Docks Are For Boats, Crops Are For Eating
by
Dr. Paula Kislak, D.V.M.,
the dog & cat lost & found for Los Angeles County & City
Our Visiting Vet, Dr. Paula Kislak, is a graduate of the University of Florida=s College of Veterinary Medicine and graduated with distinction from George Washington University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Bachelor of Science in Zoology. She began practicing in 1984 and was owner and practitioner at the Silver Oak Veterinary Center in Sherman Oaks, California from 1987 to 1996. Her research has been published in the Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association. She was one of the primary researchers on effects of early spaying and neutering. She has rendered expert testimony on various animal related topics before the California State Senate and Assembly in Sacramento, the Los Angeles City Council and the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks. We welcome her.
Docks Are For Boats, Crops Are For Eating
The docking of dogs= tails and the cropping of dogs= ears are barbaric traditions that were conceived long before the need for these procedures were debunked. Tail docking was performed as far back as the Golden Age of Rome. It was thought then that the practice would prevent rabies. As foolish as that might seem to us today, imagine how foolish the rationale of continuing this barbarism today will seem in future. Protectors of the right to dock claim that the procedure prevents injuries to the tail. Well, just ask the dog who has one. It is clear that the preference for this procedure is neither based on medical necessity nor the preference of the dog, but rather the preference for a certain appearance in the docked breeds. Bottom line - Docking is done solely for fashion.
The cropping of dogs ears were traditionally performed to prevent, and you will forgive the comparison, similar events to that of the infamous Tyson - Holyfield Ear Biting Fiasco. Human handlers believed that the dog would be incapacitated less in either Asport@ fights or in hunts, if their long ear flaps were removed. The present rationalization for protecting this abuse is that cropping prevents ear infections. Just ask the owners of the millions of dogs with floppy ears about the soundness of that argument. To note, though some breeds with floppy ears may get ear infections, the condition is not the direct result of those floppy ears. Bottom line - Cropping is done solely for fashion.
As a veterinarian, I believe that my primary responsibility is the welfare of my patients rather than the aesthetic preferences of the guardians. It is to that end that I continue.
Tail docking is the amputation of a segment of the dog=s vertebral column which may compromise as much a 1/4 to 1/3 of the total body length. It is done with no anesthesia on puppies who usually are 2 to 5 days old. The pups shriek in pain as their tails are cut off.
Ear cropping is much more traumatic and inhumane for the developing dog. The optimal age for this procedure is determined by the degree of maturity of the ear cartilage and varies between 9 to 12 weeks, depending on the preference of the veterinarian. Although anesthesia is used, it is highly stressful for several reasons. The puppy is separated from her or his littermates or new home and exposed to the frightening sights, sounds and smells of a veterinary hospital. She or he awakens from the anesthesia to throbbing, painful ears affixed by tape to some form of rack, usually metal or plastic. Furthermore, the detrimental effects of the procedure are magnified by the fact that the ideal cropping age coincides with a period of development in which traumatic experiences can have a permanent effect on the pup=s development. Finally, added to the trauma of the original procedure, are a number of follow-up visits to the dreaded veterinarian. During these visits, the pup=s sensitive ears are handled, stretched along the edges to prevent a crumpling appearance, re-taped, etc. These follow-up procedures are painful and frightening.
Depending upon your belief, God and/or evolution has designed a creature that has charmed us with the totality of its expression and appeal. God and/or evolution has also designed this creature to best survive an often difficult environment. At the mercy of fashion, there is the issue of removing body parts which serve a function. Tails are used by dogs, as in many other vertebrates, for maneuvering and balance. Tails and ears are used extensively by dogs as a part of their behavioral repertoire, signaling a variety of emotions from hostility, to enjoyment, to submission, to alertness. To deprive these animals of a significant part of their body seems as outrageous as it is unnecessary.