Why Ear Cropping is Cruel
Welfare over beauty
Ear cropping, or sometimes called ear trimming, is a surgical procedure that involves the cutting and shaping of the ear pinna, which refers to the floppy part of the ear, to force the ears to stand erect.
It is another common, unnecessary, and painful procedure that we put our dogs through due to our greed for a more “desirable” appearance.
Ear cropping tends to happen often to breeds such as the Great Danes, Dobermans, pit bulls, and schnauzers.
Veterinarians will perform these cruel surgeries that can cause great discomfort and suffering to the dogs so they will look prettier or fiercer.
Dogs usually have their ears cropped at the tender are of only just 6 to 12 weeks old. At this stage in their development, putting the puppies under general anaesthesia and the trauma of the procedure can leave a strong psychological impact on the pups as they use their ears to communicate.
After the ears have been cut, the pups will then have their eats tapped and bandaged for several weeks so they can heal in an erect position. This process, called “posting”, can be agonizing for the dog.
It is often argued that cropping the natural floppy ears will help prevent ear infections. However, this is not true. Ear infections do not happen base on breeds, and whether they have cropped ears or not. Ear shape has little effect on the risk of a dog getting an infection.
In fact, since the dogs will be placed under anaesthesia, the risk of the dog getting an allergic reaction is higher, and sometimes can even lead to bigger complications such as anaphylactic shock.
Ear cropping is also not always successful. Surgeries performed by unskilled veterinarians can leave a puppy with mismatched and bent ears that will remain scarred for life.
The American Kennel Club supports ear cropping in order to maintain the standards of appearance for certain types of dogs, publicly stating that it “recognizes that ear cropping, tail docking, and dewclaw removal, as described in certain breed standards, are acceptable practices integral to defining and preserving the breed character and enhancing good health."
However, organizations such as the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Animal Hospital Association states that they oppose this practice, especially when done solely for cosmetic purposes.
The practice of ear cropping is already banned in Australia, Canada, and many European countries. Unfortunately, this mutilation of dogs is still legal in the U.S. but many believe the practice will eventually be banned.
All it takes is for a responsible owner to put the welfare and care of their dogs over how or what they look like.
Ear cropping and tail cropping. Don’t care for it. Poor dogs
ReplyDeleteThis made me so sad to read. I'd never heard of ear cropping. Thanks for the awareness!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! We've never done this to any of our dogs, but we have family members who insist on it. I agree with you, it is unnecessary- and making an animal go through something like this for looks definitely seems cruel. It's weirdly hard to convince people not to do it though. So sad!
ReplyDeleteExactly! Some people just seem to value the looks of animals more than their welfare. Thank you for making the choice not to crop their ears!
DeleteIt really made me sad to read. I never heard of ear croping ing my lifetime. And I think of the poor dogs that has gone through this before.
ReplyDeleteWow! I had no idea this was a thing. How can people be so cruel to their pets?! And why isn't this against the law for every clinic??
ReplyDeleteAs a dog lover, this article is such a difficult read. It tortured me! I would want my doggo to look good but above all, I want my babies to feel good too.
ReplyDeleteIt is a shame that people would put dogs through such pain and suffering for the sake of vanity... it is unconscionable.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand why people do this and, moreover, why vets accept to perform these surgeries. I hope with posts like yours, woth the right information, we manage to eradicate this awful practice. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteplain and utter nonsense... dogs during the process of cropping are under anaesthesia and it doesn't hurt them. there's painkillers afterwards so the dog's ears don't hurt. this is clearly peta based and i hate it. peta is just a bunch of petty vegans
ReplyDelete