Ears too tall... how do you know when it's just too late to keep taping?

[scoutthedobe]

Hi everyone! I'm new to this forum, but desperately looking for some opinions from people with experience. We have an 11 month black and tan, female dobe and no experts to ask for advice. Vets are less than helpful.

Long story short, we adopted Scout our pup, at 4 months from a family that were in over their heads. We love her! We've been taping her ears religiously, changing them every 3-5 days, cleaning them, etc., but they just won't stand. The family gave her a "show" crop (with no intentions of showing her), so they are insanely tall, almost 5 inches. They will stand up every so often if she is alert, but then they just fall back, or crease over to the sides.

We really need some help... How do we know when to just stop taping and let her go free? How can you tell if it's a lost cause? It's sad that the previous family did not take good care of her ears, and we tried everything to fix them, but we just don't know where to go from here. It's been 8 months of taping, with no real progression showing in the last 5 months.

Any help much appreciated!

 

[Marinegeekswife]

Welcome from Missouri! How long were they left down between repostings? Some dogs with really high crops can require posting till well over a year old. Sorry but that may be your fate. Don't give up yet! Can you get photos for us of the ears both up in posts and on their own? Then we might be able to get a better idea of where you stand.

 

[dh8]

welcome from Alaska! I've only had 3 pups I've posted and done the emergency taping for others here and there so I usually don't comment on ear taping questions.

I do know a show crop can take well over a year to stand, as marinegeekwife said. Good luck!

 

[scoutthedobe]

Thanks for your reply! Her ears are only down long enough to dry after cleaning them inbetween postings, so an hour tops. However, the previous family said they'd wait days! Which I really don't think was the right move. I tried to upload photos earlier but they were too big, I will do that from my computer in just a few minutes! I've heard up over a year too for posting, I just want don't know how to tell if they're too far gone. Will post pics soon!

 

[scoutthedobe]

This is what keeps happening with her left ear... the other photo is what they're like when she's alert for a few minutes... but it rarely lasts! The vet who cut them did a terrible job as the left ears has more skin left over than the right. And the right is the one that seems to be standing better (although it still falls).

 

[iceman]

keep posting......you haven't lost the war yet.

Judging by the second photo, the ear cartilage is not damaged, just not strong enough to take the weight of the long crop yet..

Do you give her any supplements? if you don't, start giving her glucosamine tablets and don't give up posing...they will stand!!

 

[scoutthedobe]

Phew, ok... thank you! It's just so hard to know going into this blindly, and not having any support from our vet. I'm up in Canada (fogot to mention that), and posting is not regularly done here, so most vets will avoid the subject if you ask for help.

When they are finally "done", how can you tell? Are they always supposed to stand straight up? Or will they fold back when she's relaxed or sleeping?

 

[Marinegeekswife]

Beautiful girl! I agree, based on the photo you haven't lost yet. However I did notice that in your posted photo the post was not down in the ear canal. If this is how you normally do it and not just how you had it posted during an infection you need to get used to wiggling the post as far down in the ear as it will go. Leaving it out of the base can lead to the flopping you're seeing. If you need help let us know. I've got a video and we've got a few photo guides on the forums that can help. Good luck!

 

[scoutthedobe]

Ok, yes! That's defnitely an issue because she shakes it out, we just can't seem to get it in deep enough to stay put... I would appreciate seeing a video! Or a link to any guides! I'll search the forum too.

 

[Marinegeekswife]

Ok, yes! That's defnitely an issue because she shakes it out, we just can't seem to get it in deep enough to stay put... I would appreciate seeing a video! Or a link to any guides! I'll search the forum too.

Don't be afraid to wiggle them in deep while pulling up on the tips of the ears. You cannot push them in too deep.

 

[scoutthedobe]

Ok, thank you, thank you, thank you! You are all so helpful! I will watch this and take note for her next taping. Here's hoping they stand!

 

[JanS]

Hi and welcome! Beautiful girl you have there and I agree that it's well worth it to keep posting. I was going to say the same as above about making sure you get the post way down into the canal or it can flop it over and you lose ground. Usually if it's seated all the way in where it should be she can not shake it out no matter how hard she tries.
Our boy Albert has about the same length crop and we had to go until he was well over a year with him, so you're on the right track with her.

As for knowing when they're ready, I will test them for several hours when they're out and about and not laying on them and if they stay up, I'll test them overnight to see if they hold up to sleeping on them. Oh, and with a super long crop like that they won't always stand straight up and they will sometimes have the "airplane ears" if they're being submissive or something, but they should never flop totally over.

Here's one of Albert displaying the airplane look.


Oh and with the long crops, sometimes even after they're standing nicely, the tips will still want to flip in, so if we're positive they're standing firmly we'll used Breathe Right strips on the tops to straighten out the flip.

 

[Archer]

What a pretty girl! I agree not to give up! The video Marinegeekswife posted(and made) was a big help to me as was CRD. Keep at it, it will pay off

 

[jshawstad]

... Dont give up, those are gonna be beautiful

 

[scoutthedobe]

Thank you so much for all the tips! And good to know about the "airplane" look. I understand more now what the final look should be like. I feel like her one ear is almost at that stage, but the other one definitely is not. We just re-taped her ears, good and solid with the foam rod as far down as we could. Hopefully this helps! It's so hard to learn all this without any help! lol. Thanks so much everyone!

 

[scoutthedobe]

Also, meant to say, we think using the 3/8 will be much better now that we've watch the video. The duct tape and then making it sticky is SO helpful! I think Scout will love that much more as well, as far as comfort. She actually looks a lot like your pup in the video! lol, Too cute. Thanks again guys! I can't stress that enough.