Having my dogs ears cropped.?

Question

wondering if any one has had their dogs ears croped, what should i expect. any advice

Answer 1

Make sure you get it done at the proper age, if they're too old the vet won't do it. And make sure you use a vet, don't do it yourself or use a backyard kind of person. You should put them on pain medication for a few days to a week afterwards, and the vet will show you how to change the gauze and clean the stitched area. You'll also have to 'train' them, using something straight wrapped in gauze, placed inside the top of the ear and medical-taped there to hold the ear up straight so the cartilidge can solidify that way. It takes several months to fully train the ear, so don't stop wrapping too soon or you'll have floppy ears. It's kind of weird but the people I know say tampons are the best to train ears with, because they're soft and straight. Or you can wrap a popsicle stick in gauze and use that. Just make sure you keep the ears clean and the dog free of pain through the process.

And to the critics: Spaying is a much more painful and invasive surgery than cropping ears, and yet you advocate that. Yes, spaying has benefits, but so does cropping ears. Have you ever seen a floppy eared dog suffer with chronic ear infections, or a tear an ear on a bush or fence? Both are extremely painful, and can go on for the life of the dog. Cropping by a vet is perfectly humane, and while it's not exactly 'necessary', it's not your place to judge.

Answer 2

Please do not have your dogs ears cropped. The only possible reason I can think of to do this would be if you are planning to show your dog and the breed standard at shows requires it -- but I don't know of any breeds for which this is the case. Admittedly I am not an AKC expert.

As to what you could expect if you have this done: It is a surgery and will require some kind of anesthetic, which, even if administered as a "local," carries some risks; the procedure will require considerable after-care on your part, including keeping the surgical sites clean and bandaged to prevent infection, and a veterinary follow-up visit to inspect for complications; some people will judge you for what they consider to be a disfiguring procedure you elected to have done to your dog; AND, after all that, the dog's ears may not stand up or otherwise look like exactly what you want, anyway. You may also have to inquire with several vets before you find one that will do it, as more and more will not willingly do this procedure unless there is a medical necessity for it.

I would not rush into this procedure and seriously reconsider whether or not you really need to have it done.

Answer 3

Get him fixed. Don't breed him, there are too many Pits in shelters now. Don't touch the ears. Makes them look to aggressive looking. Besides, you said he is over a year old. I'm not sure, but I believe he a little old to crop his ears. Sounds like a great dog. Probably a mixed breed because of his size. Mine weights the same as yours.

Answer 4

It is a hassel to take care of cropped ears, plus you have to watch for infection in them. You didn't say what breed the dog was.
The ears will have to be taped on some kind of support for quite sometime if you want the tips to stand. We use to crop our great danes ears but not any more because of the hassle and the tenderness it causes for the dogs. If you aren't goint to put them in a show ring I wouldn't crop them.

Answer 5

What you could probably expect are is a pup that is a little woozy. The puppy will try to scratch his ears so you need a guard sheild for at least 1 week. I have to admit though, when it was time to replace the splints that hold up the ears, I did it myself and kinda felt sorry for my pup cuz it was yelping and I didn't like it. So that would be the only part I would change. Take it to the vet to have the splints changed.

Over all the puppy will be ok becuase it will just get used to the whole handling, and changing process.

I hope this helps!

Answer 6

I'm not sure of the actual answer as I either have dogs who's ear stand naturally, or floppy eared dogs, I have never had a dog who's ears get cropped.

I however would like to say not so listen to those that will answer with it's cruel and shouldn't be done. The dog is your property and as of yet in NYS (going by your username) cropping/docking is still legal. There is nothing wrong at all with cropping your dogs ears. it's not nearly as bad as they claim and they are generally the same people with out batting an eyelash would tell you to spay/neuter your pet. It just makes no sense where these people's heads are.

Answer 7

We got our Great Danes ears cropped when she was a puppy. If you dog is older than a year you should avoid that option. Their head will be wrapped up like a mummy, well not their whole head, just their ears and under their chin. You have to take them in every few weeks to get the bandages changed. My dog pretty much left her ears alone, but some dogs my try to scratch and might need a cone around their head. It is very cute to see them this way, I wish I could find a picture of her so I could show you! Don't rub their ears, it may hurt them or encourage them to use their hind feet to scratch at them. the moment you see him messing with them tap their nose and say no. they could hurt their ears by taking the bandages off too soon, because they will also have stiches under the bandages

Answer 8

Ask the vet if he has cropped the breed of dog you have.

My first dog the vet did an excellent job. They came out great.

The second time I had it done I should have just set the money on fire. It was terrible. They had semi pit bull crops for Great Danes. I was not happy. Then they healed horribly. It was a terrible experience.

If done correctly you will have no problems. Just remember to massage the ears daily. Depending on how they are wrapped.

Answer 9

well...what is your dog's breed? If not a breed that normally has ears cropped, expect to be insulted and such. Looked at in a bad way.

What is your dog's age? If your dog is older, they may be in pain for a while.

Oh and don't listen to these anti crop/docking people. You know AKC makes some animals be cut for a reason....so they could fulfill their jobs.

Answer 10

i personaly dont like dogs ears cropped but i understand that some people thinks it looks good. my advice is go to your local vet and talk to them. they should be able to answer all your questions.