Need info on ear cropping
- Thread starter Barb04
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I'm inclined toward non-clipping. There may be some health reasons for clipping that I'm unaware of, but with the heavy jowling of the Neos, aesthetically, I think the ears left alone are more in keeping with the lines of the dog.
And it goes without saying that I kind of cringe when I think about cutting off ears. . .
And it goes without saying that I kind of cringe when I think about cutting off ears. . .
Ear cropping
Just to clarify, to make a dogs ears stand upright (if their natural position is down) you must crop them. Cropping is done by cutting away a portion of the ear. You then must tape them up (using things just as tampon applicators to keep them erect) for a long period until the cartilage hardens and the pup learns to use the muscles.
There is much ethical debate over this since technically its a cosmetic surgery and some people believe it hurts the dog or is very uncomfortable. Its a personal opinion really. Its hard to say what your dog will look like when its fully grown since its a mixed breed so it may be difficult for the vet to come up with a crop that will look good in the end. (The vet has a number of options when cutting the ears such as style and length).
I have a doberman puppy whose ears were cropped and we are currently battling the taping process. Even though its a bit of work, i think in the end it will be worth it.
Just to clarify, to make a dogs ears stand upright (if their natural position is down) you must crop them. Cropping is done by cutting away a portion of the ear. You then must tape them up (using things just as tampon applicators to keep them erect) for a long period until the cartilage hardens and the pup learns to use the muscles.
There is much ethical debate over this since technically its a cosmetic surgery and some people believe it hurts the dog or is very uncomfortable. Its a personal opinion really. Its hard to say what your dog will look like when its fully grown since its a mixed breed so it may be difficult for the vet to come up with a crop that will look good in the end. (The vet has a number of options when cutting the ears such as style and length).
I have a doberman puppy whose ears were cropped and we are currently battling the taping process. Even though its a bit of work, i think in the end it will be worth it.
If anything ear cropping can be a good thing for some breeds.It could help with ear infections not cause them.It allows the ears to breathe and not hold in excess moisture.Also if the dog would have long ears to start it prevents the tips from splitting from excessive head shaking.Still it is the owners preference.I am getting a Doberman puppy in 8 weeks when its ready to come home with me and I plan on getting his ears cropped.Its the way the originator of the breed wanted it and thats the way it should be kept.
It can be a real battle. The surgery is the easy part. The after care will exhaust you and it must be done diligently. It took Dharma 8 months to get her ears up completely. They are beautiful and I wouldn't have it any other way but I had years of experience with taping other peoples dog's ears at the vet so I didn't have to run to the vet every week, more or less.
Most ears are done after a month or two. The shorter the crop the faster they stand of course. There are lots of things you can do wrong as they heal so if you do it make sure you are ready for the learning process before you try at home to fix anything.
I would only discourage ear cropping if you don't have time for the aftercare because it is critical to the outcome.
Again, forgive me but I have some of this on my site if you have any interest in it. It is primarily an info site as the vet I worked for for 15 years was one of the few around here that did cropping and he did it beautifully.
And yes, tampax and surgical tape work great in the aftercard but I wouldn't suggest doing it without cropping (?)
http://www.puppys-place.com/Special-surgeries.html
http://www.puppys-place.com/ear_cropping.html
Most ears are done after a month or two. The shorter the crop the faster they stand of course. There are lots of things you can do wrong as they heal so if you do it make sure you are ready for the learning process before you try at home to fix anything.
I would only discourage ear cropping if you don't have time for the aftercare because it is critical to the outcome.
Again, forgive me but I have some of this on my site if you have any interest in it. It is primarily an info site as the vet I worked for for 15 years was one of the few around here that did cropping and he did it beautifully.
