spaying/neutering, ear-cropping, tail-docking..?

Question

Since most of you don't advocate animal cruelty in any form, or even ear-cropping or tail-docking (by licensed vetrenarians) in the least -- citing things like: "it's mutilation of the dog and very painful", Then my question is, why do you then advocate getting your dog "fixed", seeing that it's mutilating the dog's genitals, and an even MORE painful and uncomfortable experience for the dog than getting ears cropped? Incidently, I've got my pit bulls both fixed, and ears cropped, and I'm curious as to why most of you assert that any form of "dog mutilation" is bad -- while advocating canine genital mutilation? My dogs were in alot more pain after being spayed than when I had their ears cropped.

Ok, you're all against cosmetic procedures like ear-cropping, so then are you also against people who circumsize their babies? It too is just a cosmetic procedure and isn't health-beneficial. See the hypocrisy?

Yeah, I know why dogs are fixed, thank you. Over-population isn't the topic though, and it wasn't my question either. You should all go back and re-read. Dog mutilation, and people who are against ear-cropping is the topic. I was showing the hypocrisy in the logic that, though you may be against ear-cropping and tail-docking because it's "cruel and painful" for the dog, you're quick to advocate spaying and neutering -- which is mutilating the dog's genitals, and painful for the dog. SO before you judge another dog owner for getting their dog's ears cropped because "it's painful and mutilation", I'll be just as quick to judge YOU for having your dog's genitals mutilated because it's painful, and it's genital mutilation. And I might even criticize you for getting your baby circumsized, when it's just as an optional cosmetic procedure like canine ear-cropping is.

Answer 1

The "for the health of the dog" reason no longer really holds water, there are many studies now indicating that spay/neuter surgery may in fact be DETRIMENTAL to the dog's health, resulting in problems like higher incidence of bone cancer in females, HIGHER incedence of prostate cancer in males, early senility in both sexes. As far as I'm concerned the only reason to fix your dog is because you are too lazy and/or irresponsible to deal with an intact one.

But hey, let's not let facts get in the way of good propaganda......

Answer 2

There are health benefits to spaying and neutering.

The over population and the rate of euthanizing perfect animals can only be rectified by spaying and neutering. It is obvious people are not responsible enough to have un altered animals.

Any animal I have had spayed or neutered rarely know it by the time they get home.

Tail docking when done right after birth I don't have a problem with but those that want to do it via amputation I do. Its for the owners satisfaction and not necessarily the pet. Same with ear cropping. There is no medical or social reason to do it except for human satisfaction.

And I like floppy eared dogs better. Im prejudiced

Answer 3

ear cropping and tail docking is a cosmetic thing. Which is outlawed in germany. ( Germany passed animal rights which outlaw cropping and docking) But spay or neutering is for population control. The whole reason docking and cropping became popular was for 1) To give a sense of aggressiveness in a dog and 2) harder for a perpatrator to grab a hole of a K-9's tail.
So while spaying and neutering serves a purpose to cut down on "unwanted dog population," Cropping and docking nowadays serves no real health/medical purpose.

Answer 4

I'm very OK with ear cropping and tail docking for breeds who have historically had it done. My favorite breed, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi, has a docked tail, and as long as it's done during the first few days of life, the pain is fairly minimal and recovery time is short.
There's a reason that certain breeds have docked tails and cropped years (usually to make their job easier or less painful). Although most dogs don't actually perform a job anymore, the breed standard still calls for the tail docking and/or ear cropping that we are used to seeing in that breed.
However, in reference to your point, spaying and neutering is done with a medical purpose in mind, while ear cropping/tail docking is done solely for cosmetic purposes. A spayed/neutered dog is less likely to develop certain cancers, less likely to wander. less likely to develop behavioral or aggression issues, and can't add to the pet overpopulation problem.

Hope this helps...

Answer 5

It's obvious that you care for the plight of an animal and the pain it endures and that I commend; and in a perfect society I too would object any action that causes another being pain. But thinking in black and white doesn't serve an imperfect society. The real world requires those shades of greys that an all-or-nothing belief/opinion doesn't allow for. If a dog needed surgery to save its life, doesn't a vet have to mutilate its body by cutting its body open or amputating a part which is a painful process? Are people mutilating their infants when piercing their ears? On and on this can go.

