cropping ears

[brianjoy81]

i'm not sure if this is the right place to ask, but, for those who have cropped their pups ears, how old do they have to be, and what all is involved in the post-op care? i have heard awful stories about pup's ears that wouldn't stand, and i didnt know if that was the owners fault or it just wouldn't take. any help would be great. thanks

 

[haleyandmark]

I don't know anything about taking care of or risks involved with cropping ears, but I know a lot of people here do and will let you know *EVERYTHING* involved [this site is so informative]!

If you are deciding on whether or not to get your pup's ears cropped, good luck in your decision!

 

[Jan]

They are usually between 8 and 12 weeks when they are done. The ears must be taped and it can take up to a year and they may never stand. How long it takes can partly depend on how they are cropped. Generally the longer the crop the harder it is to get them to stand.

It's a personally choice as to whether you want them cropped or not.

Good luck!

 

[jazzyboxer]

Our puppy Hoss came to us already cropped (5 months old then), and we are going to be wrapping them for a while yet. After leaving them taped for 6 days, I unwrap then and for a day they are standing PERFECTLY, then they "break" in the middle and flop over. We have at least another month (maybe longer) of taping, then may be able to go to the Breathe-Rite strips to finish training the tips to stand.

Wrapping the ears is a 2-person job and you must be prepared to do is consistently. It is a little nerve-racking too because taping too tight could damage the ear permanently (cut off circulation). If you can have the breeder help you with the aftercare, that would definitely make the process easier.

 

[M.Wallace]

I'd say they are younger when cropping. Our Stella was 6 weeks when cropped. 7 weeks for shots, brought her home at 9 weeks.

She is now 15 weeks old, and the posts have been off for a week. One ear is perfect, the other is slightly weaker, but is always standing - just looks a little quivery.

We used Dr. Scholls Molefoam (not Moleskin). Comes in squares, and you cut it to a triangle shape, then roll it to fit the inside of the ear. Glue it in the ear with Skinbond adhesive (hard to find). One band of tape around the base of the ear. The tape usually comes off every 4 days, the foam stays in for 2 weeks. Then the natural oils coming out of the skin causes the glue to start coming off.

The nice part about the foam over other methods (tampons, crack sealer pieces) is that it is flexible - the puppy can roll over on them, and they bend over, and then pop back into shape.

I think that if they didn't take, it's the owner's fault.

 

[Maxxsmom]

Maxx had his ears done at about 10-11 weeks (Vet said she will only do them between 10-12 weeks). Maxx is 16 weeks now & as you can see from my gallery his ears stand perfectly. The process was very short for him approx. 3 weeks total, but from what I understand that is not the norm.