What Is the Best Way to Tape a Dog's Ears?
- 1). Unbandage the puppy's ears. Immediately after cropping, the puppy's ears are bandaged on top of his head to prevent any excessive bleeding. After 24 hours, remove the bandages and brace the dog's ears for the first time. When you remove the bandages you should cut the bandage under the dog's chin and not on top of his head to prevent accidentally cutting into an ear flap.
- 2). Apply antibiotic ointment to the freshly shaped ear flaps. In order to prevent infection, swab an antibiotic ointment onto the edges of the ears from the tip to the bell. Keeping this edge moist and bacteria free will also help to reduce scarring.
- 3). Cut the insulation foam to fit the ear. Cut it so it will fit down into the bell of the ear and not extend more than ¼ inch above the tip. This will keep the insulation from becoming top heavy and weighing down the tip. Measure each ear separately as they may be slightly different in size.
- 4). Tape the insulation in place. Using medical cloth tape, wrap a small strip around the tip, taping it to the insulation. Then tape a small section at the base, making sure that you don't pull the bell of the ear in tightly to the insulation. The idea is that the braced ear should look exactly like you want the final ear to look after the taping process is complete. Pulling the ear flap too tightly will produce an unnaturally shaped ear.
- 5). Observe the dog. Keep an eye on the puppy and admonish him for shaking his head or scratching his ears. He will eventually come to tolerate the braces and will leave them alone.
- 6). Repeat the taping process every other day to prevent an infection from forming underneath the braces. Untaping the ears also allows you to see how successful your efforts have been and how long you will need to continue the process. Once the ears begin standing on their own, stop taping completely. If the ear falls during the day, repeat the taping process for a few more days. Most dogs will need at least two weeks of continuous taping before the ears begin to stand on their own.
- 7). Remove the sutures seven to 10 days after surgery. You can take the dog back to the veterinarian to do this or remove them yourself by clipping to the right side of the knot and pulling them out gently.
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