Chapos Ear posting situation

[gzz.brianna]

Hi this is chapo he is a European Doberman, 19 weeks old. He got his ears cropped by the vet his parents got their ears cropped by, recommended to me by his breeder. He got his ears cropped at 14 ish weeks old. This is him after his ears being cropped. Never seen a styrofoam type of block thing used to hold up his ears but we didn’t think much of it. We took him to get his ears taken off of that and when they gave him back to us he had a big fat bald spot in the middle of his head where they couldn’t get the glue off the block so they tried shaving it down. Obviously we’re pissed but the damage was done and we couldn’t do anything but keep trying to get the rest of it off and taking care of him. About a week later we take him back to the same vet and they put his ears up in this cast and it just looks super odd to us but we don’t think much about it. Again they used way too much glue and when it was time for us to take it off his hair was coming off and it was obvious that his ears hurt. The first day we took his cast off his ears were great standing up and everything but one ear looked a bit unstable compared to the other one. Now it’s been about a week, we truly do not want to take him back to the same vet because of how they keep leaving him but his one ear keeps flopping down. One is standing up perfectly but the other keeps flopping. We let his ears breathe because again I’m sure they hurt from all the glue and how unbreathable the cast was on them for so long and we’ve tried to post them and tape them ourself at home but it doesn’t seem to work and he takes it off in less than an hour. Now we don’t know if his ear is broken, if it just hurts him too much for him to stand it himself, or if there’s no hope and his ear is just dead and won’t be able to stand anymore. Please help !

 

[Firestar Dobe]

I think there is way too much tape, glue, whatever they are using, it is too much! I always used the backer rod method. I would put baby powder over any fur, then insert the backer rods that had tape "back rapped" so the sticky side was out, into the ear as deep as it would go. Then I would wrap the ears with Zonas tape at the base, in the middle and then near the top. The powder prevented anything sticking to the fur and the only place that had anything sticky was the inside of the ear. I believe there are videos on this site that demonstrate that. Vets, unfortunately, rarely know the proper way to post ears.


Less is usually better if used properly. You save your dogs fur, and the ears stand beautifully when done! You got this!

 

[Ravenbird]

You HAVE to keep posting! He's only 19 weeks - usually you post through teething - age 6 months or more. Don't take him to the vet for posting! they know little to nothing about posting and it's easy to do yourself. The main thing is pushing your backer rod deep down in the ear canal while pulling the ear upward to get a deep seat. The ear canal is shaped like the letter L so there's no way you can hit any internal ear organs! Tape at the bottom & top should be plenty. Full instructions & videos here:

How to Post Cropped Ears (Video)

Finally had the chance to make this. Hope it is helpful to those new to posting ears. Feedback is appreciated.

doberman-chat.com

Re-post every 2 - 3 days, clean the ears, check for any inflammation, let the ears dry and air out for about an hour then re-post. Never let him sleep while the ears are down - he can sleep on a bent ear and make a crease. Do not let the posts get wet, if they do, remove them right away.

You have a pretty crop - it's a bit of work for you to keep up with the posting, but it's totally up to you to stay diligent! Post him again, show us photos if you have questions about how it looks so we can keep helping you.

Welcome to Doberman Chat!

 

[WANTED]

Hi this is chapo he is a European Doberman, 19 weeks old. He got his ears cropped by the vet his parents got their ears cropped by, recommended to me by his breeder. He got his ears cropped at 14 ish weeks old. This is him after his ears being cropped. Never seen a styrofoam type of block thing used to hold up his ears but we didn’t think much of it. We took him to get his ears taken off of that and when they gave him back to us he had a big fat bald spot in the middle of his head where they couldn’t get the glue off the block so they tried shaving it down. Obviously we’re pissed but the damage was done and we couldn’t do anything but keep trying to get the rest of it off and taking care of him. About a week later we take him back to the same vet and they put his ears up in this cast and it just looks super odd to us but we don’t think much about it. Again they used way too much glue and when it was time for us to take it off his hair was coming off and it was obvious that his ears hurt. The first day we took his cast off his ears were great standing up and everything but one ear looked a bit unstable compared to the other one. Now it’s been about a week, we truly do not want to take him back to the same vet because of how they keep leaving him but his one ear keeps flopping down. One is standing up perfectly but the other keeps flopping. We let his ears breathe because again I’m sure they hurt from all the glue and how unbreathable the cast was on them for so long and we’ve tried to post them and tape them ourself at home but it doesn’t seem to work and he takes it off in less than an hour. Now we don’t know if his ear is broken, if it just hurts him too much for him to stand it himself, or if there’s no hope and his ear is just dead and won’t be able to stand anymore. Please help !

