EAR POSTING CARE
BEFORE WE JUMP INTO HOW TO POST, LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT SOME
WARNINGS/CAUTIONS:
~ NEVER LET THE TAPE/POST EVER GET WET, ESPECIALLY DAMP! REMOVE THE POST IMMEDIATELY IF THEY BECOME WET IN ANYWAY.
~ NEVER LET A TIME PERIOD OF LONGER THAN 60 MINUTES GO BY WITH EARS UNPOSTED. PERIOD.
~ NEVER POST EARS UNLESS THEY ARE COMPLETELY DRY AND CLEAN. THE EARS SHOULD BE CLEANED IMMEDATELY AS THE POSTS ARE REMOVED.
~ POSTS SHOULD STAY ON YOUR DOG AT A MINIMUM OF 5 TO 7 SEVEN DAYS, HOWEVER 10 IS A MAXIMUM.
~ SMELL THE POSTS SEVERAL TIMES THROUGHOUT THE DAY FOR ANY FOUL ODOR. IF YOU SUSPECT A FOUL ODOR, IMMEDIATELY REMOVE THE POST, THIS IS A SIGN THAT THE EAR HAS BEGUN TO HAVE A SORE OR IN FACT – THE FLESH IS ROTTING.
~ DO NOT ALLOW YOUR PUPPY TO PLAY IN THE DIRT ETC, THIS WILL CAUSE THE POSTS TO BECOME DIRTY AND NEED TO BE REPLACED TOO SOON. THE 7 DAY WINDOW IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. 7 TO 10 DAYS IS THE IDEAL WINDOW FOR LENGTH OF TIME FOR A POSTING TO REMAIN IN THEIR EARS.
~ DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT USE ANY COLORED TAPE AT ALL ON POSTS OR AS THE TAPE AROUND THE POSTS. NOT EVEN IF WRAPPED OVER THE MEDICAL TAPE. COLORED TAPE HAS DIFFERENT MATERIALS THAT CAN NOT ONLY CAUSE AN ALLERGIC REACTION BUT ALSO CREATE A MOISTURE POCKET THAT WILL ROT THE FLESH AT SUCH A RAPID PACE YOU WOULDN’T NOTICE.
~ START THE TAPE THAT GOES AROUND THE BASE OF THE EAR NEAR THE BELL, AROUND 1/2 AN INCH TO 3/4 OF AN INCH ABOVE WHERE THE EAR TOUCHES THE DOG’S SKULL. THIS IS TO PREVENT FRICTION SORES WHICH CAN CAUSE AN INFECTION. THIS AREA MOVES A LOT.
~ WHEN STARTING A WRAP TO SECURE THE POST, START WITH PLACING THE TAPE THAT GOES AROUND THE POST AND EAR WITH ONE SLIGHTLY LOOSE WRAP FOLLOWED BY THE SECOND LOOP WRAP MORE SNUG AND THE THIRD MORE SNUG THAN THE SECOND LOOP WRAP.
~ ALWAYS WRAP ALL TAPE IN THE SAME DIRECTION. THIS IS BEYOND CRITICAL. THE CORRECT DIRECTION CREATES A FLAP THAT YOU WILL START TO NOTICE AND THIS FLAP IS PART OF THE NEW CARTLIGE THAT TRAINS THE EARS TO STAND.
NOW, LET'S GET INTO THE POSTING!
TAPE
THIS TAPE IS MY PERSONAL FAVORITE FOR POSTING EARS AND CREATING THE POST. THE REASONS IT IS MY PERSONAL FAVORITE ARE THAT IT IS STRONG ENOUGH TO HOLD THE POST SECURELY TO THE EAR WHILE SOFT ENOUGH TO NOT PULL MORE THAN A FEW STRANDS OF HAIR OFF THE EAR WHEN REMOVING THE POST. THE TAPE ITSELF IS ALSO EXTREMELY TO WORK WITH AND DOESN’T TANGLE UP EASILY, IF AT ALL. IF YOUR CROP IS A MEDIUM CROP, YOU MAY NEED A TOTAL OF 2 ROLLS OF THIS TYPE THE ENTIRE TIME YOU ARE POSTING YOUR DOBERMAN’S EARS.
