Cupping of ears in dogs: the age of animals and the price of the operation

This veterinary operation has an ancient history. The first such manipulations were carried out even during the Roman Empire. Dogs, employees with legionnaires, shortened the ears to protect them from rabies. Hence the tradition has gone that the cupping of ears in dogs of fighting breeds (Staff, Alabayev, Caucasian Shepherd Dog, Doberman and others) is mandatory. True, short ears gave them an advantage in combat - the four-legged fighter became less vulnerable to enemy teeth. For hunting dogs, the reason to do the operation is similar, they also sometimes come into conflict with the beast, the more small the ears are more difficult to damage, they get less foreign objects. And in most cases, the formation of the auricle surgically has to be carried out because of the requirements of the breed standards. Recently, cupping as a mandatory procedure is losing its relevance. Many European countries even introduced a ban on participation in dog shows with artificially placed ears. However, a rather large percentage of pet owners consider pruning this part of the body appropriate from the point of view of aesthetics and from the point of view of necessity.

Indications for cupping of ears in an animal

As it was already written above, the main reason is the standard of this or that breed of dogs. The second most important is the operation on the ears due to the disease. For example, tumors, ulcerative lesions of the auricles in an animal, the presence of necrotic tissue sites, extensive burns or injuries, usually lead to the forced removal of the corresponding part of the body. Proved and the feature that dogs with short ears less often recorded bites, injuries, foreign objects getting infected with pathogenic organisms. For pets of protective rocks, the absence of ears is another feature that contributes to their invulnerability when attacking along with a short tail and dense hair.

However, many exhibition experts and cynologists to date are inclined to the opinion that earpling in dogs as a tribute to fashion has lost ground, and zoos advocates consider this procedure painful enough to conduct it without any serious reason.

Contraindications

Naturally, the procedure for pruning auricle in a dog, like any other operation, has a number of factors when it is not recommended to conduct it. Surgical intervention should be postponed or completely eliminated if:

• Puppy has obvious deviations in development;
• The dog is sick;
• There are allotments of any kind from the ears of the animal;
• The puppy has a fever.

Types of operations

For a long time the fighting and hunting dogs stopped their ears, and in the end it was fixed even in the standards of some breeds. Therefore, the angle at which this part of the body is cut off and the correct positioning of the animal's ears are regulated by the requirements for its appearance and breed membership. To date, this manipulation is not carried out by one dozen dogs, including Dobermans, Pinscher, Central Asian and Caucasian Shepherds, Risenschnauzer, Staffordshire Terriers and many others. The Caucasians are removed a significant part of the ear, the shells of the danes and pinschers are given a classic acuity, but the pit bulls and staff from this part of the body after the operation should remain only one-third of the original size. The edge can be either straight or S-shaped.

If you are going to have a puppy that will need to form ears, know in advance the details of this operation and the requirements for the appearance of the dog. It would be superfluous to inquire about when it is best to conduct cupping of the ears in dogs (age), what are the possible complications, the rules for caring for this part of the body after surgical intervention. In the future this information will help you to act correctly. We will describe some aspects below.

How to prepare a dog for surgery? Description of the actions of a veterinarian

An animal must starve for at least 10-12 hours before cupping the ears. The operation usually lasts from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours. Removal occurs under local anesthesia (in puppyhood) or under general anesthesia (for adults). The owner will need the ability to securely fix and hold his pet. To do this, the dog on the operating table is firmly held by the front and rear legs. Also, make sure that the animal can not move the body, put a muzzle on it or fix the jaws to avoid biting.

After that the vet carefully cuts the wool, cleaning the operating field. Immediately before cupping, the skin on the ears is treated with an antiseptic solution, the incision line is applied, an anesthetic drug is injected. The incision is made from the tip of the ear to its base in accordance with the markings. The edges of the wound are sutured and treated with antibacterial drugs.

It is recommended to perform this procedure to puppies until they reach the age of a week. In older individuals, it will be more difficult to form a correct ear set, the risk of negative consequences is greater. It is necessary to know that if the owner of several adults decides to stop the ears in dogs, the price of the operation will be higher. If for you the financial factor is decisive, consider a few more features. Before agreeing to stop ears in dogs, the cost should be known in advance. It sometimes depends on the breed, the size of the dog, the price list of the clinic (an average of 2000-4000 rubles).

How to care for sutures?

After cupping the ears their shape is supported by a special frame (this does not apply to all breeds). It must be worn for at least 20 days. To prevent the puppy from damaging the ears, a plastic collar should be put on his neck. Do not let the dog play with other puppies and animals, this can lead to a disruption in the integrity of the bandage, infection in the wound or divergence of the joints. Anesthetic preparations are allowed in the first days after the operation. Sutures are removed after 7-10 days.

Cupping of ears in dogs: complications

Let's enumerate with what unpleasant situations the owner of the dog may encounter after removing a part of the ear from the pet.

1. Occurrence of bleeding. If cupping of ears in dogs is carried out at a week-old age, this complication can be avoided. When surgical intervention in older individuals, the probability of bleeding is much higher.
2. Formation of scars, thickening. This trouble is also the least common in puppies. It also affects the time it takes to remove stitches.
3. Development of the inflammatory process. To avoid this complication, the operation should be performed in the sterile conditions of the veterinary clinic by a certified veterinary surgeon.