View Full Version : Ear Crop Aftercare Tips
lovemyboybeckham
07-07-2009, 04:25 PM
Hello All!
We took baby Beckham in today to have his ears cropped...the procedure went well and we get to pick him up in a little bit! I was wondering if anyone had any aftercare tips. The vet gave us a sheet of tips but I was just wondering if any fellow doberman lovers had any info from experience. Also, I still have an entire week of summer classes left so I will not be home with him all day...any tips to prevent him from messing with his ears while he is in his kennel when no one is home?
Thanks!!
Dobs4ever
07-07-2009, 06:18 PM
How old is he??? did he come home with a cup on or did they post them???? I don't like the edges covered until they are healed so I use the cups but that is on 7 week old babies.
You can freeze kongs with p nut butter or other things for him to chew while you are gone but it has been my experience if no one is there he will probably scratch them. You can put medicated powder on the edges which sometimes help. I use Wonder Dust it is a horsemedicine or medicated powder from the drug store.
Rhiannon
07-07-2009, 06:18 PM
Our vet leaves the ears unposted until the sutures are removed. This is my opinion has worked better than then being sent home all covered in tape etc. The first week is by far the hardest when it comes to ears. My vet also sends home the baby on antibiotic and pain killers. I would suggest lots of toys if he is going to be crated. If there is any way at all someone could check up on him during the day that would be the best scenario for him. We always have a salve also that is applied on the suture line of the ear crop and our vet has us stretch the ears daily two times a day. Helps to strengthen the cartilage. I also have just been told that putting a dog on the glucosomine chondroitin (sp?) is very good as it is specifically for cartilage. It would be interesting to know if other breeders have heard this as well. Good luck and let us know. Also if you are going to be doing the ear posting there are some pretty good videos showing how it is done on U-tube.
lovemyboybeckham
07-07-2009, 06:32 PM
How old is he??? did he come home with a cup on or did they post them???? I don't like the edges covered until they are healed so I use the cups but that is on 7 week old babies.
You can freeze kongs with p nut butter or other things for him to chew while you are gone but it has been my experience if no one is there he will probably scratch them. You can put medicated powder on the edges which sometimes help. I use Wonder Dust it is a horsemedicine or medicated powder from the drug store.
He is 10 weeks old. They have them glued to a cup and there is gauze along the edges of the ear where his sutures are...he is shaking his head a lot so I am hoping he doesn't shake his ears loose of the cup. We have been reprimanding him for vigorous shaking and for scratching at them. Where can I buy Wonder Dust?
Thanks for the insight!
lovemyboybeckham
07-07-2009, 06:42 PM
Our vet leaves the ears unposted until the sutures are removed. This is my opinion has worked better than then being sent home all covered in tape etc. The first week is by far the hardest when it comes to ears. My vet also sends home the baby on antibiotic and pain killers. I would suggest lots of toys if he is going to be crated. If there is any way at all someone could check up on him during the day that would be the best scenario for him. We always have a salve also that is applied on the suture line of the ear crop and our vet has us stretch the ears daily two times a day. Helps to strengthen the cartilage. I also have just been told that putting a dog on the glucosomine chondroitin (sp?) is very good as it is specifically for cartilage. It would be interesting to know if other breeders have heard this as well. Good luck and let us know. Also if you are going to be doing the ear posting there are some pretty good videos showing how it is done on U-tube.
His ears are glued to a cup with gauze along the edges. He only has tape on the inner part of the ear, not where the sutures are, they said it was to help keep the ears in place while waiting for the glue to set. He received a pain injection and they gave us a weeks worth of antibiotic. I have breaks in between every class so the longest I am away at a time is 2 hours so I will be checking on him frequently...I am just concerned about what can happen in those 2 hours! How do you go about stretching them? Is this something that would be done after the stitches are removed? Fortunately, the vet that we went to is very well known and recommended for Dobe ear crop and he requires us to bring Beckham in every week to have his ears taped. Thank you for the youtube idea though...I'm sure that would have been a lifesaver if I was taping myself!
