If you own a puppy, Doberman, Pit Bull , or Great Dane as an example, and are thinking about having it’s ears cropped, here are some points to consider.

 Animal & Bird Hospital is one of the few animal hospitals that use a laser to perform ear crops. This is an important distinction. The use of laser means that there is virtually no bleeding. This is always critical when dealing with puppies and surgery. The use of the laser also ensures that your pet feels the least amount of pain. Your pet will be discharged with appropriate antibiotics, pain medication, and sedatives if needed.

Ear Cropping is an elective cosmetic procedure that is not right for every dog or dog owner. For the owner who elects to crop, we are committed to making it a positive experience.  Owners need to be aware that meticulous aftercare of the cropped pet is a must in order to have a successful outcome.  

Although we do crop many future top show dogs at The Animal and Bird Hospital of Clearwater, our interest at this time is to provide a service where an inexperienced new pet owner can come to a qualified, experienced, licensed veterinarian for an attractive ear crop with complete aftercare provided.    

What You Need to Know About Ear Cropping...

Many people have questions about various aspects of ear cropping, and we hope this information will help.  It explains the decisions you will need to make before your pet's upcoming surgery, and gives you some information about our practice in general.

 Q. Should I have my puppy's ears cropped?

This is a personal decision.  Ear cropping is not right for every dog, and it is not right for every person who owns a dog.  We recommend a consult appointment with our veterinarian if you are unsure about whether or not to crop.  There is a tremendous amount of aftercare involved to make sure the ears stand properly, and an owner who is not committed to being diligent about the aftercare, should probably not crop their pet.   A consult appointment will give you the opportunity to discuss the pros and cons of ear cropping with our doctor, and help you to make the best decision for your new puppy.

Q. At what age should I crop my puppy?

  The answer to this question will depend very much on the breed of the dog.  In general, dobermans and danes are ideally cropped between 7 and 9 weeks of age.  Boxers are cropped ideally between 8 and 12 weeks.  Pit bulls are done between 3 and 4 months of age.  Smaller breeds like min pins and miniature schnauzers are cropped older -- around 4 months of age.  For all other breeds, you will need to contact us directly.  These age estimations are based on the average size of the puppy, and the average ear size for that breed at that age.  Individuals can vary, and we prefer for pet owners to call us so we can help determine the optimum age for each individual pet . There ara many variables that can alter results such a cut length and the individual dogs ears.

Q.  How soon after the surgery will I have to come back for a recheck?

The ears are secured with a quick brace once cropped until the edges are healed completely.  You will need to come back to our office for suture and brace removal and the first ear taping 2 weeks after the surgery. If the brace falls off before it is time to remove the sutures, please call our office for instructions . 

Q.  How long will it take for the ears to stand?

A perfect crop can be a flop if the aftercare is not handled correctly.  Most pit bulls, amstaffs, min pins, and miniature schnauzers require only 2-4 taping appointments and the ears will stand.  Other breeds like dobes, danes, and boxers may require 4-6 months of proper taping until the ears will stand.  The length of the time for ear posting varies based on breed, ear crop length, and genetics (which can influence ear leather and shape on individual dogs.)  We prefer that clients return to us for all the posting -- it is important to us that the aftercare is handled properly so that the outcome of the cropping is the best possible.

Q.  I like the way my old dog was cropped -- can you do a "custom crop" to make it look the way I want? 

If you are looking for a particular look, we would recommend and ear crop consultation appointment.  Each crop is done to compliment an individual dog's look.  We will not do a crop that we would consider unflattering to your dog,  so if you ask us to do something that we don't like, the answer would be "no."    Ear crops are designed based on an individual dog's head, ear length and quality, purpose of the pet (show or companion), and based on the breed specific standards. We recommend you bring in pictures of your breeds sample crop from a book, magazine, or other pet. This will help us understand what you desire your dogs ears to look.


Q. What are the Hospital Hours?

Our hospital is open Monday thru Friday from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm.  On Saturdays, we are open from 9:00 am until 12:00 pm.  The clinic is closed on Sunday. We perform these surgeries Monday , Wed, and Fridays.

Q.  Do I need to have an appointment to get my puppy's ears cropped?

Yes, office hours are by appointment only.  Surgery appointments are made only on certain days of the week, and NOT scheduled on Saturday.

Q.  When should I schedule an appointment?

Many of our ear cropping appointments are made in advance.  To help ensure that you get an appointment, it is better to call our office early when you first purchase your puppy or when you are thinking about purchasing your puppy. This gives us an opportunity to give a new client instructions about what is required before an appointment, and also to answer any questions they may have early on.

Q. What forms of payment do you accept?

Cash, Check, Mastercard, Visa, American Express, discover and Care Credit.

Q. Can I make partial payments?

 We do not accept partial payments, full payment is required when your pet is ready to go home. Please feel free to call our office for an estimate.

Q. What are the pre-surgery requirements at The Animal and Bird Hospital Hospital?

 Prior to your scheduled appointment you should have a copy of your pet's up-to-date vaccine records,  Your pet should be clear of any parasites or infections prior to surgery.  You will need to inform us -- when you schedule the appointment -- of any previous or current health problems in your pet.  This policy is strictly enforced to ensure that your pet and future pets that come into our office are not exposed to anything that may compromise their health or well-being. We do offer a mini blood panel the morning of surgery that checks your pets hydration status, and kidney values.