Animal-welfare professional Elli Frank has handled dozens of dogs of all breeds and temperaments. But this didn’t prevent one wriggly pup, Tanya, a 7-year-old mastiff and American Staffordshire terrier mix, from giving her the slip.
After she picked up the dog from a Yonkers shelter, the freedom-hungry pup danced her way out of a loose collar during a pit stop at the local Petco, setting off a terrifying three-hour foot chase across the New York suburb before the pooch was cornered. Frank says she thought the collar looked big despite the label’s size recommendations.
“Tanya just bolted . . . It was a rookie mistake,” says Frank, the 36-year-old executive director of Manhattan-based Mr. Bones & Co. “I should have known better.”
Leashes and collars are musts for city pets, but using them correctly isn’t always as easy as it might seem. “Choosing the right collar involves many factors, including size, comfort and specific behavorial needs,” says Liz Luboja, hospital manager at the busy West Chelsea Veterinary practice. When used incorrectly, collars and leashes can cause injury. New York City vets report that they routinely treat a variety of collar snafus, like these…
Whiplash
Pet owners might use choke or prong collars to help train a dog that pulls on the leash, but accidents with these devices can cause serious injury, including permanent neurological problems — or even death — says Dr. David Bessler, senior emergency clinician at BluePearl Veterinary Partners in Manhattan. “The whole point of a choke collar is that it applies force 360 degrees,” he explains.
If a dog surprises an owner and takes off running, the collar snaps the pet back, causing whiplash or choking. Bessler recalls a fatal case where an owner stepped on a leash as the dog started to run: “It caused an upper-airway obstruction and that dog drowned in its own fluid,” he says. “The fluid builds up over hours, and it’s very hard to stop.”
To prevent injury, pay close attention to your dog when using prong collars. They’re designed to “give a little pinch if they’re pulling,” not to create “constant pressure and pulling on the neck,” advises Luboja.
Skin irritation
“Too tight collars dig into and injure the skin,” notes Dr. Ann Hohenhaus, a staff veterinarian at Animal Medical Center on the Upper East Side. Skin irritations, allergic reactions and infections are some of the most common collar complications. To prevent them, Hohenhaus says two fingers should fit underneath a dog’s collar to ensure it’s not too tight — and don’t forget to loosen the collar if your pup starts to gain weight. When using prong collars and harnesses, especially, owners should keep an eye out for chafing.
Breathing trouble
Some dogs just aren’t built for a collar. Vets recommend a harness for the brachycephalic breeds, such as French bulldogs, pugs, Boston terriers, boxers and Cavalier King Charles spaniels. These dogs are already susceptible to upper-respiratory breathing issues, so they’re better off without the added pressure of a collar around the neck. Dogs that are low and long, such as dachshunds, and dogs with spindly necks, like greyhounds, are also better off in a harness. “It doesn’t pull on the bones of the neck because it’s around the trunk of the dog,” explains Animal Medical Center’s Hohenhaus.
Elevator hang-ups
Urban-dwelling dogs are a familiar sight on city elevators. But tragedy hits if the leash of one of these well-traveled pooches gets caught in the door. Dr. Stephanie Liff, a partner at Brooklyn Cares Veterinary Clinic in Clinton Hill in Brooklyn, says she recalls an English bulldog who was hung by his collar in an elevator after the door closed on his leash. He lost consciousness and suffered neck injuries, but survived. Another puppy she treated fell down an elevator shaft, breaking his leg. “Many people go into the elevator and don’t hang onto the leash, and they should,” Liff warns.