New Doberman Dad, Please Help with Prince's Cropped Ears

[Prince25]

Hi everyone,

New Doberman dad here. My little guy Prince is 3.5 months old (14 weeks exactly, born 10/25/2022) and I received him 3 days ago on 02/10/2023. We're Dominican, and I purchased him while I'm here on the island for a long vacation and am going to be getting him his puppy passport to be able to take hi back with me to NYC.

When I got him, his ears were cropped (02/07/2023) and his tail docked too (I honestly didn't want to crop his ears or dock his tail but once I met him I fell in love and had to keep him.) I took Prince to the vet on 02/11/2023 and asked the vet to do a check-up and to clean his ears because the breeder had been using a anti-bacterial spray that I felt was a bit harsh. Lord, never in my life have I started crying so fast as when I saw the vet put him under for a bit to clean his ears and then the subsequent bleeding.

The vet sent me home with a cream to put on his ears which has been a lot better and seems to soothe them a bit as well. I try to put it on, wait for it to dry, and then apply some more at night. He lets me do this without a problem and is very calm unless if I get to a certain area which is a bit more sensitive and open I think. (in the pictures look at the base of the ear). Does this look okay and will it heal alright? I honestly don't care too much about the aesthetics and just want my pup to be healed ASAP. I also understand that it would be dumb to not post his ears and go through with the process now that I've already received him cropped.

I think that I should change the tape on his ears and clean him because he hasn't been able to be given a bath cause I'm scared of wetting his ears. So far I wet a rag and wipe him down everywhere as best as I can and then dry him. His ears don't smell and don't have anything coming out of them, just the incision is a bit crusty as it dries out and heals. Should I clean him and re-tape his ears, just clean him and wait for his ears to heal before I start posting or?

His tail looks like its closing up now and healing better than when I got him. I try to dry out any blood or pus that might ooze and am glad that it is drying out. Does this look okay? I try to get any debris off of it since he will sit in the grass and such.

So far have decided to keep him at home and not take him out to any parks since he was plenty of space to roam and run around here, he's slowly getting the hang of toys and starting to play. When I say this little man can eat, I mean he can eat. He seems to always be starving even though he's been getting half a chicken, and 2 cups of doggy food with some liver, although the breeder did say he had been a bit underfed.

Any advice would be appreciated. I've been reading up and down this website but think I need some more specific advice for Prince.

Best,
Los

 

[Prince25]

16 weeks, not 14!

 

[Rits]

Hello and welcome to Doberman Chat!

If your boy was just cropped a week ago he should still have stitches in. The first set of stitches from the mid ear to the tip are removed at 7 days, and then the base stitches are removed at 10 days. You do not want any tape on his ears at all during this time, especially not over the edges.

Leave his ears to hang and don't post until the edges are completely healed. They can look pretty crusty for a bit but thats ok and part of the healing process. As long as they don't smell or are oozing you will be ok. Once the edges are completely healed, no scabs, and no redness, you can begin posting.

We have a number of threads on here to help you learn to post yourself. And if you have questions you can always post a thread with pictures of your posting to ask how it looks. We'll be here to help!

Doberman ear posting - improved method

Doberman ear posting - improved method Over the years I’ve been tweaking the basic backer rod method and this way of doing it is by far the most effective and easiest of anything I’ve tried, so now that we have a new pup for a model (thank you Albert), I wanted to put a tutorial together for...

doberman-chat.com

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

 

[Prince25]

Hello and welcome to Doberman Chat!

If your boy was just cropped a week ago he should still have stitches in. The first set of stitches from the mid ear to the tip are removed at 7 days, and then the base stitches are removed at 10 days. You do not want any tape on his ears at all during this time, especially not over the edges.

Leave his ears to hang and don't post until the edges are completely healed. They can look pretty crusty for a bit but thats ok and part of the healing process. As long as they don't smell or are oozing you will be ok. Once the edges are completely healed, no scabs, and no redness, you can begin posting.

We have a number of threads on here to help you learn to post yourself. And if you have questions you can always post a thread with pictures of your posting to ask how it looks. We'll be here to help!

