Enjoy Your Pet’s Affection

When it comes to dog ownership one of the biggest decisions you will have to make is whether or not to have them undergo surgeries for cosmetic purposes. While most people only think of cosmetic surgery as a human procedure, many breeds of dogs have cosmetic procedures to make them eligible for dog shows or for basic aesthetic reasons. If you have a pit bull or doberman puppy, you are faced with the decision as to whether or not ear cropping is the right choice for you and your dog.

Get to know a little bit more about cropping ears and make your decision. 

Why Crop Ears?

Ear cropping is a procedure that is done purely for appearances. There is not a medical reason to crop your dog's ears. However, if you have a purebred dog and you are at all interested in participating in dog shows or competitions, then ear cropping is a part of the requirements. 

You will have to make this decision early on as it is commonly performed between eight and twelve weeks of age. If your dog is older and you try to get their ears cropped, the procedure may not be successful and you could actually do serious damage to your dog's ears. 

How Does Ear Cropping Work?

The idea behind ear cropping is to take naturally long ears that flop and fold over and make them pointed and erect. This is accomplished by a surgical procedure that involved the removal of a large amount of ear tissue. 

The ears will be cut into a pointed position. However, the incision itself will not make the ears stand up as they are meant to. Your dog's ears will essentially have to be splinted to hold them in proper place until the cartilage reforms and can hold the ears in place. 

How Do You Care For Your Dog After Surgery?

Aside from ensuring that your dog's ears are properly splinted following surgery, you may be unsure of what else you should do to take care of your beloved pet. Most importantly, you will need to make sure that your dog does not scratch their ears following surgery. 

This may require that they wear an e-collar also know as a cone to block them from being able to scratch. Otherwise they may knock the splints our of place or rip their stitches. You will also need to watch to make sure there is no infection in the incision as this is also quite possible following a major operation. Look for excessive bleeding or any oozing of discoloration, or heat emanating from the suture site. 

Now that you know more about ear cropping, you can make that decision as to whether or not the procedure is right for you and your dog. So, keep these important facts in mind, and if you do decide to get your dog's ears cropped, you will be well-prepared. To learn more, contact a company like Animal Clinic of Bensonhurst with any questions or concerns you have.