Abstract:
The present invention relates to a protective garment for dogs and cats or other quadrupeds. Specifically, the garment is designed to protect wounds, incisions, surgical sites, and related lesions on the animal&#39;s body including thoracic and pelvic limbs, truncal area, and head and neck. Additionally the garment is designed to allow attachment of drain suction and similar medical devices.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/727,159 filed Nov. 16, 2012 which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
     The present invention relates to a protective garment for dogs and cats or other quadrupeds. Specifically, the garment is designed to protect wounds, incisions, surgical sites, and related lesions on the animal&#39;s body including thoracic and pelvic limbs, truncal area, and head and neck. Additionally the garment is designed to allow attachment of drain suction and similar medical devices. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In veterinary medicine, it is often necessary to prevent self-trauma in animal patients. Instinctively, animals lick and chew at wounds to clean them. While this behavior has an evolutionary advantage, with the advent of modern wound management techniques, licking behavior slows wound healing and makes wound management more difficult. 
     Animals also tend to dislike foreign materials attached to their body. These materials often include those meant to effect healing or assist in wound management, either surgical or traumatic. Surgical wounds are closed with sutures or staples. These materials inherently cause some irritation to the patient and instinctively patients attempt to remove them via scratching or chewing. Adhesive bandages provide little benefit as they can be easily removed by the patient and do not adhere well to fur. 
     The consequences of self induced trauma can be severe. Wound healing is typically delayed due to wound contamination, such as those caused by, etc. oral bacteria. The resulting wound infection may progress to deeper structures resulting in significant patient morbidity and medical expenses. 
     Classically Elizabethan collars have been used to prevent self induced trauma. These devices are problematic as they significantly restrict basic animal functions including vision, prehension of food, eating, and hearing. The devices are additionally irritating to the animal resulting is stress, discomfort, and behavioral abnormalities 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention describes a protective garment for dogs, cats and other quadrupeds that prevents the animal from licking or disturbing a treated area or disrupting stitches or sutures. This garment includes three pieces of multi-directional stretch fabric having a torso portion, a leg portion and a head portion. In one aspect of the garment, the leg portion is fully removable from the torso portion if needed for easier defecation or urination purposes 
     The garment employs a multi-directional stretch fabric allowing for ease of motion while at the same time the snug fit disallows the quadruped the chance to reach the wounds, incisions, surgical sites, and/or related lesions on the quadruped&#39;s body. The garment is easy to remove and replace as needed 
     A fastener closes the mid-section opening of the garment around the torso down the back. Another fastener is placed on the torso portion behind the head as well as on the end of the torso portion toward the tail to allow for the attachment of the leg portion whether it be the right or left thoracic or pelvic limb Another fastener is used on the side of the upper area of the torso portion to allow for the attachment of the strap around the thoracic area to the opposite side. Another fastener is used to secure the head portion of the garment to the head of the quadruped down to the brow area and covering the ears and neck area. 
     The torso portion of the garment is fitted with four loops sewn into both sides of the garment using a multi-directional stretch fabric; one loop is sewn into the left front side of the garment, one loop is sewn into the left back side of the garment, one loop is sewn into the right front side of the garment, and one loop is sewn into the right back side of the garment. The purpose of the loop design is to securely hold a drain suction or other medical device. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1   a  shows a right side view of the torso portion, leg portion and head portion of the present invention. 
         FIG. 1   b  shows a left side view of the torso portion of the present invention. 
         FIG. 1   c  shows a front view of the torso portion of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  shows a right side view of the head portion of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  shows a top view of torso portion of the present the invention 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIGS. 1   a - 3  describe various aspects of the present invention. As illustrated, the garment configuration allows a torso portion,  1 , of the garment to be easily removed, a leg portion,  7 , of the garment to be easily removed, a head portion,  11 , of the garment which acts independently from the torso portion and leg portion, and which also is easily removed. In an important aspect, the protective garment of the invention may include three completely detachable pieces each made of a multi-directional four way stretch fabric. The leg portion,  7 , is easily reattached to the torso portion,  1 , of the garment by taking the fastening mechanism,  8 , sewn into the leg portion and bringing it up to the fastening mechanism, either  9  and/or  10 , sewn into the torso portion at both the nape area and rump area and securing. 
