Stopping paw licking

[basildonbond]

:( ddog ended up at the vet yesterday as he managed to slice his pad open on a piece of glass in the bushes. It was a very deep cut and he was losing quite a bit of blood so he's had to have it stitched. He hasn't got a dressing on as the vet wanted it left open to the air but he came home with a sock held on with vet wrap to give it a bit of protection when out and about.

He started licking his paw as soon as the sock came off so the cone of shame had to go on. He HATES it. He's lying on the rug just crying very very quietly which is heart-breaking. We tried an inflatable collar when he got neutered which lasted ooh about 5 seconds before it got punctured so that's out. I've looked at alternatives like wrapping a towel around his neck but I'm not sure if that will be big enough to prevent access to his foot.

Any other ideas please? Am currently feeling like the worst dog owner in the world

I coated butter on the inside of my dog's cone after a couple of days of him looking like he'd watched me murder his entire family (incidentally the same look he gives when I sneeze ). It stopped him whining and he enjoyed the game aspect of developing his tongue gymnastics.

Paw injuries are a nightmare aren't they. They are difficult to keep the dog away from and also can so easily open up as soon as they start walking again. I really don't think there is another solution if it needs to air. What kind of recovery cone does he currently have? Is it rigid plastic? There are ones that are more comfortable which you could try... still cone shaped but softer.

He's got the hard plastic one which is horrible - the inflatable ones are useless for him - I might try the softer ones

He's had a painkiller and I've taken the collar off for a bit while I can supervise him and he's calmed down a bit

Luckily I can be home most of the week... It's going to be a long week...

Can you put some stuff in a kong (yoghurt, cream cheese eg), freeze and then give to him to take his mind off it? I know it's only a short term measure, but sometimes refocusing does make them forget about it. My dog got a yeasty itchy paw after whole leg was bandaged after an op. You could also try some spray on stuff that tastes awful. Can't remember what it's called, but they do it on amazon.