They can still eat, drink and see past it.
It restricts the neck rather than surrounding the head. The animal keeps its peripheral vision, stops clattering into doorframes, and can eat and drink from a normal bowl.
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Colour: Grey
Size: XS
Why you'll love it
A rigid cone stops a dog eating comfortably, drinking properly and judging doorways, and a miserable animal heals slower. A donut solves the same problem without any of that.
The ring is thick enough that the neck cannot bend far enough to reach a flank or a paw wound. Nothing needs to extend past the face for that to work.
A donut does not stop a determined dog reaching a tail base or hind paw wound, and a cone sometimes genuinely is the right answer. Ask the vet where the wound is before choosing.
Good fit if
Look elsewhere if
A plastic cone removes peripheral vision, distorts hearing, catches on every doorframe and chair leg, and makes eating and drinking from a normal bowl awkward. Animals frequently stop eating properly and sleep badly, and cats in particular can become genuinely withdrawn.
That matters clinically. An animal not eating or sleeping is recovering more slowly, and one that panics may thrash about and disturb the very wound the cone was fitted to protect. If a different device gives adequate protection with none of that, it is usually the better choice.
An inflated ring around the neck limits how far the animal can turn and bend its head. It cannot get its mouth round to a flank, a hip or an abdominal incision, which covers the majority of postoperative sites. Vision, hearing and the ability to eat from a bowl are all unaffected.
The limitation is reach rather than orientation. A very flexible cat or a long bodied dog may still get to a low leg or a tail, and a paw is usually beyond a donut entirely. Watch for the first hour before leaving the animal alone with it, since whether it works is specific to the animal and the site.
Inflate it firmly enough to hold its shape and not so hard that it presses on the throat. A ring that is too soft collapses and lets the animal past it; one that is too hard is uncomfortable and can restrict breathing. You should be able to slide two fingers between the collar and the neck.
Size by neck circumference rather than by animal weight, and thread the animal's normal collar through the loops if the design allows, since that stops the donut being backed out of. Check pressure daily, as inflatables lose a little air over a fortnight.
In the box
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The details
| Size | Neck circumference | Typical animals |
|---|---|---|
| XS | 12 to 20 cm | Kittens, very small dogs |
| S | 18 to 30 cm | Cats, small breeds |
| M | 25 to 36 cm | Terriers, spaniels |
| L | 38 to 50 cm | Labradors, retrievers |
| XL | 50 to 65 cm | German Shepherds and larger |
Measure the neck where a collar sits. Two fingers should slide between the collar and the neck when inflated. Undersized is the more dangerous error, since it restricts breathing.
The fabric cover comes off to wash, which matters when it is being worn continuously for a fortnight. Wash it cool and air dry it, and wipe the bladder itself with a damp cloth rather than submerging it, since water inside the valve is difficult to get out again.
Check the wound at least twice a day regardless of what the animal is wearing, and contact the vet for redness spreading outwards, swelling, discharge or a smell. Check the neck underneath the collar at the same time for rubbing, particularly on a short coated animal.
Loved by real pet parents
The rigid cone had him bumping into every doorframe and standing in corners looking thoroughly sorry for himself. With the ring he walked about normally and could see to either side. A completely different dog within an hour.
First attempt I had it far too firm and it pushed his chin upwards. Let a little out and it sat properly around his neck and he could reach his bowl without tipping it over. Worth fiddling with before you decide what you think.
That was the entire reason I went looking for an alternative. She could get her face into the bowl and at the water without anyone holding anything up for her. Nothing clattered against the sides either.
The fabric sleeve unzips off the inflatable part and goes in the machine, which after ten days of a dog sleeping in it is not optional. It went back on easily enough afterwards.
An honest review: it stopped her reaching her side perfectly well, but she could still get around the bottom of it to a back paw. We ended up alternating between this and the cone overnight. Think carefully about where you need it to stop them before you order.
Used it in February, let the air out and it went into a drawer. Out again in July for the other dog and it was exactly as it had been. Nothing bulky sitting in the hall for months.
I measured her neck at 34 centimetres and the medium was correct, but I nearly ordered on her weight instead and that would have been wrong. It sits snugly without being tight. The one mark off is for a size chart I found hard to follow at first.
With the cone nobody in the house slept at all. With the ring he curled up on his bed with his head resting on it like a pillow and that was the end of the problem.
A small thing, but the house felt less like a waiting room with the grey rather than something white and plastic. It is also soft enough that he can lean against us on the sofa without anybody getting jabbed.
Good questions
It depends where the wound is. Donuts are good for flanks, chest and front legs. For a tail base, hind paws or anywhere a flexible dog can still curl to, a cone or a surgical suit is the safer choice, so ask your vet.
Measure the neck circumference where a collar sits and match the size chart. It should be snug enough not to slide over the head but loose enough for two fingers.
Yes, XS and S are cat sizes. Cats tolerate donuts markedly better than cones, though some will still work their way out of anything.
For most body, flank and abdominal sites, yes. A very flexible animal may still reach a low leg or the tail, and paws are usually beyond it. Watch for an hour before leaving them alone with it.
By neck circumference, not by weight. Inflated, two fingers should slide between the collar and the neck. Too small restricts breathing, too large lets the animal past it.
Yes, and cats generally tolerate a donut far better than a cone. Check it does not stop the cat getting through a cat flap or onto its usual surfaces before leaving it unsupervised.
Last reviewed 30 August 2026