Ear taping - how to

[Sara]

Hi,
I recently got a puppy who had his ears cropped. They were up when I got hime and I was told how to redo them. However, the ears seem swollen, puffy, and smell a little bad, so I took them down right away. Does anyone have any suggestions on what to use on them and a better way to put them up again and what to use that is not so uncomfortable for him. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

Sara

[jpy]

RE: Ear taping - how to

HERE's my "open" method of taping a cropped ear(many more similiar to it). I suspect your pup was taped in a "closed" method, hence the swelling & smell. Wait as Carol said until the ear is healing then try the below if you like, it uses sports tape & is a minimal way to tape that has really good succes. Most dogs (& I have harls) I've taped this way are fully up by 6-7 mo. at the latest. Good luck. jpy
>FOR MY METHOD of taping a cropped ear YOU NEED:
>1) Zonas sport tape
>2) green (medium) & later pink (large) sponge hair rollers
>3) Tongue Depressors
>4) Double sided sticky tape (like you hang posters on the wall with)
>5) Cotton Balls or cosmetic squares (like used to remove makeup)
>6) Rubbing Alcohol
>7) Gold Bond Powder
>
>Okay. First clean out the ears with the alcohol & make sure all former
>tape, dirt
>etc. gone. You must have a clean and dry ear to tape. Put a little Gold
>Bond powder
>on the ear where that little "flap" folds back when you tape to avoid
>sores.
> NOW LAY OUT YOUR MATERIALS:
> NOW LAY OUT YOUR MATERIALS:
> You put a length of double sided tape on one side of two tongue
>depressors and trim the ends to the tongue depressor's round shape, but
>just slightly longer. You then take two of the sponge rollers, remove
>the hard plastic portion (& throw that away). Wrap the sponge roller in
>Zonas tape **Sticky SIde OUTWARD* (this takes a bit of practice, an a bit
>of pressure--wrap the roller tightly & start with the tape end stuck to
>itself to help hold it in place).
>You then need two longish pieces of Zonas tape (enough to go more than
>twice round the base of the ear), two medium pieces of tape (enought to
>go more than tiwce round the top of the ear), two short pieces of tape
>(to go over the top of the tongue depressor & the top of the ear), and,
>finally, two pieces of tape 6-8" long to make the bridge that goes
>between the ears.
>Cut and stick the long, medium and short pieces to the edge of a table
>where you can reach them as you are taping. Put your wrapped rollers &
>tongue depressors nearby.
>Take the 2 tape pieces for the bridge & stick JUST the center inch
>together & then wrap all four free ends in a loop back on themselves and
>set that aside, as it is the LAST thing to go on the ears. Take a tiny
>piece of cotton ball and stick it to one end of each of the tongue
>depressors (to cushion the ear at the base where the "bumps" in the inner
>ear are). Take the short pieces of tape and stick them to the tongue
>depressor at the opposite end, leave a flap & just stick half down to the
>portion where you can see the wood of the tongue depressor.
>
>NOW YOU ARE READY TO TAPE:
NOW YOU ARE READY TO TAPE:
>*(Someone must keep the pup still during this procedure if not trained to
>sit quietly.)*
> Take one ear by the tip in your hand & pull directly up into desired
>position. Take off the protective covering on the backside of the
>double-sided tape which is secured to your tongue depressor, being
>careful not to let that little flap of Zonas tape stick to the
>double-sided tape. PLace the end with the protective bit of cotton
>directly on top of that little "bump" in the ear dane people call the
>"knobby" (the first obvious sort of "shelf" that is a convolution of the
>ear on the inside. Stick the double sided tape firmly to the inside of
>the ear & secure the top flap over and onto the back (hairy side towards
>the center of the head) of the ear. (Depressor will and should extend
>beyond the end of the ear.)
>Ear MUST be held straight up and "tight" while doing this to avoid
>"wrinkles."
>
O NOT LET GO! Pick up the sticky-side out tape-covered roller & place in
>ear, just below and overlapping the bottom of the depressor. Holding
>these two things in place, pick up the long piece of tape & wrap the
>bottom of the ear. NOW! YOU MUST wrap by sticking the tape to the roller
>& going toward the inside of the ear from the front, so that that little
>bit of ear "flap" folds back and to the rest of the ear, not out and into
>the inside.
>(I put a little Gold Bond powder between the layers so this tight wrap
>won't cause a sore.) Wrap FIRMLY and smoothly around back and to the
>front & once around again, covering the sticky tape on the roller &
>securing the base of the ear. Then take the medium piece of tape and do
>the same horizonal wrap as the tip of the ear and depressor. The ear
>should now be firmly secured. Repeat for the other ear.
>
>THE BRIDGE is the final step & a very important one. It takes a little
>practice to get it right. You have the center of the tape stuck together
>& four free ends. Wrap one side firmly around the base of the ear, where
>you already have tape, centering the tape in the center of the ear on the
>side between the ears, with the loose ends, one at a time, wrapped around
>the tape surrounding the sponge. Repeat on the other side, being careful
>to only attatch the bridge when the ears are both held properly upright
>to make sure you are bridging them into the position you want the ears to
>be held in.
>
>This should last 1-2 weeks if properly secured. If they do not fall
>off/become loose before 14 days and/or there are sores, or a smell, take
>the whole thing down (by carefully cutting it away). Rest the ear for at
>least a few hours, but do NOT let the ears flop around for any amount of
>time (or all your hard work is going to waste). When in doubt retape &
>keep taped. When you think the ears are 'up' tape for a month after
>that!!
>Tape the first weekend you show, or at least bring stuff to tape with, as
>many ears break down under stress. Most danes will have to be tape until
>they are about 9 months old. Some come up early, but fawns seem more
>lucky this way than harls.
>Harls, esp. big males & harls with white ears, can remain in taped even
>at 18 months.
>If a dog isn't up by then, you will probably have to talk to a vet about
>recropping him.
>
>regards, jp & the chroma crew
> CHROMADANE
> *multi-titled/certified harlequin family