5 Best Dog Recovery Cones and Collars in 2025, Recommended by Vets

Published Dec. 18, 2024
Dog wearing a plastic recovery collar. The best recovery collars create a barrier between the dog and wound yet are comfortable.

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All products in this article have been reviewed by our trusted vets and experts. PetMD is owned by Chewy.

If you’re shopping for a dog recovery cone, your pup is most likely on the mend from a surgery or recovering from a skin condition or injury.

An important part of the healing process is ensuring that the area is left alone to heal, and a dog recovery cone keeps them from licking, biting, and scratching their wound dressing or stitches.

As you might expect, dogs usually don’t love wearing these cones, so choosing a soft recovery cone or recovery suit may be a more comfortable option for your dog.

Everything Our Vets Recommend

An important part of the healing process is ensuring that the area is left alone to heal, and a dog recovery cone keeps them from licking, biting, and scratching their wound dressing or stitches. As you might expect, dogs usually don’t love wearing these cones, so choosing a soft recovery cone or recovery suit may be a more comfortable option for your dog.

Our expert panel of veterinarians rounded up their top choices for the best recovery cone for dogs, based on their personal experience when helping pet parents find the best cone for their dog.

Finding the Best Recovery Collar for Your Dog

The best dog recovery cone will depend on your pup and where their wound or incision is located. A hard cone will be more durable, while a soft cone will be more comfortable.

Consider whether you want a clear cone so your dog can keep their peripheral vision, or an opaque cone so that it will block shadows that may scare a timid pup.

A dog recovery suit may be a good alternative for dogs that don’t handle cones well in general.

You’ll also want to think about mobility, and if your pup would prefer a soft cone that allows them to get through doorways or a doughnut cone that lets them eat and drink with ease.

Recovery cones are meant to stop your dog from licking so that they can heal, so whichever one you choose should be the primary consideration.


Our Vet Pick: Best in Show

A soft recovery cone that conforms to doorways, folds down, and is opaque to reduce shadows that may cause stress

If you want your dog to be as comfortable as possible, this recovery cone is your best bet. The rigid internal structure keeps pets from licking, while the padding and soft outer fabric offer comfort that hard-sided cones don’t offer.

This recovery cone is made with adjustable Velcro attachments and can be attached to your pup’s collar to ensure it stays put.

Our vets agreed this recovery cone is a great option for active dogs because it conforms to doorways and pet doors, and the opaque color reduces distorted vision and shadows that might scare your pet. Depending on your dog’s temperament, a clear cone that allows them more peripheral vision might be a better option.

Things to Consider
  • Can be hooked through a pet collar for added stability
  • Conforms to doorways and pet doors
  • Can be reversed to fold down and cover the chest
  • Opaque color may reduce peripheral vision

Our Vet Pick: Best Doughnut Recovery Collar

A comfy alternative to hard-sided cones that offers range of motion and visibility. However, dogs can still reach many areas of their body, which means this type of cone cannot be used in all situations

Doughnut collars are comfortable and give your dog enough range of motion to pick up toys, drink water, and eat. However, the increased range of motion means that your pup may be able to reach areas such as their feet, paws, backside, and abdomen. This could pose an issue, especially if your pup is recovering from surgery with stitches that shouldn’t be touched.

A doughnut recovery collar may be a good choice for dogs that are easily anxious when wearing a traditional hard cone collar. That said, this type of collar may not be the most effective recovery cone, depending on where their injury is.

If you want to stop your dog from licking their chest, back, and sides, a doughnut could be a comfortable and less anxiety-inducing choice. If you prefer this type of collar during their recovery, our vets advise closely monitoring your pup to ensure they can’t reach their stitches.

Things to Consider
  • Soft and comfortable
  • Outer layer is removable and machine-washable
  • Does not cause loss of peripheral vision
  • May allow chewing access to feet, paws, back end, or abdomen

Best Hard Recovery Cone

Offers the effectiveness of traditional cones but is lined with fabric to keep your dog comfortable

This recovery cone option is more in line with a traditional dog recovery cone. It’s made with a lightweight plastic material that provides a hard barrier between your dog’s mouth and the wound or incision.  

Our vets like that it has fabric edges so you don’t have to sacrifice your pup’s comfort. 

The translucent material also gives the dog more peripheral vision, but that could be a downside if your pup is timid of any shadows that a recovery cone will cast.  

Things to Consider
  • Provides a hard barrier but is lightweight
  • Fabric edge for comfort
  • Translucent for more visibility
  • Translucent material could be an issue for timid pups afraid of shadows
  • Easy to clean plastic

Our Vet Pick: Best Budget Cone

A budget cone for dogs that’s durable, clear, and easy to adjust

This classic recovery dog cone will get the job done without breaking the bank. It’s made of durable, hard material and offers three Velcro size adjustments. The hard plastic is very easy to wipe down and clean. You don’t have to thread this cone through your pet’s collar, so it’s easier to take on and off.

However, this also means it could be easier for your pup to work it off if they are aiming to get rid of it. There’s no fabric trim, so it may not be the most comfortable option for your pup either. It comes in a variety of sizes, is adjustable, and is transparent, so it doesn’t block peripheral vision.

Things to Consider
  • Hard-sided
  • Not as comfortable as other recovery cones
  • Clear, so it doesn’t block peripheral vision
  • Easy to clean plastic
  • Easy fastener straps
  • Can be difficult to adjust the size for a perfect fit

Our Vet Pick: Best Surgical Suit

A dog recovery suit is a great option for dogs who don’t handle cones well, but it won’t stop dogs from licking every area (including the area they might need to avoid)

A recovery suit for dogs is a comfortable alternative to traditional, hard-sided recovery cones. This dog surgical suit option is washable and features a snappable opening so your pet can use the bathroom with ease. It’s ideal for dogs that don’t tolerate cones well, because it’s soft and doesn’t block vision or mobility.

A dog surgical suit works great if your dog has a surgical incision or wound on their neck, chest, back, and abdomen. However, your pup could easily reach their face, eyes, ears, mouth, limbs, paw, and tail. It’s not ideal if the affected area is leaking discharge or pus because the fabric may stick to the site.

Overall, it’s a comfy, breathable fabric that might be less stressful for your pup than a typical recovery cone. If you prefer a surgical suit over a recovery cone for your pup, our vets caution to keep a close eye on your dog to ensure they aren’t interfering with any stitches or open wounds that need to heal. Be sure to unsnap the suit and check the wound or incision at least once a day to check for excessive redness, swelling, discharge, or odor.

While the suit is washable, you will need an alternative means to keep your pup from licking or chewing their incision or wound while the suit is cleaned.

Things to Consider
  • Doesn’t affect vision of mobility like a traditional recovery cone
  • Soft fabric makes it comfy to wear
  • Breathable fabric
  • Snaps and unsnaps for easy bathroom use
  • Machine washable
  • Doesn’t protect all parts of the body from licking