And yes, tampax and surgical tape work great in the aftercard but I wouldn't suggest doing it without cropping (?)
http://www.puppys-place.com/Special-surgeries.html
http://www.puppys-place.com/ear_cropping.html
At the shelter I worked at, we would occasionally get a pure bred that was unwanted. We got a couple of dobermans once. One was a blue color which was georgeous! But that's not the point. The other one never got cropped on either his ears nor his tail. He looked adorable! I had no idea dobies had such long tails and long ears. He looked like a very trim and muscular lab with brown markings. And what a sweetie! No one believed the owner when the dog was placed at the shelter that it was a pure but he showed the papers. He claimed the dog was just too big. He was a young trained dog but this guy was getting married and couldn't have both the fiancee and the dog. Poor dog..... at least it was a no-kill shelter. The fact that both of the dobies we had were purebred, young, and trained meant they were going to be adopted fast! What beauties though...
Keith,Todd, and I, had controversy over Duke's ears. They won. Our personal vet would not do it. The head/owner vet was the only one at the clinic that would. She did a beautiful job. I'll see if I can find a picture of his ears. Dukes ears healed quite quickly and stood perfect. The only problem I had... Roxie kept licking them. I have seen many dogs where to much, or not enough was taken from the ear.
Barb, if you were in Texas I would recommend her to you. I have never seen her do a botched ear job on a dog.
Barb, if you were in Texas I would recommend her to you. I have never seen her do a botched ear job on a dog.
This is an old post
I see nothign wrong with cropping,saved my boy from a life of ear infections. I have never seen a complication to cropping other than reaction to anesthesia. But I have seen many dog with problems form having them floppy. It really comes down to how the dog will live. If it will be active and out there I think a crop is good,but if the owner won;t keep up with it it is better to leave them alone.
I see nothign wrong with cropping,saved my boy from a life of ear infections. I have never seen a complication to cropping other than reaction to anesthesia. But I have seen many dog with problems form having them floppy. It really comes down to how the dog will live. If it will be active and out there I think a crop is good,but if the owner won;t keep up with it it is better to leave them alone.
I have 4 Caucsaian Ovcharkas and they all have what is called a Shepherd's Crop. The Ears are cropped at about 3 days old and are cropped close to the skull. This cropping of this breed and many others was a way of protecting the dogs from severe ear injury in their combat with wolves and other predators.
Now with limited or no predation in the USA urban and some rural environments the question could be raised as to whether it is still necessary. My preference is that the ears are cropped. I have seen my dogs play and if they had natural ears I would spend a fortune at the vet repairing ear damage.
The only issue I had with the cropped ears was the frequent foreign objects that would find their way into the ears when the dogs would run through underbrush or bushes. That sometimes required a visit to the vet to remove the objects.
You have a neo x APBT so I a guessing that you would call it a Bandogge. You can find some pictures on different Bandogges at this link. Even if your dog is not a Bandogge the pictures could give you and idea about the crop or natural ears.
I also realize that this thread is old and this point may be moot so I am posting for the benefit of others who may have a similar situation.
Crop or not to crop is a personal decision so do whatever you are comfortable with. Others (including me) advice on the subject is just that, advice. The decision, gentle reader - is yours.
Now with limited or no predation in the USA urban and some rural environments the question could be raised as to whether it is still necessary. My preference is that the ears are cropped. I have seen my dogs play and if they had natural ears I would spend a fortune at the vet repairing ear damage.
The only issue I had with the cropped ears was the frequent foreign objects that would find their way into the ears when the dogs would run through underbrush or bushes. That sometimes required a visit to the vet to remove the objects.
You have a neo x APBT so I a guessing that you would call it a Bandogge. You can find some pictures on different Bandogges at this link. Even if your dog is not a Bandogge the pictures could give you and idea about the crop or natural ears.
I also realize that this thread is old and this point may be moot so I am posting for the benefit of others who may have a similar situation.
Crop or not to crop is a personal decision so do whatever you are comfortable with. Others (including me) advice on the subject is just that, advice. The decision, gentle reader - is yours.