Ear cropping is such an awful process that really hurts animals, especially dogs, since dogs are the animals that often get cropped ears. The trend of ear cropping is commonly done on some types of dogs. Some people believe that certain dog breeds should get their ears surgically altered or completely removed.
Even though French Bulldogs do not get their ears cropped, some people may do it on their French Bulldogs. Through this post, we’ll show you the danger of ear cropping, the side effects of cropped ears on French Bulldogs and what they will face after ear cropping. Okay, let’s dive into our post to get real facts about it!
Why Do French Bulldogs Get Ear Cropped?
It is known that French Bulldogs are one of the dog breeds that do not have to get ear cropping, as their ears naturally stand up. It’s very clear that there is no reason for cosmetic or also medical, for a French Bulldog to get cropped or clipped on their ears.
However, you might even see some French Bulldogs with ear cropped. It really happened to the French Bulldog, due to some people or owners who follow the trend of ear cropping on their pets. That’s a fact that in the United States, French Bulldogs can have cropped and ear cropping is not as heavily restricted as in other parts of the world.
Of course, you may find some French Bulldogs docked ears more than anywhere else globally. You should know that if you see clipped ears on French Bulldogs, it is completely useless at all.
The cropped ears are not part of the French Bulldog breed standard set out by AKC. So if you see a French Bulldog with docked ears, it will have been an entirely unnecessary procedure at all. If a dog owner has selected to crop their French Bulldog ears, it may need to be performed by a trained and licensed veterinarian.
What Is the Danger of Cropping Ears on French Bulldogs?
Unfortunately, American Kennel Club (AKC) still currently do the ear cropping on some certain dog breeds, including pitbull. However, many vets are currently refusing to crop the dogs’ ear for cosmetic and breed standard purposes.
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the process of ear cropping on dogs is even unnecessary for medical purposes. A lot of veterinarians believe it to be an awful process which can lead the dogs to get some health complications.
There are several health issues that can arise when your French Bulldogs get ear cropping, here they are:
- Unnecessary pain.
- Ear infections.
- The ear may not stand up as they want.
- Bleeding and blood poisoning.
- Risks of placing puppies under anaesthetic.
- Exposed ears are susceptible to irritants entering the ear canal.
- Dogs may not use their ears to communicate again.
The growth of French Bulldog will be disturbed, since most ear cropping is done at a very young age, between the ages of 8 and 12 weeks old. At this age, there are not only risks of anaesthetizing them, but it can also be the opportunity for them to establish a traumatic memory from the painful experience.
It is very clear to see that the recovery process from an ear docking process is very painful. In fact, some veterinarians reveal that the ears may be extremely pain sensitive for many weeks, with some dogs possibly experiencing phantom ear pain.
Why Shouldn’t French Bulldogs Get Their Ear Cropped?
However, a French Bulldog really has naturally standing up ears, so they do not have to be cropped, clipped or taped in order to reach the gorgeous shape. Of course, their ears will stand up by themselves into the characteristics bar ear shape by the time, since French Bulldogs are born with floppy ears.
Their ears will stand up between 5 and 15 weeks of age. One ear oftentimes stands up before the other, but shouldn’t fear, finally both ears commonly stand up. The breed standard for the French Bulldog revealed that French Bulldogs’ ears must not be cropped or clipped, but should stand up naturally.
When you hear some breeders say that cropped ears can really help with health including decreasing the opportunity of ear infections and improving hearing, it is not true at all, since there is no scientific or medical research that is conducted to support this claim.
Need to know, the American Kennel Club (AKC) lists cropped ears as being part of the breed requirement for specific dogs and purely for cosmetic purposes. However, French Bulldogs are not on the list in which docked ears will be needed for pedigree shows and appearance standards.
Even if someone needs to cut off French Bulldogs’ ears, there are some requirements that should be met to do the ear cropping, here they are:
- A French Bulldog will commonly be aged between 8 and 12 weeks old.
- A French Bulldog’s bandages will need to be frequently checked and replaced.
- A French Bulldog is given an anaesthetic and put to sleep for an hour.
- A French Bulldog will have all or part of their ear’s external flap cut off (including nerve endings).
- A French Bulldog’s ears are bandaged and put into an erect position.
- A French Bulldog will take up to 8 weeks to heal from the operation
- A French Bulldog’s ears will remain bandaged in this position until they can stand up.
Reasons Why Dogs Shouldn’t Have Their Ears Cropped
There are a number of reasons why every dog breed shouldn’t have their ear cropped, here they are:
- Hearing: The outer ear of a dog is formed to capture sound waves and funnel them into their ear canal and toward the eardrum. If they have ear cropped, it will affect their hearing ability and they may not be able to capture the sounds.
- Communicating: Dogs will communicate with others through their ears. If they have an ear cropped, they cannot communicate well.
- Body Language: Through their ears, they can really express their feelings. Of course, it can be hard to know how your French Bulldog is feeling when their ears are cropped.