Doberman ear posting - improved method

Doberman ear posting - improved method Over the years I’ve been tweaking the basic backer rod method and this way of doing it is by far the most effective and easiest of anything I’ve tried, so now that we have a new pup for a model (thank you Albert), I wanted to put a tutorial together for...

doberman-chat.com

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

So glad to have found this site, and thank you so so much, Rits! I was worried that his ears were too crusty/something to be worried about. Based on what you shared, I should remove the first set of stitches on Wednesday and then the rest on Saturday right?

 

[Kaiser2016]

Lord, never in my life have I started crying so fast as when I saw the vet put him under for a bit to clean his ears and then the subsequent bleeding.

Don’t feel too bad, I know it can look gruesome but they’re such tough little pups. He probably did not need to be put under though. When you get back to NYC, you’ll need to find a good vet. This is a lot harder than it sounds but a good vet is worth their weight in gold!

that it would be dumb to not post his ears and go through with the process now that I've already received him cropped.

Yes! Cropping gets a bad name when owners don’t follow through on the posting process so do post him once his ears heal. There are lots of people here who have done this themselves because vets do a bad job of it.

Should I clean him and re-tape his ears, just clean him and wait for his ears to heal

I understand the urge to bathe the pup and if you can expose him to bathing sooner rather than later it will make bath time an easier process for the rest of his life. But stick with the wipes for his head and neck just so you don’t lose any time in case an ear infection starts. If he was cropped at…16 weeks?…then you don’t have much time to spare as the teething process will compete with the ear progress.

His tail looks like its closing up now and healing better than when I got him.

You’ll need to start collecting supplies for his ears. Best bet will be Amazon since some of the items are hard to find in store. Add to the list a bottle of Vetericyn. It is a magical spray that fixes all sorts of cuts and scrapes. I would use it on his tail too.

He seems to always be starving even though he's been getting half a chicken, and 2 cups of doggy food with some liver, although the breeder did say he had been a bit underfed.

They always seem like their starving. Dobermans looove to eat What are you feeding him?

 

[Prince25]

Don’t feel too bad, I know it can look gruesome but they’re such tough little pups. He probably did not need to be put under though. When you get back to NYC, you’ll need to find a good vet. This is a lot harder than it sounds but a good vet is worth their weight in gold!

Yes! Cropping gets a bad name when owners don’t follow through on the posting process so do post him once his ears heal. There are lots of people here who have done this themselves because vets do a bad job of it.

I understand the urge to bathe the pup and if you can expose him to bathing sooner rather than later it will make bath time an easier process for the rest of his life. But stick with the wipes for his head and neck just so you don’t lose any time in case an ear infection starts. If he was cropped at…16 weeks?…then you don’t have much time to spare as the teething process will compete with the ear progress.

You’ll need to start collecting supplies for his ears. Best bet will be Amazon since some of the items are hard to find in store. Add to the list a bottle of Vetericyn. It is a magical spray that fixes all sorts of cuts and scrapes. I would use it on his tail too.

They always seem like their starving. Dobermans looove to eat What are you feeding him?

Absolutely on the vet, I’m currently looking for a reputable vet on the island that I can take him to until we land in NYC.

He was cropped at 15 weeks, 1 week post-crop tomorrow. Will continue with the wipes to clean him for now, thankfully he’s not stinky. He’s lost 1 tooth so far, so I’m guessing in the next few weeks they’ll all start falling out.

Regarding supplies, do you have any other recommendations besides Vetericyn?

Food: I try to feed him 1 big meal around 11AM. He eats half a chicken, some liver chunks, and a 1.5 cups of doggy food. (He was a bit undernourished when I got him so beefing him up currently.) is this okay?

 

[Kaiser2016]

Regarding supplies, do you have any other recommendations besides Vetericyn?

Food: I try to feed him 1 big meal around 11AM. He eats half a chicken, some liver chunks, and a 1.5 cups of doggy food. (He was a bit undernourished when I got him so beefing him up currently.) is this okay?

