Q. What will my dog’s ears
look like?
A. Ear cropping is based
on the breed of your dog. Some breeds such as Doberman Pinschers and
Boxers have a variety of ear crop styles that you can choose from. A
consultation appointment will be scheduled with the doctor or certified
technician prior to your pet’s procedure to review pictures and discuss
the ear crop style you would like.
Q. When should I have my
dog’s ears cropped?
A. The optimum time for ear cropping is
generally between 8-12 weeks of age for large breed dogs and 12-16 weeks
of age for small breed dogs. At this young age, the cartilage in the
ear is still forming WHICH enables us to train the ears to stand as your
puppy grows. We will no longer perform the procedure if your dog is
over 20 weeks because the cartilage becomes less flexible and there is a
higher probability that the ears will not remain standing on their own.
Q. What do I need to do to prepare my dog
for the procedure?
A. Because the surgery is performed at
such a young age, your pet must be current on all vaccinations so that
he/she does not succumb to common diseases during the healing process.
We also ask that your pet is fasted starting the night before through
the day of the surgery. The some anesthetic drugs used may induce
vomiting and it is important that your pet comes in with an empty
stomach.
Q. How is the procedure performed?
A. Your pet will be under general
anesthesia throughout the surgery in order to control pain. The ears
will be prepped for the surgery after which the veterinarian will trim
away portions of the ear forming the desired shape. The entire process
will take approximately one hour.
Q. What type of care is needed
post-operatively?
A. After the surgery we will place a
Styrofoam cup on your pet’s head. This provides a base to adhere the
ears to, allowing them to heal properly and begin training the ears to
stand. After spending a night at the hospital, your pet will go home
with the attached cup and an e-collar placed around the neck with the
cone opening towards the body. This will help prevent your pet from
scratching the ears and cup with his/her legs. It is also essential for
you to train your pet not to scratch his/her ears since they are very
vascular, meaning that they will bleed easily if the incision site is
rubbed or scratched. Furthermore, repeated damage to edge of the ear
will cause scar tissue to form thus altering and possibly degrading the
final look of the ear.
The ears require a two week period to
heal, during which time you will be applying an antibiotic ointment to
the edge of the ears and giving oral antibiotics and pain medication as
directed by the veterinarian. During this time, your pet can have
normal exercise and activity. The ears will be sore but this does not
usually hinder your puppy’s playfulness. If for whatever reason, your
pet is able to remove the cup before the two weeks are up, don’t panic.
Continue to apply the ointment, give the oral medications, and bring
your pet back in at the end of two weeks scheduled for the suture
removal and first taping. Since your pet is young and the ears are
still flexible this brief lapse in training will not affect whether the
ears stand in the end or not. Ideally, the best option is training your
pet not to scratch the ears right away because if he/she scratches at
the cup now, he/she will scratch the tape later. A few training tips
are listed at the end of this article.
When you pick up your pet after the
surgery, we ask that you schedule a drop off appointment 14 days out.
During this appointment we will give your pet a minor sedative to remove
the Styrofoam cup and sutures then the ears will be taped for the first
time.
Q. What is ear taping and how long will
the ears need to be taped for?
A. Ear taping is a method of wrapping the
ear in an upright position. There are various methods used when taping
ears, many of which do not produce the correct look at the end of the
taping process. The style of taping we employ differs depending on
breed. Breeds with longer crops necessitate the use of a cylindrical
post that acts as a support base for the entire length of the ear.
Breeds with shorter crops do not require a post; instead, the ears are
wrapped using a method called circle taping.
Weekly ear tapings are required to
ensure the best results. The duration of weekly ear tapings depends on
the length of the crop, the breed of dog, the age at which the surgery
was performed, the strength of the ear cartilage and whether your pet
leaves the tapings alone. Longer ear crops, performed on Great Danes
for example, may require 6 months to a year or more before they stand on
their own. You must be prepared for this commitment before the
procedure is performed. In rare cases another surgery may be
needed to place an implant in the ear to facilitate the ears to stand.
Shorter ear crops, like those performed on Miniature Pinschers, stand on
their own within a few weeks. Six ear tapings are included in the price
of the procedure; there is an extra charge for each additional taping.
If the taping comes undone, falls out,
or gets wet, we ask that you do not take any steps to re-tape the
ears at home, rather bring your pet to the clinic at your earliest
convenience. There are a number of risks involved if the ears are taped
or cared for incorrectly including but not limited to: infection, a
reaction to the tape, cutting off blood supply to the ear which may
cause a portion of the ear to die.
Q. What are the risks and complications
involved?
A. Placing a pet under general anesthesia
will involve a minimal risk. The safety of modern anesthesia has
increased substantially with increased knowledge, modern equipment and
modern anesthetic drugs. Anesthesia is, however, never trivial or
routine. To safeguard your pet we must properly evaluate his or her
ability to utilize and metabolize the drugs needed through a blood
analysis test. We also recommend placing an intravenous catheter and
administering fluids and antibiotics to your pet throughout the
procedure. We will discuss these recommendations with you when you drop
off your pet on the day of his/her surgery.
If the ears are improperly cared for
infection can occur at the incision site, which will delay healing time;
however, this is uncommon as long as medication is given according to
directions from the veterinarian. Your pet may be prone to skin
irritation or an allergic reaction to the adhesive used. If a severe
reaction persists, a rare condition, all taping will be permanently
discontinued. As previously discussed, damage to edge of the ear from
scratching will generate scar tissue formation altering the final
outcome. Ear posts that are left in too long, over a week’s time, or
become damp will lead to ear infections. Ear infections
are
a source of
constant pain resulting in excessive head shaking and scratching.
Taping may need to be postponed and the infection treated in these
cases. Any delay in taping will increase the time until the ears stand
independently. Lastly, a very small percentage of ears will never stand
properly because the cartilage supporting them is too weak.
Unfortunately this complication cannot be foreseen because the ear
cartilage develops and strengthens as the puppy grows.
Training Tips
The key to training a puppy not to
scratch is consistency. If the puppy begins to scratch, clap your hands
or say NO! When he/she stops, give lots of praise or offer a treat. If
the scratching continues after clapping or saying no, gently pull the
paw away then distract your puppy with their favorite toy. Continue the
training process until your pet understands that scratching is an
inappropriate behavior and remember be consistent.
We believe every pet
should be treated like a member of the family.
