How do they crop dog's ears?

Question

....?

I bought a min pin puppy less than a week ago and his ears and tail were already done.

I was just wondering how they did it and if he was given anything for pain. I'm sad now that I know he probably didn't. He is okay though.

Answer 1

The dog is put under anestesia and the have a clamp that is called and ear from they come different shapes and they put this on the flap of the dog ear.
Then the cut off the portion that hangs over the clamp form.
They put surgial glue on the edge of the ear and then they are taped together on top of the head.
After the cut heals you have to post and tape them for months to get the ear to stand up properly. If you do not do the after care the dogs ears may not stand up.
This is purly a cosmetic procedure and done for the looks of hte dog.

Answer 2

Some breeds of dogs through the ages have traditionally been recognized partly by the distinctive look of their head; cropped ears have been a trademark for these breeds. Doberman Pinschers, Boxers and Great Danes come to mind right away. And even many of the smaller breeds such as the Miniature Schnauzer have traditionally had their ears surgically changed to give them a distinctive appearance.

In our modern times, many people have come to question the need or advisability of cropping the ears of dogs. The aspect of animal cruelty comes into play in that many people will argue that there is no medical, physical, environmental or cosmetic advantage for the dog to have the pinnas (the ear flaps) surgically altered. And to subject any dog to the "disfiguring" and unnecessary surgical procedure and subsequent taping and bandaging that sometimes needs to be done after the surgery amounts to animal cruelty and is indefensible. There are others that will argue that for some dogs, the cropped ear will help prevent ear canal infections and make the opportunity for pinna trauma and infection much less likely. They will state that the ear cropping is no different philosophically or ethically than any elective surgery such as spaying and neutering or removing protruding dew claws.

The fact is that ear infections are common in all sorts of breeds whether they have cropped ears or not. Working as a veterinarian's assistant for a while, and seeing and treating hundreds of thousands of dogs during that time, I cannot find medical justification for cropping a dog's pinnas. So the choice to crop a dog's ears is a personal decision that a purebred dog owner needs to weigh carefully... partly because what you think you will get may not occur. I refer to the disappointing cases where the pup's ears have been cropped and yet, no matter what everyone tries to do, the ears won't stand erect!

Potential reasons for cropped ears not to stand erect...

The cartilage within the pinna is too thin to support the weight of the ear

The ear crop was too long for the size of the ear

The ears are "set too low" on the dog's head

Scar tissue formed along the ear margin
NOTE: Supplementing a pup's diet with extra calcium in the hope that it will "build up" the ear cartilage is not scientifically or biochemically valid. Adding additional calcium above the usual balance of that mineral with phosphorus and Vitamin D has actually been shown to cause growth problems in dogs. Don't add calcium to a dog's diet in the misguided hope that it will "strengthen the cartilage".

There are all sorts of methods of taping the ears up after the surgery and helping to support the pinnas while they heal. You can do everything right and yet in some dogs the ears will not hold that erect posture... which was the goal of the surgery in the first place! Adding extra Calcium to the pup's diet won't work and can actually be detrimental to the pup's growth. Massaging the pinnas won't help. The pup "loosing it's teeth" has no impact on the strength or rigidity of the pinnas either. Of course all pups should be eating an optimum diet to begin with so supplementing an already high quality diet will have no additional benefits.

As your pup's caretaker, you have a choice. Weigh all the pros and cons, and then make your decision. Expect to be criticized by those who disagree with your choice. I have heard people at dog shows get criticized by a number of breeders for NOT doing the surgery... they seemed put-out by the fact that they had to find another veterinarian to do it. But just as the decision not to do the surgery in my practices is your personal decision to make, so it is your choice whether or not it will be done on your dog.

Answer 3

You basically just cut off the unwanted portion of the ear flap. It's not a kind thing to do. Most of the time, it is done so that the dog's ears will stand up, making him look more alert. It is not necessary, as many dogs whose ears are traditionally cropped, are perfectly capable of holding up their ears when they want to. Taping the ears up while they are young can help build the muscles, and cropping should probably not be done. I would say the only time to do it is with a show dog if cropping is in the breed spec.

Answer 4

The cut them with scissors and nothing to dull the pain. Then they put splints on them until the cartilage hardens into the shape they want it to be.

I personally think cutting a dog's ears or tail is cruel and ignorant. When you have a baby do you tell the doctor to slice a little off it's *** and ears?

There is no reason for the slicing and dicing on dogs except that some sadistic creep years ago decided to do it and the morons have followed the procedure ever since.

Answer 5

Why would anyone want to. I find dogs much more beautiful and natural when they have all of their ears and tails. But that is just my oppinion. Same as they crop dogs tails, just with different tools, I would suggest seeing if a vet will do it, so that way there is less chance for any damage.
They nip away the ends.

Answer 6

In a nutshell, they cut a strip out of the ear, and then tape them up for an extended period, sometimes a couple months. It's very uncomfortable for the dog, and the bandages have to be changed very regularly.

More info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Docking_%28dog%29

Check out the legal status by country in the above article...many civilzed countries have banned it, and with good cause.

It's for appearances only, really for the satisfaction of the breeder or owner...I would never put a dog through it, I personally believe it alters their personalities. My great dane is uncropped.

Answer 7

It is an excrutiating and pointless cosmetic procedure that our clinic refuses to condone. A strip is cut away, tubes of cotton and padding are inserted to hold it upright and the tatters of the ear are taped around it to hold them in the upright position, and it's a very uncomfortable healing process.

Don't do it. It's cruel.

Answer 8

Well--It is a very sad and painful process--basicly they slice the ear in half from top to bottom--with less width to the ear it helps them stand up-- http://www.dogo.org/Education/dogo_ear_cropping_techniques.htm

this web page shows photos if you are interested

Hope this helps
Rachel

Answer 9

They remove part of the ear. Completely a cosmetic procedure. I had it done when I had gotten my dane, and I regret ever putting him through the torture. I would never do it again and would not recomment it to anyone.

Answer 10

with some type of sissors.though they say when there pups nothing hurts unless they step on their legs or their foots.