Author Topic: cropped ears  (Read 18856 times)

Offline hugo~monster

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cropped ears
« on: November 05, 2005, 09:37:35 pm »
melissa, i see in your pawprint dazy's natural ears and in the other pic you have them posted.  how is the taping going?? 
~SHELLIE & HUGO~

MommyOfSchnauzers

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Re: cropped ears
« Reply #1 on: November 06, 2005, 02:28:52 am »
Well... I don't have them wrapped at the moment, because I noticed a little sore in one of her ears.  So I have been putting a little triple antibiotic cream on the sore, and letting it air out.  I would really love any taping advice I can get. 

tampons completely did not work for us.  I don't know if I was doing something wrong or what, but both times I tried to wrap using tampons as splints.... she had them off within minutes. 

What I did last week (the way they are wrapped in the picture) was took a disposable plastic cup and traced her ears on the outside of it.  I cut the bottom out of the cup, then cut out the shape of her ears.  I put a couple layers of thick medical tape (the waterproof kind) around all of the edges, so there were no sharp places.  Then I taped those forms to the inside of her ears with medical tape to secure.  I then took the gauze that sticks to itself and wrapped the ears, wrapped figure eight on top of the head and around the base of the ears, then under the chin, brought it back up and ended it on top of her head.  That seemed to stay on pretty good, but I am not sure if that is what caused the lil sore that is there now.  The sore isn't where any of the edges were touching. 

Any taping advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated!!!


Offline hugo~monster

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Re: cropped ears
« Reply #2 on: November 06, 2005, 09:43:09 pm »
here are some of hugo's baby pics when i was taping his ears. there are many ways you can go about taping ears.  luckily i never had to to the upside down cup on his head!  his ears were relatively easy to stand.  i did use the tampon method.   as you can see by the pics.  i used the colored stretchy gauze alot.  also sports tape and even postal tape!  once his ears had a pretty good lift to them and were standing for the most part, i would use medical tape and give the ear a gentle pull up and slightly out (just putting a tad of tension on it) then tape around the middle of the ear.  this would keep the ear from wanting to fold over without having alot of junk tape to the head.  be sure to be consistant in taping, especially during teething.  give lots of raw meaty bones to chew on and also vitamin C supplement which is said to help in cartilage healing. 

sometimes the tape will rub a little sore on the ear, especially if the dog fusses with the tape job.  or if it is left on a bit too long.  remember to always fold that little flap of skin in the front of the ear when taping.  you want to fold it back onto the ear to tape not flatten it out.  this will help the ear stand.  you can also use mole skin (found in the foot care section at walmart) or even the gray styrofoam insulation you put around pipes in place of tampons.   i would do hugo's ears a couple days taped then off for a day then tape again at night for a couple days, then off during the day, etc.     
~SHELLIE & HUGO~

Offline jabear

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Re: cropped ears
« Reply #3 on: November 06, 2005, 11:58:51 pm »
Hugo is so dang cute! I just wanna give him a big ol' hug with the tape on his ears.  ;D
Hugs,
Jaime
  Mom to one handsome black Bear.

Offline hugo~monster

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Re: cropped ears
« Reply #4 on: November 07, 2005, 12:08:06 am »
LOL!!  yes he is a cutie!  sometimes i could just bite his nose off!!!!  he is so cute!  (i am a sucker for big dog noses!!)
~SHELLIE & HUGO~

MommyOfSchnauzers

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Re: cropped ears
« Reply #5 on: November 09, 2005, 12:20:36 am »
Going to have to try some different things with her.

Offline Annabelle

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Re: cropped ears
« Reply #6 on: August 02, 2006, 12:56:42 am »
We decided to keep Anna's ears natural; only b/c we didn't want to go thru the stress of it all....being a lifelong boxer and pit owner...I just don't feel young enuff anymore for that extra stress in my life...have enuff on my plate already!  I think the gs is very striking w/ cropped ears though!  it looks so ...what's the word...maybe distinguished or powerful...           So,QUESTION...How do you tape natural ears so they get that little up at the base and then the flop over from the top...sorta like a button ear???  I have read different techniques for other breeds but can't find it for a GS w/ natural ears.  I just don't want them to be fly-away or flat to her head and droooping...ca n I get them somewhere in b/t???  any advice?

Offline swells

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Re: cropped ears
« Reply #7 on: August 02, 2006, 03:13:10 am »
Ear cropping. Grrrrrrr. I think all owners who want to put their dog through ear cropping should have to be present at the surgery. No matter how much pain meds you give before and after surgery, they all wake up in excruciating pain. The worst part is, that even after everyting, there is no guarantee that the ears will stand. Luckily, the vet I work at now will NOT do ear cropping. Hopefully more vets will step up and do the same.

