Cosmetic Surgery for Dogs

Throughout the world many "less civilized" countries have outlawed cosmetic surgery for dogs. However, in the United States breeders, puppy mills, and vets all still perform many cosmetic surgeries on dogs. You have probably owned a dog that received some type of cosmetic surgery. Many breeds in the United States have their tails docked; other breeds have docked tails and cropped ears. Are these surgeries necessary? Is your dog really better off if his or her ears don't flop? I would like to explore with you what each of these cosmetic surgeries do to the dogs and how they are performed.

Docked Tails
Puppies tail are usually docked between the 2nd - 10th days of life. There is no anesthesia used when performing the cosmetic surgery of tail docking, even when performed by a veterinarian. There are two common ways to perform the cosmetic surgery of tail docking, clamping and banding. When clamping, the tail is clamped a short distance from the body. The length of the tail outside the clamp is then cut or torn away.

Banding is a far more painful way to perform the cosmetic surgery of tail docking. Banding is commonly used by breeders. In banding the breeder will dock the puppy's tail by "banding" or tying off the tail. The banding stops the blood supply and results in an infection known as dry gangrene. The dead portion of the tail puppy's tail is then allowed to rot in place until it falls off about three days later.