Advantages To Ear Cropping

Ear cropping is a surgical procedure performed by veterinarian surgeons on some breeds of dogs and cats under full anesthesia. The procedure is commonly performed on dogs for aesthetic reasons, with medical advantages as a byproduct of the surgery.

  1. Breeds

    • The practice of ear cropping is performed on various breeds of dogs and some cats. Animals that can have their ears cropped are those with strong muscles and cartilage in and around the ears allowing them to hold up the ears. The breeds that can have their ears cropped safely include boxers, great danes, schnauzers, bouviers des flandres, American pit bulls and Staffordshire terriers. Dogs with droopy ear flaps that hang down cannot have their ears cropped as they do not have the required strength or training to hold up their ears.

    Medical

    • There are a variety of medical reasons for the trimming or cropping of the outer ear flap, or pinna. The practice of ear cropping is traditional and has been performed for centuries, allowing breeds with strong ear muscles to be trained through breeding to hold their ears straight up. The incidence of ear infections in dogs with cropped ears is much reduced in dogs with pointed ears compared to breeds with droopy ears, including spaniels, hounds and poodles, according to the Irvine Pet Complex. Certain cats have surgery performed to crop pieces of the outer ear away to reduce the impact of certain cancers of the ear.

    Aesthetic

    • The main advantage of cropping is in the appearance of a dog, with the ears cropped to ensure they are matched to the features of the animal and provide a balanced appearance. Rarely is ear cropping performed for medical purposes in dogs; the majority of surgical procedures are performed at the owner's request to increase the cosmetic appeal of the animal. Although the aesthetic appeal of ear cropping has been the dominant reason for the procedure, the practice has produced breeds with improved ear muscle and cartilage strength.

    Procedure

    • Cropping is usually performed by a veterinarian in a procedure lasting for approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours under full anesthesia. Ear cropping is usually performed when the dog is between 8 and 14 weeks old, according to the Mont Clare Animal Hospital in Chicago. In preparation for the procedure the ears are clipped free of hair and washed. The required shape of the ears is measured and drawn before the ears are cropped to size. Following the procedure some animals require the ears to be trained using glue and bandages.