I love the natural look, and even if I didn't I would never put my dogs through such an ordel.

Sorry for the rant. I have just seen to many ear cropping surgeries in my career.

Stacie (Certified Veterinary Technician)

Offline hugo~monster

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Re: cropped ears
« Reply #8 on: September 05, 2006, 04:46:38 am »
Stacie, for your info I WAS present thru Hugo's entire ear cropping surgery!  And while I respect and appreciate your views on cropping, please respect all of us who chose to crop and dock our dogs. 

Hopefully the United States will NEVER ban cropping and docking like has happened in so many countries.  It is a sensitive issue and offends many people but to have this choice is one of what makes America great (not to sound corny and get all patriotic on you:)  I do realize that this will anger many people who, like yourself, is completely against the practise of cropping/docking.

I do not mind the look of a natural ear, but traditionally giants were cropped/docked and I love that "alert" look.  In the beginning when breeds were being developed cropping and docking was done out of necessity not just for aesthetics.  Cropping gave a more alert look to giants who were used as guard dogs (still are in many places).  Tail docking was done to save injury to the long tails when the dogs were performing their "jobs". 

I dont think all vets are candidates to do ear crops anyway.  It is more than just whacking off part of the ear.  You actually do have to have an "eye" for performing this type of surgery.  To make a beautiful cropped ear you really have to have an artistic "flair".  I have seen many ugly ear jobs and yes, those dogs would have looked better left with natural ears.  If vets dont know how to properly crop an ear then by all means they should not. 

Again, I appoligize if my post has offended anyone, but I am very passionate about someone else making the decision about this for me (making cropping/docking illegal).  Hugo is cropped/docked and he looks beautiful and is extremely loved, taken care of and shows NO ill effects of the ear cropping neither physical nor emotional. 

Shellie~
~SHELLIE & HUGO~

Offline BabsT

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Re: cropped ears
« Reply #9 on: September 05, 2006, 04:55:02 am »
My dogs were done at 3 days and well there was no issue what so ever... however my crops are well total removal of the flap so there is not taping and all that jazz...  As long as the owner is willing to provide the upkeep and dog is well taken care of everything is fine

a spay or neuter is just as paiful and much more invasive





Zero 23mth  Central Asian Ovcharka
Anchara 16mth old Caucasian Ovcharka

Offline lshelley21

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Re: cropped ears
« Reply #10 on: September 05, 2006, 04:56:48 am »
Having a natural eared dog myself, (due to the fact she was too old? shelter pup) Jazmine has a lot of head shaking, ear infections, and sometimes her ears do stand up on there own when they want to. For those who choose not to crop, i prefer to have them cropped not only for look, but to allow air in the ear to prevent the ear infections that she gets because she swims.  I have seen a cropping done, and perhaps they are in great pain, although they are in pain when you spay/neuter them too..... they are in more pain with hip dysplasia, so in MOPO i think cropping isn't a bad thing for dogs with HUGE ears.
Lauren, Jazmine (great dane)
Jazmine's pets:
Calvin (ferret)
Willy (ferret)
Samantha (ferret)
Baxter (ferret)
Ferrets friends:
Shirly and baldamore (geckos)
Gecko's friend:
Big D (fish)

Oh yeah.. my pet.. Matt (hubby)
Our pets are all above

Offline hugo~monster

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Re: cropped ears
« Reply #11 on: September 05, 2006, 04:59:09 am »
So,QUESTION...How do you tape natural ears so they get that little up at the base and then the flop over from the top...sorta like a button ear??? 


I have worked with GIants for over 7 years.  Seen alot of ears, both natural and also cropped.  I know that certain breeds of dogs like mini schnauzers and shelties, fox terriers and other dogs you can tape natural ears to get them to "set" properly.  The thing with giants is that there is soooo much ear to work with.  Mini schnauzers have smaller ears as do shelties so I think it may be easier to get those to tape properly.  Also Giants' ears have different ear sets.  Some are more droopy similar to a hound ear.  Some giants simply have no lift at the base of the ear and no matter what you do they will always "hang".  Even to crop those ears that have no lift, would be hard to get to stand.  Some giants have a very high lift to their ear set but may "break" at the wrong point giving the look of the flying nun ears.  You can find a website that gives taping advice (for natural ears) for other dogs.  I remember seeing one for fox terriers.  Of course fox terriers and shelties' ears have a totally different look than a proper natural giant ear.  Maybe you could use that website as a guide to taping the natural giant ear.  Sometimes you have to "glue" coins on the tips of the natural ears, sometimes it involves taping down the ears to the head.  IT may just be a matter of leaving hair on the ear to make it heavy enough to lay down vs. doing the fly away look.  :)
Shellie~
~SHELLIE & HUGO~