GM, so Vets are good at cropping and screw up posting. I have my 3rd Dobie now and got her at 11 wks cropped and posted by breeder. I was lucky and only needed 5 1/2 months posting her with 2wks breathe right strips on tips. Remember when posting a dogs ear canal is different than a humans. Push the post down (not hard) but until u feel the bottom and they won't come out, I left hers in 3/4 days only and replaced immediately after cleaning and drying. Suggest u go online and view Kelview Dobermans vid on posting the woman's terrific. Also try a little vit E on the area of the ears where the fur is missing(not thick) for a few days and in 5/6 wks will look a lot better.....it does grow back. Good luck

 

[WANTED]

Hi this is chapo he is a European Doberman, 19 weeks old. He got his ears cropped by the vet his parents got their ears cropped by, recommended to me by his breeder. He got his ears cropped at 14 ish weeks old. This is him after his ears being cropped. Never seen a styrofoam type of block thing used to hold up his ears but we didn’t think much of it. We took him to get his ears taken off of that and when they gave him back to us he had a big fat bald spot in the middle of his head where they couldn’t get the glue off the block so they tried shaving it down. Obviously we’re pissed but the damage was done and we couldn’t do anything but keep trying to get the rest of it off and taking care of him. About a week later we take him back to the same vet and they put his ears up in this cast and it just looks super odd to us but we don’t think much about it. Again they used way too much glue and when it was time for us to take it off his hair was coming off and it was obvious that his ears hurt. The first day we took his cast off his ears were great standing up and everything but one ear looked a bit unstable compared to the other one. Now it’s been about a week, we truly do not want to take him back to the same vet because of how they keep leaving him but his one ear keeps flopping down. One is standing up perfectly but the other keeps flopping. We let his ears breathe because again I’m sure they hurt from all the glue and how unbreathable the cast was on them for so long and we’ve tried to post them and tape them ourself at home but it doesn’t seem to work and he takes it off in less than an hour. Now we don’t know if his ear is broken, if it just hurts him too much for him to stand it himself, or if there’s no hope and his ear is just dead and won’t be able to stand anymore. Please help !

Sorry forgot to mention every dog is different the cartilage in the ear in each dog is different some harden in few months while others may be considerably longer...it's a pain in ass but worth the result.

 

[gzz.brianna]

I think there is way too much tape, glue, whatever they are using, it is too much! I always used the backer rod method. I would put baby powder over any fur, then insert the backer rods that had tape "back rapped" so the sticky side was out, into the ear as deep as it would go. Then I would wrap the ears with Zonas tape at the base, in the middle and then near the top. The powder prevented anything sticking to the fur and the only place that had anything sticky was the inside of the ear. I believe there are videos on this site that demonstrate that. Vets, unfortunately, rarely know the proper way to post ears.
View attachment 134037

Less is usually better if used properly. You save your dogs fur, and the ears stand beautifully when done! You got this!

Do you think we should put a bridge as well? Our first dobbie we had no problems with his ear crop timeline and with this new baby we find ourselves struggling to figure everything out again! We’re gonna try posting him again today and I will update !

 

[gzz.brianna]

You HAVE to keep posting! He's only 19 weeks - usually you post through teething - age 6 months or more. Don't take him to the vet for posting! they know little to nothing about posting and it's easy to do yourself. The main thing is pushing your backer rod deep down in the ear canal while pulling the ear upward to get a deep seat. The ear canal is shaped like the letter L so there's no way you can hit any internal ear organs! Tape at the bottom & top should be plenty. Full instructions & videos here:

How to Post Cropped Ears (Video)

Finally had the chance to make this. Hope it is helpful to those new to posting ears. Feedback is appreciated.

doberman-chat.com

Re-post every 2 - 3 days, clean the ears, check for any inflammation, let the ears dry and air out for about an hour then re-post. Never let him sleep while the ears are down - he can sleep on a bent ear and make a crease. Do not let the posts get wet, if they do, remove them right away.

