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Meekah Ear Tips - Winged Jet Fighter

6K views 20 replies 8 participants last post by  Plantagenet 
#1 ·
Hey all,

My first post - long time reader. Wondering if someone can reassure some of my worries.

Meekah is hitting 8 weeks old and her ears have been magically cropped (medium crop). Her surgery was 1 week ago today and we got her (next day after surgery) without sutures or stiches. Confusing although the incisions were all closed up and have minimal bleeding. Actually bleeding you could say is non existent. Maybe surgery was done with lasers and surgical glue????

Anway, we have let her ears heal thus far without a cup or foam and have let the ears hang freely. I apply a triple antibiotic cream thrice a day. The incisions are pussy and scabby but the scabs normally slide off without force during the next application of antibiotic cream.

My concern is her curled winged tips. Will these remain this way even after the posting period? I understand that the healing process can curl the ear but is this permanent? Should I rest my concerns with confidence knowing that the posting period will straighten this out?

By letting the ears heal freely, am I destroying my chances of having a healthy standing ear later on?

I understand that every ear is different, but should I be making a try to cup the ears? I have read others have let the ears heal freely without cups, foam or taping to head but just want to get advice from the masses if possible.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
 

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#2 ·
With diligent posting the tips will almost certainly straighten out. The healing edge is probably just a little bit "tight" and it's causing the tips to curl. I would direct any aftercare questions to your vet. I will say that you probably don't need to use any triple antibiotic ointment since it will only increase the healing time. There is some great ear cropping/posting information here Good luck!
 
#3 ·
Thanks for the speedy reply.

Well thats reassuring. I was hoping that a diligent posting process would straighten out the tips.

I kinda felt that applying the cream everyday and keeping the ears moist would increase healing time.

Is it better that I dont apply the cream? She has no interactions with other dogs and I have not seen her scratch her ears. Just worried about infections.

Thanks again.
 
#4 ·
Truman's ears did the same thing, he spent a day at the vets getting them "stretched". The vet said it was caused by scar tissue (which makes since to me, I have a few scars that are "puckered"). One of my boy's tips does slightly still curl, and I'm pretty sure its permanent. Its not a "left" or "right" curl, its a "south" facing curl, lol! More like a shark fin than a jet fighter...
 
#5 ·
Thanks Mindi.

What actually takes place during the "stretching" process?

The ends of Meekah's ears are quite hard and flaky(scabby) though when I stretch the ear into the standing position, it looks okay but this is the first time for me and really I have no idea.

Should I continue to apply the cream?
 
#9 ·
Lol, this is my first time too! Truman's ear were curled enough that they were only half the lenght they are today.

The vet said he had to literally pull his ears til the scar tissue broke up and the ears would be straight. He pulled his ears several times in one day, and I picked him up with his ears posted. He'd gotten a pain shot (per my request and advice from the vet), the edges were all raw again and I put neosporin w/lidocaine on them til they healed up again (it wasn't nearly as long as when they were cut). He's got no extra scar tissue and the edges are nice and neat.

I was kind of shocked when I picked him up from the vet, his ears were so long he looked like a rabbit! But he does have a long show cut...

Hope I'm not too late in answering...Sorry it took me so long, been having computer probs.
 
#6 ·
Part of the ear aftercare instructions from my vet was to massage and strech the ears twice a day to prevent puckers. He still developed a pucker and the vet actually streched it hard enough to break it and you could hear a "pop" when the scar tissue broke. It broke my heart but the ears are gorgeous today!
 
#8 ·
+1 I got the SAME advice about the ear massages from my vet and it worked. Also, Our Dobie liked it... Never heard any noises like you describe though... :)

Plantagenet: The last Dobie for me had ear tips that curled the same exact way. In between her regular postings, I would just use a single short piece of tape just at the top part of the curled ear. I would curl the ear tip around until the top part was closed with the insides touching and then put the one piece of tape around that and leave the rest of the ear exposed so it could 'breathe'... THAT particular Dobie also had a short-medium crop but she was done at exactly 12 weeks. Also, THAT particular Dobie just had better cartilage than any other Dobie I have had. Her ears were standing in less than a couple of months with NO problems.

I had the same vet do the same crops on all the Dobies I have had. First dog took well over 6mos of posting and taping to get her ears to do right. 2nd dog, We spent over a year and one ear just never did right (different breeder)... 3rd dog had the best cartilage of all and those ears required very little effort at all... (My point here being that not all ears are created equal and some will take more work while some will take less :) )

Here is my last Dobie at 13 weeks:

(Not shown in this pic but MOST of time I taped her ears up, I would join the two ears at the top with a piece of tape to help them stay upright and the correct distance apart. This dog was getting her ears taped up for 2 to 3 days and then I would let them 'breath' for 2 to 3 days before posting them again. THIS particular dog did great and would come put her head on my knee for me to do her cleanings and tapings - The POWER of the Carrot treat made this possible!!! :))


Here she is at about 16 or 17 weeks:


This Dobie never really required any 'real' postings after about 17 or 18 weeks. All she would get was that little piece of tape at the top when the tip tried to curl like yours in the picture above...