       FIG. 1   a  shows a right side view of one important aspect of the invention. In this aspect of the invention, the protective garment, using a multi-dimensional stretch fabric, having a torso portion,  1 , a leg portion,  7 , and a head portion,  11 , wherein the protective garment includes a torso opening,  3 , with one single piece of a multi-dimensional stretch fabric split on top of the back from the withers down towards the rump, allowing the torso portion that wraps under the belly area,  2 , and around to the top torso opening,  3 , to remain intact. The edges of the leg openings,  7   a  and  7   b , the head opening,  11   a , and the torso openings,  1   a  and  1   b , may be finished with a seam to prevent fraying. 
       FIG. 1   a ,  FIG. 1   b  and  FIG. 1   c  show in another important aspect of the invention, fasteners,  4   a  and  4   b , close the torso opening,  3 , of the garment. Another fastener,  6 , as seen in  FIG. 1   b , is placed on the left or right side of the garment on the torso portion,  1 , at the shoulder area, and used to secure the thoracic strap,  5 , as shown in  FIG. 1   c , further securing the garment to the body of the quadruped. Another fastener,  10 , is sewn into the top of the torso portion of the garment closest to the nape of the neck for the purpose of securing the leg portion strap,  8 , to the torso portion,  1 , when leg portion,  7 , is used on the right and/or left forelegs. Another fastener,  9 , is sewn into the top of the torso portion,  1 , closest to the rump for the purpose of securing the leg portion,  7 , to the torso portion,  1 , when the leg portion,  7 , is used on the right and/or left hind legs. Other fasteners,  12   a  and  13   a , are used to secure the head portion to the head of the quadruped. 
       FIG. 1   a  and  FIG. 1   b , in another important aspect of the invention, show that the fasteners,  4   a  and  4   b ,  9 ,  10 ,  12   a  and  13   a , as seen in  FIG. 1   a , and fastener,  6 , as seen in  FIGS. 1   b  and  3 , may include hook and eye, snaps, zippers, buttons or other fasteners within the scope of the invention. In a very important aspect of the invention, VELCRO® may be used as the fastener due to its ability to fasten securely and easily. 
       FIG. 1   a  and  FIG. 1   b  show another important aspect of the invention. In this aspect using the same multi-directional stretch fabric, loops,  15   a  and  15   b , as seen in  FIG. 1   a , are sewn into the right side of the torso portion,  1 , of the garment and loops,  16   a  and  16   b , as seen in  FIG. 1   b , are sewn into the left side of the torso portion,  1 , for the purpose of securely attaching a drainage bulb or other medical device to the quadruped. 
       FIG. 2  shows a right side view of the protective garment of the present invention focusing on the head portion. The head portion,  11 , of the protective garment shown in  FIG. 2  includes a single piece of multi-directional stretch fabric, which fits comfortably over the quadrupeds head, ears and neck areas and is secured around the neck area using fastening mechanism,  12   a ,  13   a  and  17 . 
     In another important aspect of the head portion,  11 , of the protective garment shows the head portion,  11 , is further secured to the head of the quadruped by using a strap,  12 , to fit across the bridge of the nose and connect using the fastening mechanism,  12   a , to connect to both the left and right side at the upper region of the head portion,  11 , and the head portion,  11 , is further secured to d by using a strap,  13 , to fit comfortably under the chin and connect using fastening mechanisms,  13   a  and  17 , to connect to both the left and right side at the lower region of the head. In an important aspect of the head portion,  11 , it may be finished with a seam to prevent fraying 
       FIG. 3  shows a top view of the protective garment. In an important aspect of the invention, and as further shown in  FIG. 1   a  and  FIG. 1   b , the torso portion,  1 , has a top portion opening,  3 , which splits the top of the torso portion,  1 . The opening has a seam on each side, and a fastening mechanism,  4   a  and  4   b , is placed longitudinally on either side of the top portion opening,  3 . In an important aspect of the invention, the fastening mechanism,  4   a  and  4   b , may be Velcro positioned such that a female side,  4   a , of the Velcro is on one side of the opening, and a male side,  4   b , of the Velcro fastener is positioned on the opposite side of the opening. 
     The stretch factor of this fabric allows for a substantial range of motion by the dog or cat or other quadruped and ease of manipulation of the garment in the dressing and undressing of the dog or cat or other quadruped by the user. 
     In an alternative aspect of the invention, the protective garment may be replaced by or include other materials allowing the comfort and ease of use as discussed above. 
     Previous attempts have been made to prevent an animal from irritating bandages and wounds by providing similar protective garments such as by Caditz, U.S. Des. No. 374,315 and also Zielinksi, U.S. Pat. No. 4,355,600. Many additional modifications and variations of the POST SURGICAL PROTECTIVE GARMENT FOR QUADRAPEDS of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein