[Dailydrool] How I made my most successful full-body basset suit

[Val Brewer]

Over the years I've made several different styles of "basset body suits" to cover hotspots or stitches so neither the afflicted hound nor other pets in the household can lick it. I'll describe the best model below in case anyone wants to make one for their hound (s). I'll also take pictures later--don't have any available at the moment.
 
Materials needed: The suit is made out of two zip-up the front, lightweight, short-sleeved cotton "hoodies" (sweatshirts/t-shirts with hoods). The size needed depends on the size of your hound. (Mine took a "girl's department junior's size medium). To tell what size: measure your dog from the nape of its neck to the base of its tail, down the back. That's the length of the zipper you need in the sweatshirt you select. Then measure around the dog's chest: the sweatshirt needs to be that wide to fit around your dog. (You need two of the shirts because you need 4 sleeves). I bought mine at our local discount clothing store. If you can't find short sleeved ones, you can always get long-sleeved ones and cut off the sleeves.
 
Starting out: The first thing to do is roll the hood up and stitch around it so it makes a coil/tube collar with the drawstrings still accessible. This will form a collar for the suit and the drawstrings can be tied to the dog's collar to keep the suit from slipping.
 
Using the first sweatshirt: Put the first sweatshirt on the dog, his front legs in the short sleeves and the zipper up the back, zipped tail to neck.  It is easiest to pull up the shirt in the front when you first put it on and tie the coiled collar to the dog's collar. That keeps the suit in place while you zip it.  The chest should fit fine, but then the middle will be baggy, depending on how trim your dog is. Take a couple of safety pins and simply gather up any excess on both sides in the middle. Pin each gathered up side at the zipper where you will stitch it to make a better fit. Also mark with a marker where the backlegs should go on the suit.
 
Using the second shirt for the back of the suit: Now take the second shirt and cut the sleeves from it, but do so generously, with about an inch and a half of the shoulder and underarm part of the sweatshirt included (a big circle around the sleeve opening). Sew one sleeve on each side of the back of the first sweatshirt at the hips. Join the two sleeves under the dog's belly and behind the dog's rump below the tail with enough space to allow for bathroom access from the rear. If you have a male dog, make a slit in the appropriate place for pee access underneath. Again, gather up any excess on either side of the back quarters, draw it up to the zipper and tack it there with thread.
 
The snugger the suit fits, the less likely the dog will be to step through a sleeve. I made two suits. Earlier this summer, Bo had a hotspot, and wore a suit for about a week until it was totally cleared. If one got dirty, I just threw it in the laundry and switched to the other. At Hallowe'en last year, I made a fake fur wreath for each hound, hung it around the neck; put on the dogsuits, and they were instant "lions" (my suits are tan). It has been such a help to have these suits in a drawer. They usually eliminate the need for an e-collar.
 
This evening when Bill comes home (he knows how to get photos on a computer), I'll upload some diagrams and pictures if anybody wants them. I highly recommend having such a suit available. Val


      
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