You have a pretty crop - it's a bit of work for you to keep up with the posting, but it's totally up to you to stay diligent! Post him again, show us photos if you have questions about how it looks so we can keep helping you.

Welcome to Doberman Chat!

Thank you so much! We’re gonna try to post him today and see how that goes, I was just worried that maybe his ear had broke and there was no hope for saving his ear. Considering that his right ear stands by itself we’re gonna stay positive and try to get the other one right up with it. I don’t remember this process to be as tedious considering my other two Dobermans healed in no time. We’re gonna look out for creasing in his ear now and do our best to stay consistent with his ear posting.

 

[gzz.brianna]

GM, so Vets are good at cropping and screw up posting. I have my 3rd Dobie now and got her at 11 wks cropped and posted by breeder. I was lucky and only needed 5 1/2 months posting her with 2wks breathe right strips on tips. Remember when posting a dogs ear canal is different than a humans. Push the post down (not hard) but until u feel the bottom and they won't come out, I left hers in 3/4 days only and replaced immediately after cleaning and drying. Suggest u go online and view Kelview Dobermans vid on posting the woman's terrific. Also try a little vit E on the area of the ears where the fur is missing(not thick) for a few days and in 5/6 wks will look a lot better.....it does grow back. Good luck

Thankfully the hair on the top of his head is growing back already so I’m not too worried about the hair on his ears. I will be checking out all these videos and will tire him out before posting him so the process is easier!

 

[Ravenbird]

will tire him out before posting him so the process is easier!

If you haven't discovered it yet, put him on a table or the washer/dryer. I found they get real still because it's "not their territory" and you don't have to bend over or get on the floor with him (makes for lots of wiggling & fighting the process) I used a bath mat so it wasn't slick to stand on. Just be sure to have every single thing you need within arms reach because you can't leave him alone for one second at that height.

 

[remy]

Thank you so much! We’re gonna try to post him today and see how that goes, I was just worried that maybe his ear had broke and there was no hope for saving his ear. Considering that his right ear stands by itself we’re gonna stay positive and try to get the other one right up with it. I don’t remember this process to be as tedious considering my other two Dobermans healed in no time. We’re gonna look out for creasing in his ear now and do our best to stay consistent with his ear posting.

Don’t worry too much about the other ear not standing yet. He is young and you haven’t been posting long. I would expect he would need to be posted until at least 6-8 months old. As he gets closer to that age and most of the ear stands, but the tips are a bit floppy, is when you can move to breathe right strips. For now I would recommend the backer rod method. Also, make sure to keeps breaks in between post changes minimal. Just enough time to clean the ears and let them dry. There is a page called Doberman Ear Taping Methods “The Original” on Facebook, they have a lot of information about posting supplies and methods there that may help you!

 

[JanS]

I agree that you still have a lot of posting ahead of you and it's much better to do it yourself than let the vet do it.

In addition to using baby powder on the hair side, it helps to have a bottle of Unisolve surgical adhesive remover on hand so there's minimal hair loss when removing the tape.

Do you think we should put a bridge as well?

I personally wouldn't since it's not a long crop and it looks like there's enough control.

 

[EricA]

I agree that you still have a lot of posting ahead of you and it's much better to do it yourself than let the vet do it.

In addition to using baby powder on the hair side, it helps to have a bottle of Unisolve surgical adhesive remover on hand so there's minimal hair loss when removing the tape.

I personally wouldn't since it's not a long crop and it looks like there's enough control.

Over the years I have had 3 different Vets do crops for me and all of the different clinics had a different approach to posting.

I am not going to call any of them idiots for their particular methods as (over time) I kind of figured out WHY they had particular reasons for doing things the way they did.

In other words - More than one way to skin a cat.

That and the differences between different styles of crops.

 

[Ddski5]

Vets suck with posting ears….

Read, research, watch the video…
Figure it out and learn to post yourself.
Keep posting those ears, he has a great chance to have those beautiful ears you seek.

