Least Lousy Choice

I saw a picture on Facebook of a dog wearing a donut around its neck instead of the horrid huge cone poor Honeybun has had to wear till the stitches come out. So I quickly went on line and found the soft inflatable neck ring. Why had none of my dog friends told me about this!? Petco carries it, though it is cheaper on-line. Since Honeybun only has a week of torture left, I decided to go to Petco. I went to church but didn't stay for the Bible Class after. My sore coccyx was in more pain Sunday than usual and I couldn't sit for another hour anyway. Instead, I raced out to Petco.

I brought home the donut, which is called "Procare Collar". Honeybun was grateful as I removed the cone of shame, and slipped on the inflatable donut. It is a wonderful invention, but like most things, has its drawbacks. So as a public service to all my dog friends, I will enumerate the pros and cons of this new device.

#1 It is fantastic for preventing a pet from getting at stitches ANYWHERE on the body EXCEPT for the front paws up to about the dew claw level. Yes indeedy, the one area that MY dog has stitches is the ONE area this collar does not prevent access to.
#2 The dog can easily eat and drink with this, and doesn't thwack into every table, chair, and door frame in the home. She can see without her vision obstructed and doesn't look quite so pathetic....until she tries to sleep. Then the fully inflated donut prevents her chin from touching down. So she sleeps with her head suspended in space. If she is like my dog, she groans until exhaustion finally overcomes her.
#3 She does not look like a tulip from the side view, like she does with the cone. Instead she looks like Queen Victoria in her formal (ridiculous) white ruffled collar.
#4 Although she can reach her paws, it is not easy, so she doesn't try very hard. As long as I am with her, she stays away from the stitches and is more comfortable (I think) than wearing the cone.

I decided to keep it since the history of our life with HOneybun indicates we have many stitches to go before we sleep, many stitches to go before we sleep. I am sure I will have the "opportunity" to use it again. yipeeee. And, as long as I am with her, it seems to be less annoying than the cone, all things considered.

Sometimes choices boil down to this- neither alternative is really pleasurable. One must make the least objectionable choice. In 2 Samuel of the Bible, King David had taken a census in defiance of God, and God gave him three choices of punishment. None were fun. One involved David's enemies attacking, and David wisely chose the punishments of God, not of human hands. Poor Honeybun did not cause her calamity, but many of the terrible consequences of our lives are caused by bad choices. In the end, we will suffer from lousy decisions. Best to choose to repent and fall into the merciful hands of God, like King David wisely decided.

2 Samuel 24:13-14 (NIV)
[13] So Gad went to David and said to him, “Shall there come on you three years of famine in your land? Or three months of fleeing from your enemies while they pursue you? Or three days of plague in your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should answer the one who sent me.”[14] David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into human hands.”


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