BACKER ROD
BACKER ROD FOAM. WHAT IS IT? BACKER RODS ARE ROUND, FLEXIBLE LENGTHS OF FOAM THAT ARE USED AS “BACKING” IN JOINTS OR GAPS BETWEEN BUILDING MATERIALS. HOWEVER, BACKER ROD IS COMPLETELY SAFE FOR BEING THE MATERIAL USED TO FORM A DOBERMAN’S CROPPED EAR DURING THE ENTIRE POSTING PROCESS. THIS METHOD IS COMPLETELY SAFE AND IS ONE OF THE MOST USED METHODS TO POST CROPPED EARS, OF ANY LENGTH. IT CAN BE FOUND AT ANY HARDWARE STORE, I PERSONALLY USUALLY BUY IT AT LOWE’S, HOWEVER IT CAN BE FOUND AT HOME DEPOT AND EVEN AMAZON. I KNOW SOMETIMES AMAZON WILL HAVE IT ON BACK ORDER, SO I HIGHLY RECOMMEND JUST PICKING IT UP AT A LOCAL STORE IN PERSON. A PACKAGE AT LOWE’S FOR AROUND $4.50 HAS 20 FEET OF BACKER ROD; MORE THAN ENOUGH FOR THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF TIME POSTING YOUR DOBERMAN’S EARS!
how to make a post:
HOW TO CLEAN THE EARS
THERE ARE A FEW DIFFERENT WAYS TO CLEAN A DOG’S EARS. I WILL GO OVER TWO WAYS:
1: MIX ONE PART WATER WITH ONE PART VINEGAR (1/8TH CUP WATER AND 1/8TH CUP VINEGAR FOR EXAMPLE) IN A SMALL CONTAINER. USING Q-TIPS AND GAUZE PADS, DIP IT IN THE MIXTURE AND CLEAN ALL THE GROOVES AND INNER EAR CANAL EXTREMELY GOOD. THERE SHOULD NEVER BE ANY DIRT OR GRIME IN THEIR EARS PRIOR TO POSTING. AFTER CLEANING BOTH EARS, USE A DRY CLEAN GAUZE PAD AND DRY BOTH EARS OUT. ONCE THEY ARE DRY, APPLY GOLD BOND POWDER TO THEIR EARS. DEPENDING ON THEIR SIZE OF EARS, YOU CAN EITHER DAB A BIT OF POWDER ON YOUR FINGERS AND RUB IT ON OR FLIP A ONE OUNCE GOLD BOND POWDER BOTTLE INTO THEIR EAR WITH A LIGHT SQUEEZE TO DUST OVER THEIR EARS. DO NOT OVER POWDER THEIR EARS, THEY SHOULD ONLY BE LIGHTLY DUSTED.
LET THE EARS AIR OUT FOR 30 MINUTES TO 1 HOUR – MAXIMUM!!! THIS IS CRUCIAL. DO NOT LET THEIR EARS GO UNPOSTED ANY LONGER.
2: WALMART SELLS A DOG EAR WIPE FOR AROUND $4 (LINK PROVIDED BELOW) AND YOU CAN USE THESE WIPES TO CLEAN THEIR EARS. I USE THIS METHOD MORE THAN THE VINEGAR METHOD, ESPECIALLY AS THE PUP GROWS, Q TIPS ARE NOT REALLY NEEDED AS THE GROOVES BECOME SMALLER AS THEY GROW. AFTER YOU HAVE CLEANED DOWN INSIDE THE EAR CANAL AND GROOVES, SAME AS IN THE FIRST OPTION ABOVE, DAB A BIT OF GOLD BOND POWDER IN THEIR EARS, EITHER BY DUSTING YOUR FINGERS AND RUBBING THEIR EARS OR SQUEEZING A LIGHT AMOUNT IN THEIR EARS. THEIR EARS SHOULD BE BARELY DUSTED.
