Unfortunately, dog ear cropping still belongs to those deleterious public myths which make people do things according to some strange conventional views. The bad thing is that such convictions may bring harm to your dog. Sometimes the damage can be rather considerable. Dog ear cropping and tail docking is supposed to have cosmetic purposes only. Therefore this practice is absolutely useless and unnecessary from a medical point of view.
Dog ear cropping is a surgical operation in which a portion of the dog’s ear is removed. This is done to make the remaining triangular piece of the ear stand erect. Usually puppies should be about 7-12 weeks of age. If more, many vets and surgeons refuse to perform dog ear cropping procedure because of the possible risks of non-erect ears in the end. A puppy is put under general anesthesia which of itself poses a risk for his health.
Many people treat dog ear cropping just like any other surgery. Though, one can find in this painful procedure no particular physical or medical advantage for a dog. Therefore dog ear cropping and tail docking equals cosmetic surgery for people. But we do not have the right to impose our tastes and preferences on dogs. First try to think how ready and enthusiastic you would be to have your friend or relative undergo an operation. Then why do this to your four-legged friend?! Before considering dog ear cropping for your own dog make sure you’ve got acquainted with all the facts and details concerning this procedure. Weigh all pros and cons so that you may not come to the wrong decision. This mistake will cost you a lot. If you haven’t made up your mind yet, here is some food for thought.
Read the following most common myths on dog ear cropping and try to derive as much benefit from it as possible.
- Dog ear cropping is an indispensible condition for show dogs. Cosmetic dog ear trimming is performed to conform with the accepted breed standards. Dog ear cropping is usually performed on such dog breeds as Doberman Pinscher and Miniature Pinscher, Boxer, Great Dane, Schnauzer, Pit Bull Terrier. Many dog owners also choose tail docking and ear cropping for their pets to compete in the show ring. It is believed that dogs with docked tails and ear cropping are most likely to win the trophy and bring profit to the owner. The situation used to be like this. But now it is changing!
Many civilized countries have already outlawed dog ear cropping. It is recognized medically unnecessary and thus banned for cosmetic purposes. There is a list of legal status of dog tail docking and ear cropping by country. You can find there all the countries that have put a ban on docking dogs’ tails and ear cropping. But, unfortunately, there still exist countries in which these procedures are legal. Among them you may find Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Portugal and some countries of South America such as Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Peru. No one knows how long it will take them to eliminate canine ear cropping at last. Some countries have restricted dog ear cropping. This means that it may be done only by a professional veterinarian on some working dog breeds. England and Wales belong to such countries. As for the United States, unfortunately, tail docking and ear cropping is still considered legal there. Though some states, including New York are working at bills to prohibit this practice. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has stated that dog ear cropping as well as tail docking is not medically indicated. Moreover, it causes pain and distress to animals and, as any surgical operation, is accompanied by the risks of anesthesia, infection and blood loss. The AVMA has opposed the dog ear cropping practice and asked veterinarians to inform and warn their clients about all the potential risks beforehand. In addition, the association has insisted that the American Kennel Club (AKC) should no longer accept dogs with cropped ears in the show ring. The AKC currently allows uncropped dogs to participate in competitions. - Dog ear cropping implies a pair of perfectly standing dog’s ears. Many pet owners are ready and willing to achieve it by a difficult and painful surgical procedure. They are fully confident of getting the perfect result in the end. But the reality is a bit different.
Quite often the clients do not get what they expect at the end of the dog ear cropping surgery. The results may be very sad and frustrating. The dog’s ears still may never stand erect and instead will flop down the side of the head. The only possible way out is another painful operation. But the worst thing is that sometimes there is nothing that can be done. No repeat surgery, postoperative care, special calcium diet or other protein supplementation will make your dog’s ears stand. If the ear cartilage is too thin to support the dog’s pinna or the ear crop is too long they are simply not going to stand up. - Many dog breeders state that dog ear cropping doesn’t hurt the puppy. They explain it by unchanging dog behavior after the operation. Moreover, the puppy doesn’t even lose his appetite. It should be mentioned that during the operation a portion of the dog’s ear, including nerve endings is cut off. Once the surgery is finished, the obligatory ear bandaging and taping follow. During this period the ears are very itchy and sore. So, if your puppy cries out in pain and scratches his ear, this must surely indicate the pain!
- Dog ear cropping prevents ear infections and improves air ventilation of the dog’s ear. It is believed that a dog’s ears need to be cropped to avoid excess moisture and bacteria accumulating in the ear canal. As practice shows, dogs with cropped ears are equally prone to ear infections. So, there is no need to conduct this difficult dog ear cropping procedure any more. You will very unlikely protect your dog by having his ears cropper. However, there is always a risk for the dog to lose both ears. What is worse, you can cause serious damage to your pet’s health.
As you can see, dog ear cropping is a serious procedure which can turn into a serious problem for your dog. Before you take your well-grounded decision, consider all the information in this article once again. It is important to know that tail docking and ear cropping is no longer a necessary requirement for your dog to compete in the show ring. You have to keep in mind that even if you DO risk dog ear cropping for your pet, there is no guarantee that you will get the desirable result in the end. Do not forget that this procedure, though done under anesthesia, has painful effects on your dog afterwards. You won’t do without dog training, bandaging and ear taping in the first weeks or even months following the dog ear cropping surgery. And do not think that cropped ears will save your dog from possible ear infections. Nevertheless, the decision is up to you. But it IS important. Your choice can also help eliminate dog ear cropping once and for all!
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I think there is nothing wrong with cropping as long as it is done by a proffessional. Just because the dog has no say in it does not make it wrong. Dogs do not have a say in anything, don’t you think feeding a dog a low quality mass produced dog food is just as bad or worse as you say cropping is? What’s funny is my son had no say when I had him circumcised yet he doesn’t complain about it and nobody else does either. No one seems to think that a cosmetic surgery that is forced upon a infant that has no medical or physical purpose (like cropping ears) is wrong. So maybe all you bleeding hearts out there could look past your nose and see that, if you dont want your dogs ears cropped that’s fine we won’t condemn you for it but quit condemning the owners who want to do it.
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