Rhiannon
07-07-2009, 09:22 PM
His ears are glued to a cup with gauze along the edges. He only has tape on the inner part of the ear, not where the sutures are, they said it was to help keep the ears in place while waiting for the glue to set. He received a pain injection and they gave us a weeks worth of antibiotic. I have breaks in between every class so the longest I am away at a time is 2 hours so I will be checking on him frequently...I am just concerned about what can happen in those 2 hours! How do you go about stretching them? Is this something that would be done after the stitches are removed? Fortunately, the vet that we went to is very well known and recommended for Dobe ear crop and he requires us to bring Beckham in every week to have his ears taped. Thank you for the youtube idea though...I'm sure that would have been a lifesaver if I was taping myself!
Our vet did not send our puppies home on a cup so we pulled the ears twice a day and stretched them. It is a process that I absolutely hate. I have just been told that you have to do it by my vet in order to make sure the ears stand. That does not mean that it is right. Ear cropping is a very interesting subject at the least. I would love to know where your vet is as in what state etc. It is never to far to travel for a good vet that is respected in the ear cropping department. Does the vet do a great dane or show crop for you? And it is great that your vet will do the aftercare. You should have no problems getting them to stand. Keep us posted.....hehehe no pun intended. :rolleyes:
You want to get the ears up as soon as the stitches are healed. The cups are good. Our vet always gives pain meds and they don't usually scratch etc. I think the salve is Vit. A, but not sure about that. Be persistant with wrapping. Don't let them get wet or leave them up more than about 7 days.
Keep us posted on the progress.
Dobs4ever
07-08-2009, 08:44 AM
Interesting - stretching them twice a day is to prevent them puckering and shriveling on the edges The cup is much easier and kinder to the puppy. It really has nothing to do with them standing except if the edges curl and shrink then the ear will only stand as far as the edge allows which would make the ear look more like a C and not a good clean look at all in fact pretty horrible.
I have a great vet who does lots of Boxer show crops but not like a Dobe crop and I have taught him how to clean out all the bottom of the ear for a nice clean, tight to the head look. Vets do not know how to do show ears The first time we did it he kept saying are you sure - will it stand???? I told him the standing was my part and not to worry.
Vets learn a very basic technique with a form brace and that is it. That is the beginning but then a vet has to freehand and take out a lot of junk for a nice crop and make it a little thinner. They absolutely must have an artistic eye.
I stand right there with every puppy cropped and work with him til he gets it the way we want it.
dobeberfrau
07-08-2009, 11:00 AM
Our vet used a piece of foam glued to the ears and crown of her head (avoiding the sutures) The sutures were removed after a week and the foam came off at about 15 days. Once the foam came off we posted her ears using the tampon method. Polysporin applied frequently to the sutures for days after the surgery and after they were removed to minimize scarring on her ears. Often also checking the sutures once polysporin applied to ensure no dirt had adhered itself to them. The tampon method is difficult at first but gets easier as time goes on....I find is has also helped in bonding with her as she builds trust in us. We change her posts frequently to avoid infection and clean her ears thouroughly each time.
lovemyboybeckham
07-08-2009, 08:49 PM
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d120/shannanigan241/P7080136.jpg
up close of his ear
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d120/shannanigan241/P7080135.jpg
rear view
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d120/shannanigan241/P7070127.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d120/shannanigan241/P7070123.jpg
Dobs4ever
07-08-2009, 10:41 PM
Looks like a nice crop
Rhiannon
07-08-2009, 10:51 PM
Interesting - stretching them twice a day is to prevent them puckering and shriveling on the edges The cup is much easier and kinder to the puppy. It really has nothing to do with them standing except if the edges curl and shrink then the ear will only stand as far as the edge allows which would make the ear look more like a C and not a good clean look at all in fact pretty horrible.
I have a great vet who does lots of Boxer show crops but not like a Dobe crop and I have taught him how to clean out all the bottom of the ear for a nice clean, tight to the head look. Vets do not know how to do show ears The first time we did it he kept saying are you sure - will it stand???? I told him the standing was my part and not to worry.
Vets learn a very basic technique with a form brace and that is it. That is the beginning but then a vet has to freehand and take out a lot of junk for a nice crop and make it a little thinner. They absolutely must have an artistic eye.
I stand right there with every puppy cropped and work with him til he gets it the way we want it.
I definitely like the cup better and will not be doing the pulling and stretching again after reading your posts. Layla came home on a cup and her ears are nice. Sometimes I think that the girls at the vet's office think I am novice or something to that effect........:rolleyes:
But I don't think that our current vet still knows what we want in an ear for our dobes....I have taken him pics etc.....but I just don't want to chance my show litter on our vet.....so ....will utilize our other options.
