Elizabethan collar
An Elizabethan collar, E-Collar, or pet cone, (sometimes humorously called a pet lamp-shade or cone of shame) is a protective medical device worn by an animal, usually a cat or dog. Shaped like a truncated cone, its purpose is to prevent the animal from biting or licking at its body or scratching at its head or neck while wounds or injuries heal.[1]
The device is generally attached to the pet's usual collar with strings or tabs passed through holes punched in the sides of the plastic. The neck of the collar should be short enough to let the animal eat and drink. Although most pets adjust to them quite well, others will not eat or drink with the collar in place and the collar is temporarily removed for meals.[2]
While purpose-made collars can be purchased from veterinarians or pet stores, they can also be made from plastic and cardboard or by using plastic flowerpots, wastebaskets, buckets or lampshades. Modern collars might involve soft fabric trim along the edges to increase comfort and velcro surfaces for ease of attachment removal.
The collars are named from the ruffs worn in Elizabethan times.
Elizabethan collar in popular culture
The Elizabethan collar plays a role in the Pixar film Up, where it is used as a public humiliation device for a dog and is called the "Cone of Shame".[3]
In Phineas and Ferb, Perry the Platypus is forced to wear one after incurring damages from a fight with Dr. Doofenshmirtz. The collar prevents him from heading to his underground headquarters.
In Monsters, Inc., a monster named George Sanderson has to wear one after having his fur shaved off and being decontaminated. The receptionist, Celia, wears one a little later on (including one miniature collar for each of her snakelike hair follicles) after a disastrous date with Mike Wazowski.
Types of collars
-
A soft fabric collar -
An inflatable Elizabethan collar. These collars are designed to be more comfortable and allow pets easier access to food and water. -
Horse "neck cradle"
See also
References
- ^ US 6044802
- ^ Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook Wounds Copyright 1998, Macmillan Publishing
- ^ "Fla. teacher faces dismissal over 'cone of shame'". Associated Press. May 10, 2012.