Barbara...we use inflatable collars on our patients at the vet clinic with great success, also the "Bite-Not" collar works well. My sister's Rottie just snapped off a nail the other day and the inflatable collar is working well for her. Best of luck!
Google "elizabethan collar alternative" There is a lot of stuff (useful and not). I recall someone making a collar with popsicle sticks, but quickly gave up looking for it as there were too many to read through.
I use the inflatable on my dogs. They can go in and out of their crates without difficulty and my girl wasn't bothered at all about it being bulky. It attaches with a velcro strap and you can also add a buckle collar to keep it more secure. They are sold at Petsmart for around $30.00. Good luck.