LET THE EARS AIR OUT FOR 30 MINUTES TO 1 HOUR – MAXIMUM!!! THIS IS CRUCIAL. DO NOT LET THEIR EARS GO UNPOSTED ANY LONGER.
STEPS FOR POSTING CROPPED EARS:
1: CLEAN YOUR DOG’S EARS THOROUGHLY
2: DUST THEIR INNER EAR AND EAR CANAL WITH GOLD BOLD POWDER.
3: WAIT 30 TO 60 MINUTES TO BEGIN POSTING. THIS TIME FRAME IS EXTREMELY CRUCIAL. DO NOT ALLOW MORE TIME TO GO BY THAN THIS.
4: PREPARE ALL THE TAPE AND MAKE THE POSTS AS SEEN IN THE VIDEO “HOW TO MAKE A POST”
5: NOW, CAN BE THE EASY OR DIFFICULT PART. THE MORE YOU DO THIS, THE EASIER IT SHOULD GET. YOU MAY NEED A 2ND PERSON TO ASSIST TO HOLD YOUR PUPPY STILL. YOU WILL NOW START TO POST THE EARS. THE STEPS TO ACTUAL POSTING AN EAR IS IN THE SECTION “HOW TO POST CROPPED EARS” IN THIS SAME PAGE.
HOW TO POST CROPPED EARS
Instructions For Care Of Ears Following Cropping
1. Sutures will probably be removed from the edge of the ear about 7-10 days after surgery. The ears are usually re-taped 2-3 days after suture removal (check with your vet to know exactly what schedule he or she prefers). During this time, the puppy should be separated from other dogs if possible to prevent them from licking the exposed sutures thus delaying healing and causing excessive scar tissue formation which, in many instances, will prevent the ears from standing properly.
2. During the interval between suture removal and the time re-taping is scheduled, massage the healing edges of the ear twice daily using vaseline as a lubricant. Employ a stretching motion as you massage to help prevent scarring as healing progresses. DO NOT use vaseline on the day of re-taping or the tape will not stick to the ear. The ears must be kept CLEAN and DRY both before and after re-taping. If they get wet after re-taping, remove the tape IMMEDIATELY and either take the dog to the vet for re-taping or, if you are SURE you know how to properly do so, re-tape the ears yourself (see taping instructions below). If you re-tape yourself, DO NOT cover the exposed sutures at the base of the ear.
3. Avoid playing with the puppy excessively while he is learning to perk the ears up. If you play excessively, you puppy will instinctively pull the ears down. Avoid “rough-housing”. Try to get your puppy to pick the ears up as often as possible by making unusual noises or blowing a whistle to get his attention.
4. On rare occasions, a puppy will develop a soft, pliable, thick cartilage which simply does not have the ability to stand and the ears will never stand properly.
5. Some puppies simply are not all that interested in what is going on around them and do not try to work their ears by perking them up. If your puppy displays this behavior, use a silent dog whistle and any other means possible to try to stimulate some interest in perking the ears up.
6. Ears which are continuously wet after taping are very slow to stand. The cartilage loses its rigidity and develops scar tissue formation. Keep the ears CLEAN and DRY!!
7. If your puppy is hyperactive and insists on scratching at the bandages the first week following surgery, give him from ½ of a 5 grain ASPIRIN, not acetaminophen (acetaminophen like that found in Tylenol, IS TOXIC TO A DOG). Many times, the aspirin will reduce inflammation and alleviate the itching associated with the sutures and bandages. Administer up to one full 5 grain aspirin every 4-6 hours.
8. If you work with your puppy and your puppy works with you, the ears should stand well in several weeks to 1 or 2 months with a minimal amount of discomfort to you or to the puppy.
9. Baby socks taped over the rear paws or a hand towel rolled like a donut and pinned around the neck will help prevent the puppy from scratching at its ears and pulling out the sutures.