Post-Surgical Lick Management Without E-collar

History: Lucy, a 12-year-old FS Labrador mix, presented for post–knee surgery (hardware removal). Unlike prior recoveries, she persistently licked her incision for 1 week. Her pet parent, one of the hospital’s long-time LVTs, declined E-collar use because of Lucy's age and the desire to keep her comfortable.

Physical Exam: Incision site showed mild redness and irritation consistent with early self-trauma. No infection noted.

Clinical Findings and Intervention: Active licking behavior with early inflammation, increasing risk of delayed healing. KeraVet Gel applied as an alternative to an E-collar.

Successful Outcome with KeraVet Gel: Visible improvement within 4 hours, with reduced erythema and irritation. As the deterrent decreased over time, intermittent licking resumed but was then effectively managed with reapplication. KeraVet Gel was no longer needed after several days because the incision healed completely.

Client Testimonial: "When Lucy had to have her last knee surgery, she was determined to lick her incision site. I’m not going to put an E-collar on my 12-year-old dog. When I noticed she was licking, Dr. Garcia said to try KeraVet Gel. We hadn’t even started carrying it yet, but within 4 hours, Lucy's incision looked so much better. It went from irritated and red to visibly calmer. Even our practice manager saw the results! Lucy did figure out that after a few hours the taste wore off enough to try licking again, so I just kept reapplying it. After a few days, we didn’t need it anymore. I will say, use gloves when applying it. It truly does taste horrible, even after washing your hands!"

Jessica Garcia, DVM
Kimberly Keser, LVT
Caring Hands Animal Hospital
Arlington, VA