Hope this helps friend... :)
 
#10 ·
Thanks again,

Your replies give me confidence. Meekah's ears still have at least a week to heal and then the real fun begins when I start posting.

I would think that her ears too would need stretching which is something I will have to talk to my breeder about. Unfortunately for me where I am, info and help is not readily available. Luckily for forums like this with great help and advice.

I would assume that a long show crop is much more maintenance and harder to get right then a medium crop. Also, is it simply a matter of preference how the ears finally sit i.e. 90 vertically or slightly out at angles? Or is it completely up to the dog?

I would like to aim for slightly out at an angle.
 
#12 ·
Some dobies got better cartilage. Some are done younger, before the ear 'sets'... Longer crops will REQUIRE you to work more as an owner and 'human' for your Dobie to get them to look the way you want...

Chances are slim that they will ever do right if you do not spend the time and energy as an owner. The more you are willing to work, The better the results that you will have are.

I taught my last Dobie to come put her head on my knee when I was kneeling and calling her... It took some work, but she figured out pretty quickly that if she saw me kneel that she could come plop her chin down on my knee and get a good neck and ear rubdown. SHE REALLY LIKED THIS! :)

If she picked her chin up off my knee, I would stop rubbing until she put it back...

Once her ears got done, It was a 'one person' job to clean and retape them. She already KNEW that if she plopped that chin down on my knee, that she was going to get a 'puppy ear massage and neck rub'... :)

Tape removal was much worse for her than the reposting/retaping or the ear message was. I would do that first, give her a few minutes and THEN call her for her ear 'massage'...

If you can teach your Dobie that she will get love if she comes and puts her chin on your knee, Ear work will be LOTS easier in the future...

Dobies are smart and YOURS can learn if you work and just try. :)
 
#11 ·
I think its how you post?? I could be totally wrong though...One of Truman's ears started leaning inward, so I quit putting the middle brace in. They really straghtened themselves out. I'm all on trial and error right now, I've been re-posting every 2 to 3 days. He was fighting and ear infection when we started posting, and I've stuck to the 2/3 day posting until last week (we went a whole 5 days with no nasty ear gunk!).

You'll be amazed how fast you get at posting (if you're doing it yourself?). Plus, your pup will get used to it quickly, lots of treats worked for us...plus, a vice-like leg grip so he couldn't get away :) . Now he just groans and lays there, waiting on his treats.

I've heard that a medium crop will stand alot sooner than a long show crop, but I've also heard it all depends on the dog too. You're going to the right person when calling your breeder, maybe ask how long it took for mom and/or dad's ears to stand when they were pups...that might give you an idea of how long it might take?

I've been doing the "backer rod" method, and have been wrapping the backer rod with duct tape twice so its stronger. Before, the rods were bending in and he looked like he had devil horns!

Here is his curly ears before stretching



I'll try and get some "now" pics up for you tonight.
 
#13 ·
One thing that really suprised me was actually how smart a dobie is. One thing that I loved was when I brought Meekah home at 7 weeks, she ran right into the glass sliding door. Now she puts her paws out to make sure its open before passing.

When I clean her ears, I prop her on our laundry bench. She is familiar with the scene now and sits there no complaints. Her ears have healed nicely and I would think after a few more days I can start posting.

The breeder has shown me how to post, but watching and doing are two seperate things. The parents ears are not cropped.

Mindi, Truman's ears look very similar to Meekah's now, although Truman's is a long show crop whereas Meekah's is a medium.

I will post healing pics as soon as I can.

Thanks
 
#15 ·
Thought I would post some pics of the "EAR JOURNEY" thus far.

Hopefully it can relax peoples worries when the ears in their early healing stages curl so much you might think they will never be straight :)

That was my biggest concern.

A little recap:

Pre Post:

- Ears had no stiches or sutures
- No foam glue or cups, ears healed freely
- I applied three in one cream for first 8 - 9 days of healing which prolonged the actual healing process. Ears were scab free and completely healed 5 days later.
- I stretched and rubbed her ears every second night for 10 minutes

Posting so far:

- I have posted using the straw method. I wrap three napkins around a thin straw which I then masking tape up then reverse on the way down. I then use injury tape at the tip and base.
- I have only been posting for two weeks and ears are fully erect and straight. I only have see the ears stand free for 20 minutes afterwhich I post again with fresh posts.
- I have not bridged the posts with tape.

You can see in the photos how curly and scabbed the ears were and how they stand now only two and a half weeks later.

One part I still find tricky is taping the base of the ear. I mean to conquer this on my third posting tomorrow.

