Dogs with long or floppy ears frequently develop ear infections. The reason why they frequently get infections is that their long ears prevent air from getting to their ear canals. Without air, the canal frequently becomes wet because air keeps the canal dry. Long ears block the canal, making the interior frequently dark as well, which fosters the growth of bacteria that cause infections. Many veterinarians advise dog owners to tie up their dog’s floppy ears on their heads to allow air and light to enter the ears if the dog has infections. You’ll need a few tools for this technique, as well as a well-behaved dog.
Take hold of your dog’s ears. Place them so that the dog’s ear canal entrances are visible at the top of the dog’s head.
Wrap the ears in a bandana, medical tape, or a scrunchie that fits loosely. You should be able to see the canals and the ears should stand up quite straight. In order to prevent cutting off circulation to the ears, keep the covers as loose as possible.
Touching the ears from time to time will allow you to check their temperature. The wrap can be too tightly on if the ears are cold. Examine the ear positions as well. The ears on your dog can pop out of the wrap as it moves, so you’ll need to make adjustments.
Can I bind the ears of my dog?
I’ve seen people paint their dogs’ nails and dye their dogs’ tails with non-toxic coloring, but the most recent dog fashion craze is not only strange but also hazardous (albeit unintentionally). On top of a dog’s head, the dog bun includes bundling the fur and ears together, generally with an elastic hair tie. With more than 2,000 photos on Instagram with the hashtag #DogBun so far, and new ones being submitted every day, the fur fashion has been gaining popularity.
While the look is adorable, bands or clips should never be used to draw back a dog’s ears, according to Dr. Ann Hohenhaus of the Animal Medical Center in New York City. They might stop the blood flow, harm the area severely, and even amputation of the ear flap could result. Furthermore, I doubt having your ears pinched is convenient for hearing or comfortable.
If you’re bent on styling your dog, stick to ear-less buns and use elastic bands to gather only the fur; if your dog has short hair, skip the bun altogether.
Why are dogs’ ears tied up by owners?
A puppy Doberman Pinscher’s ears have been trained with tape to assume the proper shape and carriage following clipping.
Cropping is the removal of all or a portion of an animal’s external ear flaps. The method occasionally include taping and bracing the remaining ears to teach them to point upward. It is an old procedure that was once carried out for presumed health, practical, or cosmetic reasons. It is almost solely practiced on dogs. According to veterinary research, there is no physical or medical benefit to the animal from the procedure,[1][2] which raises questions about whether doing unneeded surgery on animals constitutes animal cruelty. Cropping is illegal in many countries nowadays, yet it is still permitted in a small number of them. Only specific dog breeds, including Pit bulls, Doberman Pinschers, Schnauzers, Great Danes, Boxers, and Cane Corsos, are known to exhibit it in places where it is legal.
Can dogs’ ears be harmed by tape?
The idea of morally taping a dog’s ears is not well-supported by the data, as we can see. Allowing the dog’s ears to develop naturally will be very beneficial to them, assuming the dog doesn’t already have a medical condition. They will be able to interact with people effectively thanks to it.
This aspect has been crucial when dealing with supposedly “threatening pets.” A crucial warning indication that a dog may be aggressive is hidden by cropped ears in breeds like the Pit Bull type. A dog’s ears can be taped in the same way.
Even though owners of working dogs tout the advantages of ear tape, there isn’t much concrete proof to support this claim. Fighting is significantly less likely to happen to dogs who are kept as pets only. It doesn’t seem like the risk is worth it when we weigh the stress that taping a dog’s ears down gives the animal. Simply put, there is a remote possibility that taping a dog’s ears could spare them from distress. The likelihood that taping a dog’s ears will upset them is substantially higher.
The early stages of a puppy’s development are crucial. Playing with their siblings and other animals is an essential component of their socialization, in addition to their need to explore their environment. Taping their ears down can hinder or prevent them from doing this, which could be detrimental to their growth.
It is uncomfortable and sometimes traumatic to tape a puppy’s ears down. The suffering can be excruciating, and more and more nations are outlawing this practice. It’s not a good idea to tape a dog’s ears. In the rare instances when doing so may be beneficial to their health, it should only be carried out with a veterinarian’s express consent.
Is Taping Dog Ears Down a Bad Idea? is one of many articles you can find by visiting our Ear care category.
Can a dog’s ear be sewn back on?
Due to dogs continually moving their ears and interfering with the healing process, ears unfortunately have a reputation for being hard to recover. Scabs are a crucial first stage in the healing process, but they are simple to remove if the dog shakes his ears. Once the blood starts flowing once more, the operation must be repeated.
Similar to that, simply emptying a blood blister might not be sufficient. These frequently recurring auricular hematomas call for your veterinarian’s attention. Blood-filled cysts called auricular hematomas are typically found inside the pinna (the soft outer part of the ear). Dogs with narrow ears are more likely to experience them. To help the skin repair back down to the underlying tissue, your veterinarian will drain the hematoma and suture the blistered region. While your dog is unconscious or under anesthesia, this is done. A temporary drain might also be implanted by your vet, depending on the location, size, and frequency of the auricular hematomas your dog experiences.
These kinds of wounds require clean, dry, and motionless environments in order to recover. It is simpler to say than to do. Dogs’ ears don’t hold bandages well, and they come off readily if your dog shakes or scratches his head. Be tolerant. Although wrapping a dog’s ears is typically met with resistance, it is the only method to prevent them from getting hurt again. You might have to get creative to find a way to keep your dog’s ears immovable without being too annoying, such as using bandages, sweatbands, bandanas, or other sorts of first aid bandages.
Snoods, a piece of fabric intended to prevent long ears from ingesting food and liquids, are effective for some people but do not totally immobilize the ears. That might be sufficient for your dog, but not all dogs respond well to it. Don’t be disheartened if your pet needs an excessive amount of bandaging to treat a minor wound.
Liquid bandage is another popular at-home treatment, but it comes with a warning. It must be applied to a small, exceptionally clean, and dry wound. They are challenging to complete at home. Bad bacteria being trapped in your dog’s wound is the last thing you want to happen. Your veterinarian and her staff are more qualified to thoroughly clean the area and administer powders to aid in healing before applying liquid bandage material and tightly wrapping.
