03/25/2018
In my opinion and the opinion of many others in the veterinary and animal welfare community, there's absolutely no justifiable reason to mutilate a dog's ears for cosmetic purposes.
An excuse for ear cropping is that it reduces the incidence of ear infections because it provides increased airflow to the ear canal. There is zero scientific evidence to back up this claim, and in my view, it's utter nonsense.
Ear cropping is typically done when a puppy is 8 to 10 weeks old.
The procedure is performed under general anesthesia. A dog's ears have lots of nerve endings, and the pain this surgery would cause without anesthesia is extreme.
Cropping involves the surgical removal of around two-thirds of the pinna, or floppy part of both ears. The remaining tissue is then tightly taped into an upright position. Pain medication may or may not be given after a cropping procedure.
Over the next several weeks or months, the altered ears will be taped and re-taped in an effort to get them to stand up straight. This process may or may not yield the intended result. Many cropped puppies, even after weeks or months of taping, still have floppy ears.
Cropping can also disfigure the ears, leaving them scarred or bent.
Just as there is a use and purpose for every organ and appendage you were born with, so it is with your dog.
All ear cropping methods cause suffering for the animal, and many dogs go on to experience the phantom pain of a missing appendage much like human amputees do.
For the full article and locations where ear cropping is currently banned or restricted, read up on my site
http://bit.ly/HP2017DogEarCropping
