I didn't find this tip mentioned in any other threads covering incision care /post-op preventative maintenance, so I thought it was worth posting in case it may be helpful for someone having the same problem. At the very least it should be good for a laugh when, let's face it, anyone browsing the post-op section on this site is probably in need of a laugh!

Cricket, our recently tri-pawd pup, is about 3 weeks post-op (40lb, 4 yr old, osteosarcoma, right forelimb-less adorable angel). We had a pretty rocky operation and scary following week with a nasty seroma , awful bruising, pain management problems, incompetent/unresponsive vet, etc. Things finally started shaping up over the past week, when Cricket's coloring normalized, her incision was healing well, sutures were removed, has been walking around confidently, and has returned to her normal lovable self. Her humans were finally resting a little easier after a rough few weeks...  That is until this morning, when she decided to scratch open a several inch flap of her incision and spurt blood all over the house like a Tarantino movie! 

After a fresh set of stitches we were told to keep her in a shirt and/or cone-of-shame to protect the incision against licking and scratching. During the initial post-op healing stage we tried all varieties of t-shirts with custom modifications, but nothing worked because of her burly chest, tiny waist, and lack of shoulder (literally). We had issues with her elbow getting caught in the sleeve causing her to trip when standing up (tragic considering we just took her leg), the shirts being too baggy around her waist causing her to trip up her hind legs (again, tragic), the neck sliding down too far and exposing the incision (ineffective), or the neck of the shirt being too tight around her neck when she laid down (we categorically oppose pup-strangulation). Did I mention she just simply hated the shirts and walked around almost as dejected as with the cone?

So with three weeks of tri-pawd experience under our belts, today we came to a kind of hilarious, nearly perfect, potentially crazy, but definitely genius - solution for covering the incision enough to discourage her from licking/scratching. It is also secure and comfortable on her body and breathable enough to allow proper healing.

After a lot of trial and error we found the perfect fit to be... HIGH-WAISTED LADIES UNDERWEAR! Yes, I mean granny-panties.

Haha, go ahead and judge away internet! You may find a dog wearing granny-panties as a shirt a little weird, until you find yourself in trying-times, looking for any practical solution. Only then will you come to find out that it really works like a charm! Undies have the right number of holes without needing modifications. The elastic keeps them snug enough around her neck and torso when she's up and moving, while still being stretchy enough not to choke her or make her uncomfortable when she's lying down. I can tell she greatly prefers her new outfit to the bunched up old t-shirts we were using before. We made a point to place the (ahem) "bottom" side over her missing leg to provide the most surface area for covering the incision.    

If you have a spare pair of skid-free-skivvies and a good sense of humor, I recommend you try this out on your pup. Your neighbors may see you walking the dog and ask - "Is that dog wearing underwear?" But, I promise that conversation will be better than talking with them about the weather (again). 

I'd love to post a picture if I ever figure out how. Hopefully this google photos link will work for some pics of drawer-donning-doggie. 

Photos of Cricket sporting this summer's hottest new fashions!

Best of luck!

Thank you Tripawds, this is the best site we never knew existed and wished we never needed, but sure are glad to have found in our time of need!