The ear posting supplies should be listed in the links that Rits provided. I’d say those are the most critical. Then, the sky is the limit! You may want to build up a first aid kit for dogs. Mushers Secret for the paws all year long - good for hot and cold conditions. For flea and tick prevention, Wondercide is a more natural solution to use.

Apple cider vinegar is a great addition to bath water which will also help keep paw yeast at bay. You’ll need a shampoo that is gentle enough for the red coat.

Nail trims are a big deal for the tight Doberman paw - A Dremel is best but you can use clippers too. Pet smart groomers are not really a good option for Dobermans it will really depend on how well he tolerates that.

To keep your boy busy, I highly suggest Kongs stuffed and frozen with his food. Its recommended that puppies eat 3 meals a day. Even for adults, I prefer 2 meals. I tried feeding one meal only but his belly looked really full. Bloat is a big concern for these big dogs so they need to rest before and after eating. Is the chicken raw or cooked? Is he handling the liver chunks well? Usually they can cause loose stools but if your pup is having a solid stomach already that is great!

 

[JanS]

Welcome from Minnesota and congrats on your cute pup!

The only thing I have to add to what was already said is that it's best not to use any ointment or bacterial spray on the edges since it can make them heal too fast and pucker.

 

[Prince25]

The ear posting supplies should be listed in the links that Rits provided. I’d say those are the most critical. Then, the sky is the limit! You may want to build up a first aid kit for dogs. Mushers Secret for the paws all year long - good for hot and cold conditions. For flea and tick prevention, Wondercide is a more natural solution to use.

Apple cider vinegar is a great addition to bath water which will also help keep paw yeast at bay. You’ll need a shampoo that is gentle enough for the red coat.

Nail trims are a big deal for the tight Doberman paw - A Dremel is best but you can use clippers too. Pet smart groomers are not really a good option for Dobermans it will really depend on how well he tolerates that.

To keep your boy busy, I highly suggest Kongs stuffed and frozen with his food. Its recommended that puppies eat 3 meals a day. Even for adults, I prefer 2 meals. I tried feeding one meal only but his belly looked really full. Bloat is a big concern for these big dogs so they need to rest before and after eating. Is the chicken raw or cooked? Is he handling the liver chunks well? Usually they can cause loose stools but if your pup is having a solid stomach already that is great!

Thanks again for all the advice!

Note taken on the meal cadence, I think I might switch to once in the morning and once in the evening. The chicken is raw, I chop it into chunks and feed him everything from my hand for now. I'm thinking of continuing the hand feeding for another week before I start to release him to eat from his bowl. He's handling the liver chunks well, and stool is a solid dark green; so far no vomit or diarrhea.

 

[Prince25]

Welcome from Minnesota and congrats on your cute pup!

The only thing I have to add to what was already said is that it's best not to use any ointment or bacterial spray on the edges since it can make them heal too fast and pucker.

Thanks for the welcome!

Okay note taken, I'll discontinue the use of the ointment. I'm guessing I just leave his ears crusty and allow it to naturally fall of then.

 

[Dasz88]

Thanks again for all the advice!

Note taken on the meal cadence, I think I might switch to once in the morning and once in the evening. The chicken is raw, I chop it into chunks and feed him everything from my hand for now. I'm thinking of continuing the hand feeding for another week before I start to release him to eat from his bowl. He's handling the liver chunks well, and stool is a solid dark green; so far no vomit or diarrhea.

I agree with doing hand feeding for puppies and, if it doesn't bother you, I'd continue it! I hand fed gilly for almost the first 6 months, so that he learned to focus on me (and when he's older, he has to work for the food), it helped teach him inpulse control and how to 'take nice', and prevented him from resource guarding. Beautiful pup! Keep us posted on how it goes traveling with him!

 

[Prince25]

I agree with doing hand feeding for puppies and, if it doesn't bother you, I'd continue it! I hand fed gilly for almost the first 6 months, so that he learned to focus on me (and when he's older, he has to work for the food), it helped teach him inpulse control and how to 'take nice', and prevented him from resource guarding. Beautiful pup! Keep us posted on how it goes traveling with him!

