Background
For over 30 years, all ear crop procedures and corrective ear surgery at Cabarrus Animal Hospital have been performed by Dr. John C. Harroff, a 1969 graduate of Ohio State University. During this time, Dr. Harroff has developed a strong interest ear surgery and has operated on more than 2,000 patients. Some of his patients have become champion show dogs, and others have been pictured in such magazines as Dog World and Dog Fancy. Also, many of his surgery cases come from other states.
Several breeds of dogs routinely have cropped ears, the most common being: Doberman Pinscher, Great Dane, Boxer, Schnauzer, Miniature Pinscher and Pitt Bull dogs. In addition to the cosmetic reasons, a benefit of cropped ears is that stand erect are less likely to develop infections due to improved air circulation.
Be aware that not all cropped ears stand erect and there are three factors that contribute to the ear's ability to stand; genetic predisposition (did the parent?s ears stand), after care, and size and shape of the ear. Because of the variable no guarantee can be made that cropped ears will stand. However in the majority of cases where after-care instructions are followed the ears will stand erect.
Surgery Procedure
Although Dr. Harroff has performed ear surgery on dogs of all ages, an ideal age for the procedure is between 10 and 12 weeks. It is considered to be major surgery which takes over an hour to complete. During this time the patient is completely asleep under general anesthesia and monitored with state of the art equipment. All patients stay overnight and are discharged the next day.
After Care
Owners must be committed to working with the ears for several weeks and possibly months after the surgery. Immediately following surgery the ears are taped to a box which sits on the head. This allows the incision area to be exposed to air. Ten days later the sutures are removed and the box is kept on the head for approximately one more week until the edges of the ear are completely healed. After the box is removed, foam rubber strips are used to keep the ears standing erect until they can stand on their own. A nominal fee is charged for each ear taping procedure.
If one or both ears fail to stand erect, surgery in many instances can correct this problem. Each case will be individually evaluated by Dr. Harroff.
