# Ear Cropping experience? After Care help



## rgullifer (Mar 25, 2015)

So I know how bad this subject can get under people's skin, but I do own a Cane Corso. It is a highly popular standard and judge favorite in the show ring. Therefore, I do not wish to argue right from wrong on this thread, just looking for some help. 

Bane is 9 weeks old and getting his ears done tomorrow. I have owned many different types of dogs in my life, but never a breed that gets its ears done. This is my first experience with it. After weeks and weeks of searching I have located an expert vet with amazing reviews on her work and am driving 5 hours to have his ears done. Because of the distance I am a little weary of the after care process. I know that the vet will instruct me on everything I was just wondering if anyone had any good advice or tips on posting and everything. My personal vet does not do ear cropping, however I know she will be more than willing to help me out if I cannot figure this all out. 

So, any tips? Any other Corso owners (or pit, there crops are similar) on here have experience with this? What about Dane or Dobie owners? I know the crop styles are different but the procedure is generally similar. 

Thanks!


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## Kyllobernese (Feb 5, 2008)

I don't know anything about ear crops on Corso's but as it is usually short I would not think you would have to go through as much as you do with a Doberman with their long show crops. Can you find a forum for Corsos and you can probably find out from that.


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## PatriciafromCO (Oct 7, 2012)

Are you able to talk with your pups breeder? Am sure they have seen everything when it comes to post cropping situations for you to keep your eye out for. Glad you found a specialized vet for the procedure and for after care info.


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## animalcraker (Nov 9, 2006)

I'm the only vet assistant at my work that knows how to post ears and I just happen to have a 16 wk old cane corso that I've been working with for the past few weeks. I have a Doberman website that I always use as a reference, I'll look it up later tonight for you since I should be studying for my final right now.


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## OwnedbyACDs (Jun 22, 2013)

others might be able to comment with more experience, but to my knowledge, I dont think a short crop like a CC or a pit bull has to be posted, just kept clean and keep them from scratching at them and causing hematomas in the ear (which will cause it to heal funny).

Hope someone will reply with more experience than I.


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## rgullifer (Mar 25, 2015)

Thanks guys!


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

how did the procedure go?


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## rgullifer (Mar 25, 2015)

The procedure went really well! I went to Dr Anne Midgarden, I had to drive nearly 5 hours to get to her but she did some fantastic work! She was really knowledgable and he seems to have taken it like a champ. The ears are two days into healing now so they look so sore and painful to me but he doesn't even seem to notice. He hates the cone of shame I bought him though! He spends more time trying to escape that or using it to run things over than bother his ears much. 

This is my first time ever having a dogs ears cropped and I am happy to say that Bane is seeming to not even be fazed by it. 

Thanks for asking!


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

Glad it went well. Is he wearing one of those hard cones? If yes, go to some local pet stores, vets or feed stores, see if they have one of the soft ones or the ones that look like bicycle tubes. I suggest trying those only when you're home, so you can make darn sure he can't get his legs up to scratch his ears. My dogs prefer the tube ones, they can see around them but it depends on the injury and the dog.


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## rgullifer (Mar 25, 2015)

I was looking into those tubes. I tried to use it on my Weim before but her long legs were unfazed by that tube. But Bane is much stockier than her so it may work to hold his itching back. I have just the hard cone on him now and he hates it. I had to actually cut the cone shorter because it was to long and he couldn't reach anything. I think now that it's a little shorter he's okay with it, but I know that since the ears are only 2 days freshly cut that it probably is extremely itchy and annoying. I will have to go get one of those tubes today! 

Any tips on how to get this dog to take his pills? I've tried everything! He won't take it squished into food, or smothered in peanut butter, if I shove my hand in his mouth and hold it closed he manages to hack it back up. I thought my Weim was a pain to take pills, no...this guy is good at getting them back out!!!


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## Beta Man (Apr 2, 2015)

OwnedbyACDs said:


> others might be able to comment with more experience, but to my knowledge, I dont think a short crop like a CC or a pit bull has to be posted, just kept clean and keep them from scratching at them and causing hematomas in the ear (which will cause it to heal funny).
> 
> Hope someone will reply with more experience than I.