Definitely don’t mind continuing it for longer! I think it helps tremendously with getting him to follow me around in general and us bonding too. Thank you, definitely will!

 

[Prince25]

Hi everyone,

New Doberman dad here. My little guy Prince is 3.5 months old (14 weeks exactly, born 10/25/2022) and I received him 3 days ago on 02/10/2023. We're Dominican, and I purchased him while I'm here on the island for a long vacation and am going to be getting him his puppy passport to be able to take hi back with me to NYC.

When I got him, his ears were cropped (02/07/2023) and his tail docked too (I honestly didn't want to crop his ears or dock his tail but once I met him I fell in love and had to keep him.) I took Prince to the vet on 02/11/2023 and asked the vet to do a check-up and to clean his ears because the breeder had been using a anti-bacterial spray that I felt was a bit harsh. Lord, never in my life have I started crying so fast as when I saw the vet put him under for a bit to clean his ears and then the subsequent bleeding.

The vet sent me home with a cream to put on his ears which has been a lot better and seems to soothe them a bit as well. I try to put it on, wait for it to dry, and then apply some more at night. He lets me do this without a problem and is very calm unless if I get to a certain area which is a bit more sensitive and open I think. (in the pictures look at the base of the ear). Does this look okay and will it heal alright? I honestly don't care too much about the aesthetics and just want my pup to be healed ASAP. I also understand that it would be dumb to not post his ears and go through with the process now that I've already received him cropped.

I think that I should change the tape on his ears and clean him because he hasn't been able to be given a bath cause I'm scared of wetting his ears. So far I wet a rag and wipe him down everywhere as best as I can and then dry him. His ears don't smell and don't have anything coming out of them, just the incision is a bit crusty as it dries out and heals. Should I clean him and re-tape his ears, just clean him and wait for his ears to heal before I start posting or?

His tail looks like its closing up now and healing better than when I got him. I try to dry out any blood or pus that might ooze and am glad that it is drying out. Does this look okay? I try to get any debris off of it since he will sit in the grass and such.

So far have decided to keep him at home and not take him out to any parks since he was plenty of space to roam and run around here, he's slowly getting the hang of toys and starting to play. When I say this little man can eat, I mean he can eat. He seems to always be starving even though he's been getting half a chicken, and 2 cups of doggy food with some liver, although the breeder did say he had been a bit underfed.

Any advice would be appreciated. I've been reading up and down this website but think I need some more specific advice for Prince.

Best,
Los

Update 02/15/2023: Prince is doing great and is honestly a lot smarter than I was prepared for. He already understands "come," "sit," and is slowly starting to get the hang of "stay." He is definitely working me and tiring me out v. me tiring him out. Standup fella.

Today I noticed his ears were starting to get a little smelly at the tips, and decided to take off the tape & post that was holding his ears up. Turns out the tip of his ears which had a bit of tape on them and had no air flow developed pus and looked nasty. Some of the fur in parts did come off so I decided to leave the tape residue for today after cleaning his ear canal pretty well (he surprisingly sat patiently throughout the whole thing between my legs as I used cotton swabs to clean out the gunk.) Tomorrow I'm planning on taking another go at taking the tape residue off the fur which should hopefully not be too bad.

The plan is to leave his ears alone now, take all of the stitches out Friday when it will have been 10 days and let them fully heal. Once they are healed I start posting his ears. Does this check out?

 

[Rits]

You do not want any tape on his ears at all during this time, especially not over the edges.

Leave his ears to hang and don't post until the edges are completely healed.

Today I noticed his ears were starting to get a little smelly at the tips, and decided to take off the tape & post that was holding his ears up. Turns out the tip of his ears which had a bit of tape on them and had no air flow developed pus and looked nasty.

Correct, you do not need or want any tape on those edges until they are completely healed, no redness at all. I would see about cleaning those tips up with a slightly damp cloth with some warm soapy water and then spraying them with vetericyn or another antibacterial spray to keep any infection at bay. Keep an eye on them, if they don't get better after 24 hours being exposed to the air, or if they swell or get hot and red, I would take him to the vet.

 

[Ddski5]

How is this little guy doing??