DEW CLAWS - TAIL DOCKING - EAR CROPPING

 

 

Many breeds require something beyond what mother nature created. Special surgeries are some times warranted.Some are medically sound ideas and with strong merit, others are purely cosmetic and a matter of taste. All have a reasonable history to support their rise in popularity. Ear cropping and tail docking are among those special surgeries commonly performed on certain breeds to achieve that picture perfect breed standard we have come to recognize. Breeds such as Doberman Pincers, Boxers, Great Danes, Pit Bulls, American Staffordshire Terriers, and Schnauzers are among the most common breeds on which these special surgeries are preformed. The original intent was utilitarian.

Historically, most of these breeds were used in some form which would require that they might engage in battle with another dog or person. The short tail and short ears were less likely to be grabbed by the opponent.

Tail docking usually done at 4-7 days old and usually wont involve the new owner. However, if you got your puppy from a breeder who did not dock her tail and it is a breed on which that is usually done, it still can be.It will be much more involved than when she was newborn. It will now require anesthesia and sutures. As well as being a bit more messy and painful. Tail docking is to keep with the breed standard.

Ear cropping is done at 9 to 12 weeks of age. It is a procedure that not a lot of veterinarians perform because it is artistic, quite specialized, and the follow-up is tedious. The surgery usually involves an overnight stay, for good reason. Once the puppy’s ears are cropped, they are sutured and placed in an aluminum rack. The sutures will be removed after no more than seven days so they won’t scar, but the rack will stay in place for three weeks.
After the ear edges are healed the ears will be wrapped in cotton and tape and checked every ten days until they stand. This is can range from a relatively short amount of time in a short eared breed but can take months in a long eared breed. This takes some getting used to for the puppy and often requires pain medication for a few days. Follow up care is more critical and precise than the original surgery. Many things can go wrong with disastrous results.

Ear cropping is generally cosmetic but it does offer the advantage of better air circulation and fewer ear infections. Something most Labrador and Golden Retriever owners may envy.

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Dewclaws  

Dew claw removal is much less cosmetic, but a very good idea in most breeds, especially if the claws are ‘not attached’. These are deciduous claws which may have served an ancestral purpose but are no longer necessary and often cause problems when they get caught on things and torn. These claws can be found on one, two, three, or all four feet.They are part of the way up the foot, as if it were a thumb in placement. They may either be ‘unattached’ in which they flop around loosely, only attached by skin, or ‘attached’ in which they grow from a joint.

Since they do not touch the ground they are never worn down. They can be kept cut short but that is often overlooked. They often grow around into a circle and can cut into the dogs leg.

Dewclaws commonly get caught on things like wires, blankets, and afghans, and tear, causing a lot of pain and blood. It is an unnecessary trauma and if they weren’t removed at birth, should be removed when the puppy undergoes his first anesthesia for a procedure. Entropion One of the special surgeries that some dogs require is due to Entropion. This is a condition in which the eyelids curl under. It can affect one lid or all four and tends to affect some breeds more than others. The Rottweiler, Chow Chow, Golden Retriever, and Shar Pei seem to be most susceptible. Dogs may develop this at a young age, when they get older, or never. If it occurs, the procedure to correct it is not elective.

As the eyelids curl under, the eyelashes scrub the cornea with every blink. You will notice tearing and discharge, and eventually a pigment will grow on the cornea and the dog will be blind from the damage

The surgery involves the rolling out of the eyelid, removing a small sliver of skin and suturing it in place so that as is heals the dogs eyelid will close normally. A dog having undergone this procedure will temporarily have a ‘surprised look’. Though that will relax as the swelling goes down and the hair grows back around the surgery site. Don’t be alarmed. This is the proper way to correct the affliction, tacking is done sometimes by breeders, but it rarely solves the problem for long. De-barking De-barking is not as widely performed on pets but is quite common in show dogs. Anytime you have hundreds of dogs in one place, it seems like a good idea. There are some breeds that are more vocal than others. It may pose no problem at all, but for those who do create problems for their owners, such as making enemies out of the neighbors, it is an option.

De- barking is a very quick procedure and causes about as much discomfort as having ones tonsils out. It involves removing a piece of the vocal cord so that it doesn’t vibrate effectively. The dog will still have a hoarse bark, but the sound will not carry well. Most dogs that went to sleep barking seem to wake up barking. They just don’t make as much noise. It doesn’t seem to dampen their spirits or slow them down a step. They need to eat soft food for a few days, but there is usually very little after care besides encouraging them to rest.

 

About The Author
Laura Anderson is a veterinary technician with a 15 year history as a veterinary office manager and emergency technician. She founded Puppys-Place to help new puppy owners find a compatible lifestyle with their new friends.
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