At some point your cat may be sent home from the veterinary clinic wearing an e-collar—a hard plastic cone around her head that will keep her from biting and scratching at stitches or wound dressings. It needs to be kept on for two weeks in most cases so your pet doesn’t bite or lick the incision that’s being protected. People think animals can cure themselves by licking, but that’s not really true. Bacteria from the mouth can cause an infection where the skin is healing, requiring antibiotics and, in some cases, surgery to open up the incision, flush it, and place a temporary drain.
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