All patients with a bandage should be crate rested and have movement adequately restricted. Activity should be limited to brief walks on a leash for urination and defecation.
In patients not undergoing surgery, fur on the affected limb can be clipped to improve friction between the bandage and the skin to limit bandage slippage; however, clipping should not be performed on patients undergoing surgery, as the skin’s function as a barrier can be damaged, increasing risk for surgical site infection.5 Adhesive spray and adhesive bandages (ie, bandage tape that can be adhered to the patient, providing a textured surface for bandage placement) can also increase friction between the bandage and the limb, preventing bandage slippage.
Tape stirrups can help stop slippage off the foot but do not prevent the proximal portion of the bandage from slipping down. For daily bandages, tape stirrups should be cut and new stirrups applied over the remaining tape (not peeled from the skin, as pulling adhesive can lead to irritation); however, stirrups should not be left on the skin for >1 week to prevent maceration of the underlying skin. Although tape stirrups are usually placed over the medial and lateral aspects of the foot, they can be placed in other locations if there is a wound or irritation on the lateral and/or medial side (Figure 4). The portion of the stirrup not adhered to the limb should be twisted 180 degrees, folded back toward the limb, and adhered to the bandage after placement of the conforming gauze roll but before the rubberized tape.