepherds, I think he'll outgrow it over time. Until then though, hard chew toys are the order of the day. Lots of them.

To date, we have received $1,270 in contributions towards Bandit's $4,093 surgery bill. Bandit would like to give all those who donated lots of licks!