ANSWERS: 4
  • It's not 'that' bad, especially in that case.
  • I once had an English Springer Spaniel that used to damage his tail while he was working and his tail was docked to save him from further injuries. I've never come across the need to crop ears for any practical reason. As a matter of general principle I'm against either, although I wouldn't describe it as inhumane if carried out by a vet, just unnecessary and especially in the case of ears unattractive.
  • Who said docking a dog's tail or cropping it's ears is inhumane? I want to avoid that moron. It should be done properly but other than that, no worries.
  • I believe it is inhumane to crop or dock indiscriminately. A wild animal can assuredly bite or scratch ANY PART of a hunting dog's body, without targeting the ears or tail. Docking and cropping are both primarily fashion statement NOW. The number of dogs that are hunted or worked that would medically require docking and cropping is extremely limited in a realistic sense. Ear cropping REMOVES the protective flap that is "designed" to prevent dust, dirt and debris (such as the dreaded Foxtail) from entering the dog's ear. Foxtails are so insidious they are all but impossible to keep OUT of an ear even WITH the flap intact! For hunting dogs who may go though a lot of brush, cropping the tail, especially on dogs that have a long or thick amount of feathery fringe...it cuts down (no pun intended) on the number of stickers and such that might be caught up in the fringe...thus reducing the amount of grooming the dog would require. The actual surgery should not be horrifically painful if done correctly by a professional using proper medications. HOWEVER...I can say first hand that when my old boy, Bossco, had cancer on his tail and we chose to remove it to a healthy portion only about 4 inches from the base, the Vet WARNED US the stump would be sore and painful, and suggested buffered aspirin to treat him with for several days after the surgery. (we opted for this because at that time there was no other cancer showing up in his body and it did give him about 2 more optimum, good, happy years with us before it came back). After the surgery...he was CLEARLY IN PAIN for about 4 days, regardless that the stump was bandaged and very well padded so that he would not suffer so much if he bumped it against something, and we did dose him with the buffered aspirin as recommended. Would I do it again to have more time with my dog. Yes, I probably would. Would I do it for a fashion statement...as it generally is for many breeds...HELL NO.

Copyright 2023, Wired Ivy, LLC

Answerbag | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy