Ear Crop Surgery
What is Ear Crop Surgery?
Ear crop surgery is a sterile surgical procedure performed under full anesthesia.
At Cupertino Animal Hospital, we use a laser to perform this surgical procedure. Because the laser cauterizes as it cuts, there is virtually no bleeding and your pet can experience faster healing, less pain, and less trauma to the tissue than with traditional surgery.
Why Ear Cropping?
Ear cropping is purely cosmetic; the animal does not “need” it for any reason other than owner preference. Ear cropping will not change the animal’s personality, nor prevent any future ear problems/infections that may occur. Home care is very intensive and crucial for a successful ear crop. Inexperienced owners are highly advised to do research, and even think twice before doing this type of procedure. Additionally, ear crop surgery does not guarantee that the animal’s ears will stand up.
Disclosure:
There is an anesthetic risk any time your animal undergoes surgery, with ear cropping there is a higher risk due to the animal’s young age.
What Should I Expect After the Surgery?
- There will be stitches in your pet's ears after the procedure is done.
- Your pet will be wearing a recovery collar.
- The edges of your pet's ears will be exposed and stitches will be visible to you.
- Both the stitches and collar will be removed in 2 weeks.
- We will also dispense pain medication for your animal for the following week after surgery.
Learn More
There are a series of events that will happen from start to finish. We will explain each step so that you are fully aware and prepared. Events are as follows in this particular order:
DO YOUR HOMEWORK
We strongly advise that you do a lot of research before scheduling a pre-surgery consultation. Look up information on the Internet, read books, call and talk to a few hospitals that do the surgery, and/or talk to people who have a dog that have had the surgery done. Look at pictures of finished ear crops. Try and find a style and shape that you want and don’t want for your dog.
SCHEDULE A PRE-SURGERY CONSULTATION
Once you feel sufficient with knowledge of an ear crop procedure, and have chosen a hospital, the next step would be to schedule a pre surgery consultation. During this consultation you will go over details of the procedure, decide on what style and shape you want the ears to look like, and finally we will answer any remaining questions. You will have the option of having the surgery done the same day as the consultation, or you can schedule the surgery for a different day.
PRE-ANESTHETIC TESTING
Right before the surgery we recommend that a pre-anesthetic test be performed on your puppy. This is a blood test that can be checked in house, with results immediately. This blood test checks the liver, kidneys, white/red blood cell count, and platelets. This will help us to see how the organs are functioning, and if there are any underlying problems.
Learn more about pre-anesthestic testing.
EAR CROP SURGERY
Your puppy will be placed under general anesthesia, with heart and blood pressure monitors positioned throughout the entire surgery. We will give your puppy fluids, antibiotics, and pain medication. The ears will be cropped using our laser unit. Your puppy will be monitored very closely from the start of surgery to the very end when your puppy is awake.
Learn more about the benefits of Laser Surgery.
HOME CARE
We cannot stress the importance of home care enough.
If you are not responsible and aware of your pet’s well being, everything that was done up to this point would not matter. You will need to make sure that you schedule and keep all necessary follow up appointments, keep the ears clean, and dry. If you have any doubt in your mind that your pet's ears don’t look or smell right, call us immediately, so we can check the ears and do any treatment that may need to be done. You are given the option to hospitalize your pet after the surgery, so we can monitor your pet and take care of the “home care” part of this recovery period. Pets should be isolated from other pets until completely healed. Clean hygiene for your pet and proper medication dispensing is another key element for a successful ear crop.
Our recommended ideal Weight for ear crop surgery:
Doberman 12 – 14 lbs.
Boxer 11 – 13 lbs.
Pit bull 10-20 lbs.
Great Danes 17-20 lbs
Call for any other breeds not listed.
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