I'm not saying what I advocate in an all-or-nothing answer but my opinion stands strong that one can't embrace a complex topic with such a narrow view of it. Looking at and judging an action without examining the circumstances that led to it is irresponsible.

P.S. I'm generally against cutting any body part from an animal but like everything, exceptions keep the balance:

- for neutering/spaying: if the dog is not intended for breeding by a responsible breeder than it should be neutered/spayed to control the number of unwanted animals. That's a small feat. when you look at the cruelty an unwanted dog goes through or the emotional damage of constantly being re-homed if it is lucky enough to have the opportunity of a home none-the-less a home to good owners. So neutering/spaying in most cases in synonymous with responsible ownership unless you're ready to take the necessary precautions which are not fail safe. Not to mention all the other health and behavioural benefits.

- for ear/tail cropping: this practice was born for fight or working dogs. Ears and tails were cropped to perserve a dog's fight capability by limiting damage from the other dog and from removing something that the attacking dog can get a hold of and therefore gaining strength in an attack. For dogs that work in extreme conditions or are in contact with certain elements need this done to prevent damage. In addition to these circumstances, nothing other than a health related problem. So yes, I consider ear/tail cropping animal cruelty when its done for simple esthetics rather than somehow serving the best interest of the dog.

Answer 6

I do not say any mutation is bad just unnecessary ones.

Due claws removal in some breeds is necessary! Rott for instance can actually rip them of while playing and bleed to death. So this one is not one I am totally against.

As for the tails AKC, and show has detemined that some breeds must have it done. We did have a male Rott that we resuced and it did ahave a fully intaked tail Man did it hurt when it hit you!! My family has bred Rotts for 25 years and they have alway been in the show ring. Unfortunatly the taoil docking is a very important thing to have done for the show ring. It is cosmetic and not a benift to the dog whatso ever but it is also done at a few hour or a day old and the puppies never remember it. Ears are not done til much later in life and from what I have see it is very painful to the dog.

Ear cropping is a beauty modification and not something that is done for the health of the animal. Yeast infection in the ears is not caused by long ears it is cause by bacteria in the ears and on certain breeds the owner should clean and check the ears on a weekly basis. Cropping the ears will not stop this from happening.

Fixing an animal is for the better health of the animal. Fixing them makes it so they are at a lower risk of cancer and other health problems that arise from not being fixed. Plus the fact it stops from having unwanted aniamals and would stop the pounds from over flowing because of back yard breeding.

De clawing cats is very painful to the animal and is for the owners sake not the animals. There are other things that can be done. Caps and regular clippings. When they de-claw a cat they actually cut the toes off at the knuckles.

If it is for the health of the animal I am not against it but only a beauty modification I am or if the owner dose not want to be bothered with claws then do not get a cat.

Added: there two you are wrong and have not done your research:

There's disagreement over whether it's more healthy or less to be circumcised. The medical evidence actually suggests that, on balance, being circumcised does indeed lower your risk of certain life-threatening diseases slightly, but "on balance" plays a big role here. There are risks unique to each kind of penis, which largely cancel out; and the overall numbers are incredibly tiny either way. The medical consensus used to be that the opposite was true--that uncircumcised penises were healthier. (This fact never penetrated far into the American medical establishment.) Most Europeans still believe this, but recently AIDS and a better understanding of other blood-borne diseases have changed the medical picture.

I do feel everyone has a right to their own oppion but this is mine. Yes we have had the tails done on all of our dogs. I am not saying that I agree but with show dogs you have to live up to the standards that have been put forth for that breed. . Ears I have never understood I accually prefer how they look without being done!! I do feel if it is a pet and tthat it will never see the show ring or if the pet is not a breed quality then leave it the way god intended

Answer 7

Spaying and neutering are very neccessary. Population control is extremely neccessary. I grew up next to a creek in a rural area, and I can say I've seen too many bags of kittens or puppies being fished out to agree with letting animals wander around without being fixed. On the other hand, cropping or docking are completely unnecessary. What's the point? It's completely a cosmetic choice made by the owner. Sure fixing is painful, but it's neccessary. Cropping and docking is not.