 

[Firestar Dobe]

Do you think we should put a bridge as well? Our first dobbie we had no problems with his ear crop timeline and with this new baby we find ourselves struggling to figure everything out again! We’re gonna try posting him again today and I will update !

I would not use a bridge unless absolutely necessary. If in 3 to 4 weeks there is still an issue, then I would try a bridge!

 

[EricA]

Vets suck with posting ears….

Read, research, watch the video…
Figure it out and learn to post yourself.
Keep posting those ears, he has a great chance to have those beautiful ears you seek.

Not at all a 'fair' thing to say. It depends on the particular Vet and their experience level with cropping and posting.

I would guess that if you had a Vet do your crop that 'sucked with posting' then perhaps you did not do your homework on them before letting them crop your dogs ears?

I think you would be surprised at just how many Vets are out there that actually DO know what they are doing.

The Vet that did the ears on Dobermans 1, 2 and 3 for me was damn good at what he did. That guys clinic even included the first 6 or so postings for every dog they cropped as part of the price of the crop so they could 'teach' owners (like ME at the time) that had never had ears cropped before exactly HOW they needed to be doing things so that they would stand correctly and look the right way when finished. When that particular Vet (or his ear specific tech) came in to do the postings it was a lot more than just changing some bandages / postings. They spent that time talking about cleaning the wounds, healing, keeping things CLEAN while you are posting afterwards, and on and on...

When I told him I wanted the ears on Doberman number 3 an inch longer and with a slight bit less bell he had detailed notes in his files on exactly what he had done for me previously and nailed what I wanted perfectly. That Vet had his ear stuff well together!

The Vet that did Dobermans 4 and 5 for me was also their breeder. He was in his late 60's when I got those girls from him and was in the process of closing his clinic and retiring. He had been a Vet and a Doberman breeder for well over 40 years. That guy definitely 'knew' how to crop and post Doberman ears and had a boat load of actual experience doing it.

Vet that did Dobermans 6 and 7 for me had her posting skills worked out. I only got one 'free' posting from her (and only on one of the dogs she cropped for me - guessing she dumped all of the after crop posting on me because she knew I had experience doing that stuff?) but I DID pick up some useful tips from seeing how she did things (both posting wise and how she stitched the ears up after the cropping impressed me).

A 'good' Vet does a lot more than just crop the ears and send the dog owner on their way.

The first Vet that did ears for me (Vet that did 1, 2, and 3) had a file of pictures of different crops (finished work) he had done to look at. That guy was proud of his work (and had a right to be). You can rest assured that the ear pictures on my girls back then got added to his pictures of his 'finished' work!

The second Vet that did ears for me I got to actually look at and see up close and personal dogs that he had done the ears on (his personal dogs).

 

[Ddski5]

@EricA

You are 1 of prob 100 folks that I have talked to or read about with those fond comments about vets posting ears- a very low percentage. Glad you had a pleasant experience

All the ones I’ve seen are horror stories with owners that are beyond disbelief that a animal/medical professional could do so bad and just not care.

Again, just as Jan stated, the crop itself is not bad but the after care and posting is atrocious.

One of things that go bing bing for me is when a person gets their Doberman from a reputable breeder that does the crop and dock. The person can look onsite and see what their pups will look like and should not have to worry because the breeder had a stake in the claim and prob has worked with that vet before- or else they would not be going back.

My kicker is with new owners that are trying to cut that corner and go with a vet on their own. They don’t know enough to NOT believe the vet will do a good job. Most think because they are vets and care for animals that the vet will do the right thing- all will be well. Unfortunately, in the majority of cases, it doesn’t work like that and owners come on here with butchered infected ears from Dr Wannabe that works 4hrs away and they don’t want to make that long drive for a check up.

Blame it on the owner for no due diligence, blame it on the vet for incompetence…..doesn’t matter- it’s the Doberman that suffers. But in my opinion, the vet should know, he/she is the medical professional.

 

[Firestar Dobe]

Posting your dogs ears yourself also creates a lasting bond as well as training experience! Never underestimate the time invested in posting. We aren't talking about a few times of posting, we are talking months. It is very rewarding, once you get the hang of it!