EAR CROPPING & CORRECTIVE OTOPLASTY
Ear Cropping is a surgical procedure performed on over 20 breeds of dogs, such as Doberman Pinschers, Great Danes, Boxers, Schnauzers, and Pit Bull Terriers. Ear cropping is not a simple surgical procedure, but a major one, which involves placing the puppy under general anesthesia for about 1 1/2 hours. After surgery there is an aftercare period which involves both the hospital staff and the pet's owner.
Corrective otoplasties and ear croppings are medical and cosmetic surgical procedures of the ear. Ear cropping surgeries are typically performed on over 20 breeds of dogs and a variety of cats. Ear cropping in cats is done as a surgical treatment for cancers of the ear.
The surgeries involve the reshaping, sculpturing, and contouring of the outer ear flap or pinna of the ear to achieve an erect standing ear, properly balanced and proportioned to the pet's confirmation.
While most dog owners opt to have this surgery for aesthetic reasons, the patient fortunately benefits from the additional medical benefits accompanying the surgery.
Most veterinarians would agree that the incidence of ear infections in breeds with erect standing ears is far less than in breeds with droopy, pendulous ears.
As an experienced practitioner personally involved with over 40,000 medical and surgical cases of the ear, I can unequivocally support this claim.
Erect standing ears are a function of the strength of the auricular muscles and auricular cartilage involved with the outer ear. Ear cropping shapes the ear, and at the same time lightens the ear, making it easier for the muscles to pull the ear erect and cartilage to support the ear.
History, breeding and genetics have dictated which breeds ears can be successfully cropped. Spaniel, Hounds, Retrievers, and Poodles are examples of dogs whose weak ear muscles and cartilage have never been bred for ear strength. These breeds with pendulous ears are notorious for developing painful, chronic ear infections; rarely seen in dogs with erect standing ears like Dobermans, Schnauzers, Great Danes, and German Shepherds.