Answer 8

I love it that my vet does not dock tails or cut ears. However he does spay and neuter.

Tail docking and ear cropping are done not for the dog, but for the owner. Spaying or neutering is keeping unwanted pups from being born who may end up strays, or abused.

I feel like you are trying to compare apples and oranges.

There are no benefits to the dog from getting it's tail docked or ears cropped.

Answer 9

Sapy/neuter is NOT done for cosmetic reasons...it is done to prevent unwanted pregnancy, eliminate risks of reproductive cancers & infections, reduce almost eliminating the risk of mammary cancer & anal fistulas, reduces/eliminates dog/dog aggression among other benefits. It isn't mutilation and in most cases not all that painful.It certainly isn't more painful or uncomfortable then ear cropping.

Ear cropping & tail docking serve NO medical necessity...it is only done for cosmetic reasons and for owner desire.
***also canine genitals are not mutilated in anyway during spay/neuter surgery.*****

*****it is very rare to have complications resulting from spaying(females) ,neuter (males)when there are it is usually one of these issues 1) an underlying issue that wasn't noticed before surgery 2) the owner failed to get a pre-anesthetic bloodwork up done
3) vet didn't perform the surgery correctly
4) owner didn't follow dr's directions on post op care****

******* mammary cancer is still a risk if a dog has had 3 or more heat cycles before spaying and/or is over 6 years old when spayed. The more heat cycles she has the more at risk she is***********

*****I am very much a vet tech..have been for 34 years working on 35...went to school graduated with a b+ average, take refresher courses on a regualr basis..at least 2-3 times a year as well as attend seminars..in addition I also am a dog trainer, AKC CGC evalautor, obedience club vp and own & show Great Danes and do NAVHDA with our German Shorthaired Pointer...work in the profession, at a very busy vet hospital, 5 days a week.......Shooting...no one is perfect everyone makes spelling errors on occassion when typing **********

******Miriam, you are way off base with that info and quite incorrect...spay/neuter has NOT been found to be determental to a dogs health in any way....if you worked in the profession and actaully knew all of the legit studies you would find exactly the opposite.********

Answer 10

Funny seeing that spaying and nuetering actually is done for a REASON, not just for the owners selfish reasons of just wanting them to look a certain way. There are no health benifits for ear cropping, even though idiots try to say that of helps to prevent ear infections that is a complete lie seeing there is no connection. The yget ear infections because of lazy owners not keeping them clean. Just another excuse to mutilate a dog. Spaying and neutering HAS been linked to better health and the elimination of certain cancers as well as NOT contributing to the over population of unwanted animals.

I dont see why people who are so for chopping up their dogs ears like to compare it to spaying and neutering, seeing one is cosmetic and one is actually a health benifit. Seems like they have nothing else to fuel their argument so they relate it to someting completely irrelavent.

Oh for your circumsion argument (yet ANOTHER irrelevant statement) if you want to get technical it is actually done for health reasons. Many children especially get infections because of the foreskin even when keeping it as clean as they can. I've heard of many cases where males have not had it when they were a baby having to have it done later in life because of problems cause by NOT being circumsized and they wished it was done as a newborn because it was ALOT more painful later on in life. And also, there are studies that are linking uncircumsized people are more likely to contract certain STDS, including AIDS from an infected person(from what Ive heard it is still being studied) due to something with the pores and tissue that the forskin is made up of. SO yeah, wheres your argument now?

Answer 11

lol, i'd be against spaying and neutering if there weren't so many animals dieing daily because there is no one who wants them. Plus, a lot of the no-kill shelters are just as bad with the dogs being three and four to a kennel. it's awful! The all that chaos has to drive the dogs nuts! i think having your dog fixed is less bad than adding to the problem of overpopulation.

cropping and docking has no good outcome
and circumcision is a whole different topic and for many it is religious which is completely different.