Interesting, because I have seen a lot of Dogo pics with homemade-posts following crops, and it is very much a short cc type crop. I never asked my breeder what his plan is, because I know the end result is good, so I trust him. I'd probably ask the opinion of the vet doing the procedure.


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## rgullifer (Mar 25, 2015)

My Corso crop is actually a longer style. The lady who cropped them is an AKC show judge so I don't argue what she crops it to look like, but I have seen plenty of people posting and taping Corso ears. I have seen a few videos of different ways that people do it. I have been told by a few people that Corso crops should never have to be posted, but I disagree. It may not need posted as long as a Great Dane or a Doberman because Bane's ears are no where near as long as that, but the vet did mention posting when his ears heal. I just am not so sure of the right method to get them to stand


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## Beta Man (Apr 2, 2015)

I had no idea about the aftercare, which is another reason I left it to the breeder, otherwise I would have my puppy any day now, instead of 2-3 weeks from now.


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## rgullifer (Mar 25, 2015)

I had a breeder that was going to do it at 6 weeks but he turned out to put his family wanting puppies before my deposit so I found a new breeder and he didn't do ears. His dogs were all cropped but he didn't have the option to have the puppies done, which kind of was frustrating but my vet (she doesn't do ears) helped me find a vet that was good and reputable to do Bane's ears. But the vet that did do it gave me some instructions on what to do. It's honestly going to be a long 2 weeks to heal these ears. They are really sore now and I feel bad for him. That's why I would prefer a breeder to do it, I like the look and the AKC shows prefer it, but the healing is tedious


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## PatriciafromCO (Oct 7, 2012)

rgullifer said:


> I had a breeder that was going to do it at 6 weeks but he turned out to put his family wanting puppies before my deposit so I found a new breeder and he didn't do ears. His dogs were all cropped but he didn't have the option to have the puppies done, which kind of was frustrating but my vet (she doesn't do ears) helped me find a vet that was good and reputable to do Bane's ears. But the vet that did do it gave me some instructions on what to do. It's honestly going to be a long 2 weeks to heal these ears. They are really sore now and I feel bad for him. That's why I would prefer a breeder to do it, I like the look and the AKC shows prefer it, but the healing is tedious


I don't think the AKC is favoring the ears, the CC breeder north west from me in Colorado, has done well with their breeding lines both cropped and un-cropped. At the time I was looking for a pup it would of been minimum 2 years wait even for a pet quality puppy..


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## OwnedbyACDs (Jun 22, 2013)

rgullifer said:


> The procedure went really well! I went to Dr Anne Midgarden, I had to drive nearly 5 hours to get to her but she did some fantastic work! She was really knowledgable and he seems to have taken it like a champ. The ears are two days into healing now so they look so sore and painful to me but he doesn't even seem to notice. He hates the cone of shame I bought him though! He spends more time trying to escape that or using it to run things over than bother his ears much.
> 
> This is my first time ever having a dogs ears cropped and I am happy to say that Bane is seeming to not even be fazed by it.
> 
> Thanks for asking!


Remember, the price of advice is pictures ... lots and lots of pictures (just kidding ... or not  ).

Also this is why breeders do it, so the puppy owners dont have to go through it, thats why usually buying a cropped breed is more expensive from a good breeder ... but its worth it. But if I was buying a pet puppy from say, a dobe breeder, I would talk with them about having the shorter dobe crop done, because it is easier to care for after with all the posting and taping.


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## rgullifer (Mar 25, 2015)

Once I figure out how to add pictures to this from my phone you will see so many pictures of my two loves! I think I added one of Bane with his bandage helmet they have him, I don't have any pictures of him with his healing ears because they are fresh and not very pretty lol

I wish my breeder allowed that. I was more than willing to pay more for him to have it done, but he said he didn't do it. Which was strange because his dogs are all cropped.


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## OwnedbyACDs (Jun 22, 2013)

You can upload them on a site like flickr or instagram, or photobucket (what I use because I am old school LOL) so I copy and paste the image links from there.


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## animalcraker (Nov 9, 2006)

Unless you're doing a full amputation of the pinna, ie no ear flap left, then your probably going to have to do some sort of posting or brace just to be on the safe side. Rgullifer how long is his ear crop? That "helmet" looks rather large for what should be a short crop. 