Rhiannon
07-08-2009, 10:53 PM
So Ohio is not to far for us to travel at all.....I used to live in Troy Ohio for twenty years. What is the name of your vet if you would not mind sharing........Thanks.
lovemyboybeckham
07-08-2009, 11:52 PM
Sorry I haven't replied to the posts yet...I got the pics up and that was about all I had time for! Anyhoo...the vet that did the crop is in Dayton,OH. His name is Dr. Christy. My vet referred me to him because they do not do ear crops so I did a bit of research on him. We have a few family friends that have been Veterinarians for a very long time and are very well respected and they all had nothing but great things to say about Dr. Christy. He has done so many crops and takes great pride in his work. He told us that ear cropping is an art and it takes an artist to do a good crop and he does the crop to fit the dog. He said that the Doberman is a graceful breed and he wants the crop to be graceful as well to match the beauty of the breed. Everyone at the office is incredibly nice too! I am so glad that he will be doing the taping and the aftercare on the crop...I was pretty nervous about that part! lol
If you would like his address and/or phone number let me know! :)
tnsteelerfan
07-09-2009, 11:03 AM
He is so georgous !!! even with his ears up in his bandages. Good luck, with Brody it took forever for his ears to stay up! But it is well worth it.
Rhiannon
07-09-2009, 10:08 PM
Sorry I haven't replied to the posts yet...I got the pics up and that was about all I had time for! Anyhoo...the vet that did the crop is in Dayton,OH. His name is Dr. Christy. My vet referred me to him because they do not do ear crops so I did a bit of research on him. We have a few family friends that have been Veterinarians for a very long time and are very well respected and they all had nothing but great things to say about Dr. Christy. He has done so many crops and takes great pride in his work. He told us that ear cropping is an art and it takes an artist to do a good crop and he does the crop to fit the dog. He said that the Doberman is a graceful breed and he wants the crop to be graceful as well to match the beauty of the breed. Everyone at the office is incredibly nice too! I am so glad that he will be doing the taping and the aftercare on the crop...I was pretty nervous about that part! lol
If you would like his address and/or phone number let me know! :)
Thanks so much.......
lovemyboybeckham
07-09-2009, 11:12 PM
He is so georgous !!! even with his ears up in his bandages. Good luck, with Brody it took forever for his ears to stay up! But it is well worth it.
Awww thank you! Brody is quite a handsome boy himself! He is doing great with the process so far...I can't wait for him to get this cup off though...it seems very uncomfortable!
Steph&Leala
09-01-2011, 09:36 PM
Hi, I am new. I just got my 9 week old baby Leala's ears done yesterday. She was really groggy and upset all night. Today she seems much better and is running around. But I am worried that she is wercking her stitches. She is quite clumsy and playful and she keeps bumping into things and scratching at them. I have a soft cone on her neck and the vet advised me to put a covering over the cup on her head (it is a sock, she looks like a smurf). All the posts I read say to just keep them distracted but she wont stop scratching or shaking her head. Any ideas?
Hi, I am new. I just got my 9 week old baby Leala's ears done yesterday. She was really groggy and upset all night. Today she seems much better and is running around. But I am worried that she is wercking her stitches. She is quite clumsy and playful and she keeps bumping into things and scratching at them. I have a soft cone on her neck and the vet advised me to put a covering over the cup on her head (it is a sock, she looks like a smurf). All the posts I read say to just keep them distracted but she wont stop scratching or shaking her head. Any ideas?
Our vet gives pain pills for the first week, usually given the next day for about a week. It keeps the puppy from scratching it's ears and allows them to heal. If she is bumping into things, you need to confine her so that she doesn't hurt her ears. We never have used a cone and am not sure what you mean? We also don't use the donut looking thing that I saw in the picture posted.
If the ears are healing, they don't scratch them normally. The donut around her head maybe making her shake her head. I'm not a vet so I don't want to advise you. For the most part, you need to either call the breeder for help or find someone that can help you locally. Without some kind of help with the ears, it can be very discouraging for new people. Have you tried taking the donut off because that could be the problem.
Steph&Leala
09-07-2011, 01:12 PM
I took the silly cone/doughnut thing off and she was much happier.
Good, it didn't look necessary and only used by us if they were really going at their ears. Actually, never needed it.
Our Girl Pearl
09-13-2011, 11:10 AM
Pearl is at the vet today having her ears done.