So far I am estatic about Meekah's ears. I really had no idea what to expect and it has been one very big learning curve. Hope my experiences may help someone or at least settle their worries.

I will post updates as ears mature.
 

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#17 ·
Okay an update...

Meekah is nearly 3 months and 3 weeks old and I think her ears are coming along nicely.

Recap...I had no idea what I was doing initially. Maybe I still have no idea. I have been posting I think now for 5 weeks. Her ears stand freely but I never leave off posts for longer than 20 minutes. I change posts and clean ears every 7 days.

Questions:

1. What are your opinions on her ears? Are they a medium or long crop? I asked for a medium.

2. I have read "post for 6 weeks" and I have also read post through the teething period. She has started teething. Should I continue posting through teething? How old are dobies generally when they stop teething?

3. Calcium...should I give her any calcium suppliments? I have heard ground egg shells? Puppy milk?

4. No matter how successful posting is, dobes can bend and drop their ears anyway. Is this correct? I notice that her ears stand nicely but sometimes she bends the left forward and a little out. Should I be trying to correct this?

Thanks all....

Oh one more thing if someone could give me some advice....when we go for walks all is well until we come to a bridge over water. Meekah just turns to stone and will not cross it. Bridges over roads are fine. Weird.

Thanks
 

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#18 ·
Beautiful girl! I'll help with the things I know a little bit about from going through this myself, but I'm no expert.
1. I'd say her ears are at the shorter end of medium, they have nice shape to them :)
2. I've never read "post for six weeks" she's three months old now? Vegas was probably 8 months old when we finished, you definitely have to post through teething, this is when her ears will flop, IMHO it's probably the most important time to post.
3. I don't know about this, hopefully someone else will give their opinion, we didn't supplement.
4. Dobes will always be able to bend their ears around, if you look around at other peoples pictures you'll find a lot of different expressions! I don't know what you mean about forward and out though.

She is still a baby, but I don't think it's good that she's nervous about crossing the bridge. Again, hopefully a more experienced trainer will add their opinion, but one things for sure, make sure the bridge is a positive experience! Never force her to cross it, and if it's something you walk by regularly I think it would be a good idea to casually offer her a treat as you walk past the bridge, soon she'll be excited to be in that area!
 
#19 ·
Glad to see your curly ears worked out!
To answer your questions, I agree with Abby... 6 weeks is unheard of as far as I know.
Post until she is done teething, then another week or two just to be safe.
If you take them down and start seeing any weakness after a few days/weeks... repost right away!

I would def call her ear a medium. They probably seem oversized on her right now but she will fill into them.

Can't help you on the calcium thing - no idea

As far as the bridge thing, she is just uncertain.... unless she has already had some type of water trauma that is causing her fear.
Does she do ok in the bath?
Make sure to give her lots of positive re-enfourcemnt when/if she does cross the bridge (dont baby her when she is being scared- you are only encouraging her)
Try and make crossing a possitive experience, give her treats and when she does cross perhaps stop and give her lots of excited affection... just so she associates it with good things.
Goodluck! Shes a beauty.
 
#20 ·
My opinions to your questions:

- I would say her ears are medium.
- I would post through teething. Not sure when they finish, I have heard 5-6 months?
- I wouldn't add calcium. What are you feeding her?
- Dobes even with successful ear crops can kind of flatten their ears in all directions. Doberplane. :) I call them sweet ears. But they shouldn't bend at the crease- they kind of go out flat instead. Not sure what you mean about her left ear - can you take a photo?
Sweet ears:


Re: bridge - yeah, make it funfunfun! Get allll excited, happy voice, and run around near it and then over it. Make a big fuss when she goes over it with you. Party! Woohoo isn't this bridge FUN! And treats, lotsa treats. If she makes one forward step, praise and treat. Repeat. :)

And some unsolicited advice: I would advise against using a choke chain on a 3 month old puppy.

Good for you for your consistency with the ears, btw!
 
#21 ·
Thanks for all the helpful advice.

She is still on the puppy pellets (dry food) not sure if you have the ProPlan brand where you guys are from but its the better product here.

Another question: What and how much do you feed a 4 month old. It seems she will eat anything I give her and never stop. I am currently giving her two moderate sized dishes a day.

I have not given her any calcium supplements but heard or read about giving her calcium...I wont be heading in that direction.

What I mean is that sometimes the left ear seems more forward towards her snout and a little outwards....but she is moving the ear into this position rather than thats where it sits on its own.

And good pick up Bean on the choke chain but I simply bought this for cosmetic looks. I dont use it. I dont let her wear it anymore because of an incident where the chain got caught in between the decking and while Meekah pulled to free herself it actually choked her....luckily I was in the family room to hear her and pull it free.

Will give the bridge another go this evening. Fingers crossed. She stops walking across the bridge as soon as she detects water underneath her.

Thanks
 
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