Ear Cropping Surgery

Ear cropping is a surgical procedure requiring general anesthesia. This is a purely cosmetic procedure and in no way necessary for the general welfare of your dog. As this is a cosmetic surgery, there is no guarantee on the procedure. This includes the shape, and if the ears will stand. We can guarantee that the surgery will be done to the best of our ability, and all surgical standards will be adhered to.

The best age for ear cropping is between 8 and 12 weeks of age, you should plan to contact our office a few weeks prior to this age window to schedule your consultation as we typically book out approximately four weeks for both consultations and surgeries. A consultation appointment is required prior to surgery. Many breeds cannot be done after 12 weeks as the ears are not likely to stand and the recovery is much more difficult. The type of crop depends on the future size, weight, head shape and general body conformation your pet will have. If you do not specify a style for the ears, they will be cropped in the standard way for the breed, with the length and width the doctor deems will look the best when the dog is mature.

Once the surgery is performed, the majority of aftercare is your responsibility. To be successful, you must follow the guidelines completely or you increase the risk of the ears not standing or scarring. It is at minimum a 4-6 week commitment that often involves lifestyle changes on your part, time commitment for longer cropped breeds such as Doberman Pinschers and Great Danes is sometimes up to a year of consistent care. The puppy will need to be seen/have it’s ears posted every 2-7 days until the ears are standing; for Doberman Pinschers 6-10 weeks is the average time it takes for the ears to start to stand, with some individuals being posted beyond 6 months of age or more. Please keep this in mind when considering having your puppy’s ears cropped and schedule accordingly (vacation, holidays, work schedules, etc). Larger breeds and longer crop styles, will take longer than smaller breeds or shorter ear crops. When you return to the clinic for the re-wrapping and suture removal, you will not see the doctor. You must make an appointment before you come in with the technician, preferably on the date we recommend. We realize that scheduling is difficult at times, but we must have the proper staff available to wrap your puppy’s ears. Ear cropping surgery is scheduled on Mondays or Fridays. We do not use laser to perform ear cropping.

Important Things to Note:

• A. Your puppy MUST be on a vaccination program with proof of vaccines and he/she must also be free of parasites (fleas & worms).
• B. The first 7-10 days are the most difficult for you and your puppy. The ears begin to itch as they start healing. You must be very alert during this time so as not to let the pup harm the ears.
• C. Above all, the ears must be taken care of and you must return for the follow-up visits when we recommend. In years of doing ear cropping, the failures (not standing or taking much longer than normal to stand) are usually cases of the owner not following our recommendations. You are spending a lot of money, and the puppy will have to “wear” the ears for the rest of its life, so let’s work together and do it right.
• We highly recommend you acquaint yourself with the methods of ear posting. Even when we are posting ears for you, it is helpful for you to have the knowledge necessary to intervene if your puppy’s ears need attention on evenings and weekends.
• Please bring a photograph of your desired crop to your consultation appointment. The photo should be a head-on, forward facing, clear photo of the ear style you’re desiring for your pet.

Please call our office for further information, or to schedule a consultation appointment.