Cute pictures by the way.
Steph&Leala
09-13-2011, 12:57 PM
Ears all done up in posts! They healed up nice and she is less annoyed about me touching them now. :)
You need a center post to bring the ears together. It can't be tight though...remember anything tight on the ears can cut off circulations and you could lose the ear. Never happened but it could. Here is a picture of the center part so you can bring them together and brace.
Eddie does a neater post and this is one that one of the new owners did but shows the center part. It is needed to keep the ears over the head.
Steph&Leala
09-18-2011, 10:17 PM
I put the centre part in and it seems to be working well. When I take the posts off to change them the ears stand up and look amazing! I know the eventual goal is for them to stand up perfect, but I am wondering if they always stand. When they are tired, or being submissive will they stand then? Is it normal for her to tilt them back and they flatten a bit (not fold). Just wondering what I am looking for in my eventual ears :)
Steph&Leala
09-18-2011, 10:56 PM
Ears looking so good :)
Remember while they are teething which is to about 6 months, the ears will usually slip down or fall. You have to keep the posts in for at least through the teething period.
Looking at the picture the ears are wide because you did not use the center post to pull the ears together. They should be straight up, not to the side like that so you very much need to keep posting the ears. And if you don't, expect them to not stand and break down. Much too soon to stop now and only one chance at this. Also, you need to pull those ears up tight on the post. They maybe slipping down some. They should stick tight to the tape. Are they slipping off the tape? Are you pulling them up really hard? If not you will get big pockets and have problems.
All dobermans will put the ears down but should hold them erect and straight when alert. Hope that answers your questions.
Here is a picture just after removing the stitches and posting for 5 days. These ears are straight but would of fell if we did not keep posting.
Steph&Leala
09-19-2011, 10:09 AM
Sweet. Thank you. I took the picture before I re-posted. I have kept them in the posts the whole time (it has been a week today) and I have the middle brace in too. Do you have a specific brand of tape that you use?
At the local Mays or MedX Drug Stores
Select Brand Sports tape (it's real sticky) That is for the back wrap on the posts so the ears stick really good and don't slip down.
Johnson n Johnson Coach Sports tape (for the top, not as sticky) The outside tape because it's not as sticky as the select brand.
Molefoam the kind for shoes we use that taped to the cross piece if they are having problems with the posts staying in the ears. Ann Platt showed us this and sometimes we glue the posts in with osto-bond. Don't use any other type of glue and with this you have to have the remover. Not necessary to glue it in with most but when you take out the bells, it sometimes works better to keep the posts in.
This is what Eddie uses for our puppies and he's picky. I am just the holder and goofer, right Tony?
The main thing is that you don't let the ears slip and you do not put the tape on tight so the circulation is cut off. That will destroy the ear. I'm not telling you how to do all this but just sharing what we use on our dogs.
Medical Supply Store: Medipore soft cloth surgical tape-2 inch and 1 inch or Zonas Porous. We actually prefer the medipore as it is sticker than Zonas is making now and is breathable with holes like the Zonas. We use that around the ears too. It's much more expensive than the above but necessary so the ears can breathe.
Actually, the day the pups are cropped and before they wake up, we put cups on their heads and glue them to the cup. WE use tube socks and cup them to make a bonnet so that the ears don't get scratched. We replace the socks every day and I throw them away. Here is some pictures. It gives you a head start on posting the ears and the ears can air which aids in healing.
This is something you really need someone to show you how to do but it really prevents all the infections that are so common when you rush to post them. Most of the show people with the longer crops do it. Works great.
The puppy without the sock needs his cup redone. We keep the cups on until the stitches are out and a little after, actually keeping the cups till the ears are complete healed and ready to post. Works great.
Knowing that it's too late to put on your puppy but maybe someone reading would benefit.
Thought I'd show this but I would get someone to show you how.
Steph&Leala
09-20-2011, 01:21 PM
Thanks so much for all the advice! You have been really helpful. :)
I am always willing but help. This is a breed that you need mentors and even with the information I gave you, it is easier to show you and much easier to have a mentor. Next time, and I mean this not to be mean, but buy from a ethical breeder that crops the ears and gives you the mentoring required in this breed. It really is needed and ears are only the beginning. What's done is done, but I think this always needs to be said for the puppies that don't get helped and they are what matters in all this actually..
I love the dogs and glad you find this helpful.
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