Ear Cropping? I'm torn...?

Question

My husband and I are planning on getting a doberman puppy soon. I love the look of cropped ears on dobermans but I just can't get over that it can be a painful experience for them. I try to relate it to baby boys getting circumcised but I would still feel rotten for putting my puppy through that. Please send me some solid advice for why or why not I should go through with it...if you are a Vet, please say so.

Thanks!

Answer 1

I would never put a dog through that pain for ....nothing. Cropping is cosmetic, no good reason for it. Spaying /neutering on the other hand, plenty of good reasons. Not for cropping or docking though. Well, to get a tail amputed because of whip tail is another story, that is the only way I'd agree with maiming a dog though.

Answer 2

I have owned 6 dobermans in my life all were cropped,
I would never have another dobies ears done. Its very painful to the dog and silly and vain if your dog is not going to be a show dog. In England you cant show them I'm told if they have been cropped.
I will say again Id never do anything like that for pure vanity again ,I have realized how cruel it is to one of the most intelligent loving dog breeds in the world. I have a Chihuahua now and her ears stand on their on and if they didn't well too bad.Think long and hard about the ear cropping people will tell you it doesn't hurt the dog because hes put under to do it but when the feeling comes back they are in pain,and you must clean and change the dressings,we used the plastic tampons to support the ears as they healed.Its not only painful to the dog but very time consuming for you .And they don't always stand up after all that work by vets and you and the poor dog. good luck

Answer 3

Aww.. I'm a vet, Ear cropping of the Doberman is usually done at approximately 7 to 8 weeks of age. The operation requires anesthesia and the puppy must be kept from eating for approximately 12 hours prior to surgery. Although the procedure does require the puppy to be anesthetized, it may lessen your fears about cropping to know that the operation takes only 30 min. and the puppy is under anesthesia for only that time. The very first thing your puppy will want to do after being cropped is eat ---- which shows you how much the whole procedure actually bothers a young puppy!!

( So it really doesn't hurt )


For the first 7 days after ear cropping, your pup will remain in his rack (or cup), with sutures holding the edges closed. Between 7 and 10 days after cropping, the sutures will be removed, the cup changed. Again, for 7 to 10 days the pup will remain in his cup with the ears taped erect until all the cut edges are healed. Having the puppy’s ears up in a cup makes it very easy for you to keep the edges clean. Use peroxide to clean the edges of the ears and then dust the edges with BFI Powder to help dry them out. BFI Powder is also used for Athlete’s Foot and is readily available at most drugstores. If this is not available, just use the juice of an Aloe Leaf (or an ointment) to help heal the edges.




Although we often laugh at the prospect of seeing our Doberman Pups with cups on their heads, it really is the easiest way to keep the ears upright while they heal. Unfortunately, it is also usually very easy for the puppy to remove the cup with regularity. Because it is so important that the pup’s ears remain in the cup until they are completely healed, one must be extremely vigilant during this period. The way in which you care for a cropped ear has a huge impact on whether or not that ear will ever stand properly.



Ears should not be taped until most of the scabs from the surgery have healed. If there are only 1 or 2 scabs left, you can cover those with cotton and a little antibiotic powder and then tape over them.



There is no set amount of time it takes before a puppy’s ears will stand; the average time for taping is approximately 4-5 months. Most pups have their ears up by the age of 6 - 7 months. That said, it isn't unusual for some ears not to stand until the pup is a year old. And some puppies have poor ear leather, which means that the ears won't ever stand perfectly or the tips will curl inward. These problems can also be the result of a poor ear crop.



There are many methods of aftercare. Doberman ear crops should only be done under the guidance of an experienced Doberman vet/breeder/handler. Achieving ears that stand properly requires time and commitment on the part of the owner. Most agree that the ears should be taped for a week, then untapped long enough to allow the ears to breathe and dry out, then taped back up again. The longer the ears are left untapped, the longer it will take for them to stand on their own.




Important things to remember when taping the ear:



Check for odors (The ears should not have a foul smell.)
Keep the ears dry. If the ears get wet, rewrap them with dry tape.
DO NOT take the ears down and let the ears "hang" for any length of time.
If the ears fall -- put them right back up in the roll.

Answer 4

Please don't crop your puppy's ears. It is only for show, not necessity. Many vets refuse to crop anymore, because of that reason. Cropping, doesnt help the animal or you in any way. It only costs more money and puts the dog through pain. Also, if you get a bad crop job, it wouldnt even look nice. Plus, floppy ears are cuter :) Also, keeping the puppy from scratching while healing will be a pain. Just dont do it.

Answer 5

My mom bred min pins for years and had their ears cropped as she showed also.

It is not a pleasant experience for the dog, but if I was to get a doberman, I would want the ears done as well.

The surgery itself is not that bad. They are not out for all that long. The puppies did cry a lot the first night home but after that they pretty much were over it.

A lot of dobbie breeders crop their puppies before they leave their homes. There is still some aftercare that the new owners have to do but at least you don't have to be there for the first day or 2 after the crop is done.

It is a tough decision. Good luck.

Answer 6

Not a vet. Cropping tails and ears on dogs is not like circumcising boys - there is a reason for that, and no reason other than liking how it looks on the dog to have it cut. Dogs need their ears and tails for self expression and communication, and you are not doing the dog any favors by having this done. And having a Doberman that has all his parts would be unusual and would make a nice statement.

Answer 7

The only real reason for cropping the ears is the look. Something tells me that you would always feel bad every time you looked at the cute cropped ears.

I did not have my baby boy circumsised, for much the same reason. Why put them through a pain that is unnecessary?

But if you are going to do it, now is the time.

I'm not a vet, just a person who loves animals.

Answer 8

I understand your dilemma. I like the look of cropped ears and have had many of my dogs ears done.

This is just my opinion but some breeds just don't look right otherwise. But, it is painful for the dog and labor intensive for you in order for them to stand right. Plus this is expensive to have done and not all vets do this well. It is as much art as science. There is nothing worse than a botched ear crop.

So, until I knew a vet that I really trusted to do this well, I wouldn't. Ask the breeder of your pup. See if the parents are cropped. If they are and it looks right, get the name of the vet that did the surgery.

Answer 9

That has been done for years and years..I've never known of a puppy dieing fron it...Doberman dogs look much better with cropped ears

Answer 10

Cropped ears ( and tails) are a cosmetic thing. There is no reason to have this done. It's mean and it hurts the dog. Did you know that the United States is the only modernized country that allows this practice legally? It is against the law in UK, most of Europe. I know people who show dogs and breed dogs won't agree, blah, blah, blah... I just think it's plain old mean. It's not the way God made them. Why do it?????? Please reconsider.