4630 Martin Road Cumming GA 30041

Phone:
770/887-1565

Fax:
770/781-4237
 

All material contained in this site (including Project Spay Neuter) are the sole property of Pet Vet and may not be used without our express permission.

EAR CROPPING & TAIL DOCKING

In some breeds, ears and tails are traditionally docked & cropped. Today, both procedures are controversial. These procedures are purely cosmetic and have no medical or health benefits. Many people and organizations believe these procedures are inhumane, and should be outlawed in this country, as they already have been in most others, (England, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, etc). The Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights and the American Hospital Association oppose the procedures and have urged the AKC to ban them. Our doctors & staff also feel that the procedures are inhumane, and do not perform them.

WHY?

Ear Cropping is actually amputating a part of the ear. The incision is large, and there are many sutures. While the puppies are under anesthesia and do not feel pain during the procedure, the healing process is long and painful. The ears must be kept taped up for several weeks or months. The sutures & tape itch. The puppies rub and scratch. The tape must be removed & changed repeatedly. These puppies endure discomfort and pain for a prolonged time.

Frequent visits to the vet to change the tape & bandages are necessary. Owners often find the time and money required problematic. Failure to provide diligent aftercare often leads to complications. Infections and/or failure of the ears to stand, even after all the pain & trouble & expense, are common.

It is obvious to most caring individuals that putting a puppy through anesthetic risks, risks of surgical complications such as infection & bleeding, and prolonged pain & suffering simply cannot be justified for cosmetic reasons. It also seems hard to justify the expense (average including aftercare $600-$1200).

Tail Docking is amputation of the tail, usually done without anesthetic when puppies are 3 to 5 days old. Some people will claim it isn’t painful – but rest assured, the puppies scream and the mother usually becomes quite distraught. Why scream if it doesn’t hurt? Mercifully, they at least do not go through weeks of pain afterwards, as with ear cropping.

Complications are common – the mother often licks or chews the tails open, requiring further procedures to repair them, again, without anesthesia. (It is unsafe to anesthetize neonates). Infections can occur. Bleeding can become a problem. In spite of proper technique, some tails may end up too long, or too short, or badly scarred. Many dogs with cropped tails seem to suffer discomfort or extreme sensitivity of the stump for life.

Again, for caring humans, it is hard to justify holding a baby puppy down and chopping off his tail.

So why do it? For looks? Can we justify inflicting pain & suffering on an animal for looks? We can’t, we do not perform these procedures, and we implore owners not to put their pets through this.

*We have books available with pictures of most breeds with natural ears. Let us show you how beautiful they are, left as God made them.

Website maintained by:
Tracy Land, DVM

This page rev: 03/18/07