Also I would advise against using the tube type cone for anything with a bandage or sore on the head, the reason being that you don't want them to be able to get the paws(front and back) up around it and you don't want them to be able to rub up against anything to "itch" the area. A soft cone would work as long as he doesn't figure out how to flip it inside out. Have you needed to use any pain meds for him?


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## rgullifer (Mar 25, 2015)

animalcraker said:


> Unless you're doing a full amputation of the pinna, ie no ear flap left, then your probably going to have to do some sort of posting or brace just to be on the safe side. Rgullifer how long is his ear crop? That "helmet" looks rather large for what should be a short crop.
> 
> Also I would advise against using the tube type cone for anything with a bandage or sore on the head, the reason being that you don't want them to be able to get the paws(front and back) up around it and you don't want them to be able to rub up against anything to "itch" the area. A soft cone would work as long as he doesn't figure out how to flip it inside out. Have you needed to use any pain meds for him?


His crop is actually kind of long for a Corso, but it's no where near Dobie or Dane long. The "helmet" they have him is large because they use a cup in between the ears to stick the ears too the side of the cup forcing them to heal upward. Once I can get a good picture of his crop I'll post it, but it is on the longer end of crops for Corso's. I can't really tell if it's going to look really long on him or not because for now his head is so small, but as an adult you know Corso's have giant heads, so I am trying to imagine it on him as an adult and it doesn't seem to long, but it definitely isn't battle crop short that some Corso's have. 

Is there something I can do for the itch? Now that the wounds are closing up and healing they are terribly itchy. I plan on talking to my vet today to see if I can put an anti itch spray like hydrocortisone on it or not. I was reading that a few Doberman breeders recommended that. 

He did need some pain killers for the first few days. You can tell they were really sore, but now that they are closing up he lets me put ointment on it and never even flinches. He's resumed playing with my adult dogs and doesn't even seemed fazed by his ears (besides the itchiness).

I'll try to get a good picture of the size of crop she did


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## PatriciafromCO (Oct 7, 2012)

totally feel your thinking in the right direction rgulifer,,,, the CO pups are not cut down to the head as day old pups there is actually a good length of ear left ... makes sense as the pup grows the slack is taken up to end up with the ear flush to the head.


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## rgullifer (Mar 25, 2015)

PatriciafromCO said:


> totally feel your thinking in the right direction rgulifer,,,, the CO pups are not cut down to the head as day old pups there is actually a good length of ear left ... makes sense as the pup grows the slack is taken up to end up with the ear flush to the head.


Yeah I was thinking the same thing. His ears look long on him now but they will wind up looking very good with the growth of his head. Since he is only about 15 pounds now and his dad is 130 and his mom is 140, he's got a lot of growing to do. 

I honestly am more of a fan of the shorter styles (not the battle crop, that's just to short), but she is a AKC show judge so I told her to crop him show style. I didn't argue any preference on her end lol 

If he will hold still I will get a nice side and front view of his ears for you guys to see how she did it


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## PatriciafromCO (Oct 7, 2012)

I was just looking back my CC adels puppy pictures and how her ears were when I got her at 5 months old ... tons and tons of people felt the need to point out what a chop job her ears were as they were horned with a devil curve to them... Her breeder said the ears were good not to worry she would grow into them that I didn't need to do anything... And she was right .. I guess people can work with them after the crop has healed ,, but her breeder kept saying the cut was perfert to do it's job right.


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## PatriciafromCO (Oct 7, 2012)

people made the experience more unpleasant and worrisome then it needed to be ... glad I trusted my breeder so I could enjoy Adele... her ears turned out fine..


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## rgullifer (Mar 25, 2015)

PatriciafromCO said:


> people made the experience more unpleasant and worrisome then it needed to be ... glad I trusted my breeder so I could enjoy Adele... her ears turned out fine..


Wow! She is gorgeous! And her ears do look very good. They definitely fit her head very nicely. Looking at the length of Bane's had me a little worried about height, but I think they will grow to fit him very nicely.


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## rgullifer (Mar 25, 2015)

Ok so I can't get the pictures from appearing all sideways. I don't know how to fix that just yet on my iPhone, but here are some pictures of his fresh crop. To me they seem long for his breed, but it's hard to imagine the growth of his head with these ears.


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