Cosmetic Surgery for Dogs

Throughout the world many "less civilized" countries have outlawed cosmetic surgery for dogs. However, in the United States breeders, puppy mills, and vets all still perform many cosmetic surgeries on dogs. You have probably owned a dog that received some type of cosmetic surgery. Many breeds in the United States have their tails docked; other breeds have docked tails and cropped ears. Are these surgeries necessary? Is your dog really better off if his or her ears don't flop? I would like to explore with you what each of these cosmetic surgeries do to the dogs and how they are performed.

Docked Tails
Puppies tail are usually docked between the 2nd - 10th days of life. There is no anesthesia used when performing the cosmetic surgery of tail docking, even when performed by a veterinarian. There are two common ways to perform the cosmetic surgery of tail docking, clamping and banding. When clamping, the tail is clamped a short distance from the body. The length of the tail outside the clamp is then cut or torn away.

Banding is a far more painful way to perform the cosmetic surgery of tail docking. Banding is commonly used by breeders. In banding the breeder will dock the puppy's tail by "banding" or tying off the tail. The banding stops the blood supply and results in an infection known as dry gangrene. The dead portion of the tail puppy's tail is then allowed to rot in place until it falls off about three days later.

Many pro-docking breeders and individuals claim that the puppies feel no pain so the cosmetic surgery is harmless. However, if you ever watch a puppy going through a docking it is not pleasant. The puppies do cry out and squeal in pain. Advocates for cosmetic surgeries in dogs often assert that the puppy's nervous system is unable to feel the pain. They claim that puppies only cry out and crawl to their mothers to nurse, because they frightened. Jean Hofve, DVM, Animal Protection Institute says, "Don't all hurt or frightened children immediately cry for their mommy? Moreover, research indicates that suckling causes the release of endorphins, the body's natural pain relievers, which may be a more realistic way to view the puppies' desire to nurse. Docking advocates ignore the fact that a newborn puppy simply is not capable of a wide range of responses. It is very difficult to accurately assess the degree of pain a newborn is experiencing. Just because a puppy is not actively vocalizing does not mean she isn't feeling any pain."

Cropped Ears
Another widely accepted cosmetic surgery for dogs is ear cropping. Ear cropping is performed to turn floppy ears into short, straight ears. Breeds that are born with naturally floppy ears are Boston Terriers, Boxers, Great Danes, Schnauzers, and many more. The tradition of cropping ears began when some breeds were used as fighting dogs. The ears were cropped on fighting dogs to reduce "an easy target." Dog fighting as been outlawed so why have we not outlawed the archaic practice of performing cosmetic surgeries on dogs?

Puppies generally have the cosmetic surgery of ear cropping between the ages of 8-10 weeks of age. General anesthesia is used when performing the cosmetic surgery of ear cropping. The puppy's ears are cut and then stiffly taped into position to make them stand up straight. The taping and re-taping associated with cosmetic surgery of ear cropping may extend for months. There is usually no postoperative pain medication administered. Many advocates for the cosmetic surgery of ear cropping claim that the dog is less likely to suffer from ear infections. However, there is no scientific evidence that supports this claim. The cosmetic surgery of ear cropping is completely unnecessary and inhumane.

Debarking
I was unaware of the cosmetic surgery of debarking until a few months ago. I was shocked that any reputable veterinarian would even perform such an unnecessary cosmetic surgery. In the cosmetic surgery of debarking the dog is put under general anesthesia and then the vocal cords are severed. The cosmetic surgery of debarking has minimal surgical risks. The rate of postoperative complications from the cosmetic surgery of debarking is high. Correcting the complications from cosmetic surgery of debarking requires more surgery, more risks, and more money. By the way a debarked dog can still bark. The bark is just raspy and many times just as annoying before debarking.

Many barking issues are related to lack of behavioral training. With some obedience training or non-invasive training devices dogs can be taught when to bark. A dog who barks because they are frightened or stressed will not bark any less after the cosmetic surgery of debarking nor will they be less frightened or stressed.