Indications
In favor of this procedure, people argue that it has been carried out for centuries - which means it is necessary. Only the reasons why owners cut the ears and tails of Central Asian Shepherds were practical, not aesthetic:
- Alabaevs were bred to protect the farm from predators. A dog with long ears and a tail is more vulnerable in a fight - you can grab them with your teeth, disorienting the dog, causing more injury to him.
- Some shepherd dogs had their ears and tails cut off, emphasizing that the dog had bitten a person - a kind of stigma. Such Alabais were feared and avoided.
- In Asia, there was a belief about a beast without ears and a tail, which instills fear in people and animals. The owners carried out a procedure to make the alabai look intimidating and scare away ill-wishers.
Now these dogs have their ears cropped only for aesthetic reasons, to add distinctive features to the breed. With long ears and tail, Alabais are difficult to distinguish, for example, from Labrador Retrievers or Caucasian Shepherd Dogs.
The procedure is carried out for the convenience of the dogs themselves if they serve in law enforcement agencies or protect territories from predators (for example, on sites near a forest belt).
Medical indications for ear cropping:
- shell necrosis;
- malignant neoplasms;
- ulcers;
- injuries.
There is no reason for tail docking. In Western countries, the procedure has already been banned unless there are medical indications for it. At local shows, judges' scores do not depend on this point. At international competitions, on the contrary, people find fault with cropped ears or tails, since this procedure is officially permitted only in the CIS countries.
How to dock the tail of dogs and puppies
Our specialists carry out tail docking in accordance with generally accepted standards for each specific breed separately, although there is an opinion that it is necessary to trim a strictly defined part of the tail vertebrae. At one week of age, the procedure is easier, since the process of bone mineralization has not yet completed. However, cupping is also possible at the age of 4-6 months (with suturing, under general anesthesia).
Ear and tail docking by specialists at the Animal Doctor clinic at home is a guarantee of safety and absence of complications for your pet.
Central Asian Shepherd Dogs, Alabai or Asians have a majestic and intimidating appearance largely due to the breed’s exterior. The dogs have a powerful body, a large massive head with short triangular ears and a short thick tail. Currently, docking of the ears and tail of the Alabai is carried out only in the countries of the former CIS for aesthetic reasons. Abroad, the operation of cutting ears and tails without medical indications is prohibited for humanitarian reasons. The decision on the advisability of carrying out the procedure on his own dog is made by the owner of the animal.
Optimal timing
It is recommended that Asian Shepherds have their ears and tail trimmed before they are 10 days old. If the female had no problems with childbirth, then the puppies are docked at 5 days. Such timing is due to the fact that in the first days of life, the nerve endings in the ear area do not function in Alabais, and the vertebrae are structured like cartilage. This will make the procedure less complicated and painful.
You can cut off the ears and tail of an adult dog, but only under general anesthesia. The operation is carried out only for medical reasons - no self-respecting veterinarian would harm an animal at the whim of the owner. Some breeders decide to carry out the procedure themselves, but you should not expect good results from this.
Ear cropping at home
We recommend cosmetic surgery for the following dog breeds:
- terriers (Welsh Terrier, Airedale Terrier, Yorkshire Terrier, Fox Terrier, Black Terrier);
- Great Danes (royal, German);
- boxer, doberman, bulldog;
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier;
- Shar Pei.
The procedure is also acceptable for spaniels, miniature schnauzers, giant schnauzers, shorthaired pointers, canne corsos, setters and poodles.
There are several professional views on how to properly crop ears. Many people rush into the operation, doing it when the puppies are a week old, when the tissues and blood vessels have not yet fully formed. Others are late performing the procedure on a mature dog. We believe that the most appropriate age is from 7 to 13 weeks, while the ear cartilage has not yet lost its elasticity, therefore, after the operation, the stitches will not be so noticeable.
Ear shape
The cut should be smooth. The dog is short-haired, so improper docking will be noticeable - you shouldn’t hope for high marks at shows. Ear shapes suitable for the breed:
- Standard. The cartilage is left of medium size, the cut shape is straight or semicircular.
- Bear. Cut off a small part of the ear in a semicircular shape.
- Caucasian. Leave 1/3 of the cartilage (the longest option).
The owner must choose the form once and for all - subsequently, there is no need to torment the dog with attempts to bring the exterior to perfection. To avoid mistakes, choose a veterinarian who has already worked with this breed.
Tail length
You should not cut your Asian Shepherd's tail too short. With its help, the animal signals its mood and condition, communicates with other dogs, and balances while running fast. At home, the Alabai had their tails cut to about half, and the females did not undergo surgery at all. This reduced the animal’s vulnerability without disturbing natural functions.
Now things are a little different. It is customary to dock the tail at the point where it transitions from thick to thin, that is, approximately 1/3 of the length remains. Alabai breeders notice that dogs with long tails feel more comfortable.
Preparing for surgery
Before the procedure, you need to carefully examine your pet's ears. There should be no discharge, wax, strange bald spots or rashes. Check carefully to see if a tick has settled somewhere in a secluded place, especially if the puppy is kept in an outdoor enclosure.
Alabai should not be fed 12 hours before surgery. The caring mother will have to be isolated from the puppy during this time. An hour before the procedure, you need to treat the ears with a cotton pad soaked in hydrogen peroxide. There are no special preparation requirements for the tail.
If the dog is older than 14 days and you have found a veterinarian who agrees to perform the procedure, it is necessary to carry out all the tests that will rule out complications from the use of general anesthesia.
Order of conduct
During the procedure, the owner holds the puppy and closes its eyes. Since the operation is carried out without anesthesia, the alabai will be nervous and struggle, so you need to control not only him, but also yourself, so as not to provoke a veterinarian’s mistake with a sudden movement. If the dog is older than 2 weeks, the hair in the cut areas is first shaved off.
The doctor first disinfects one ear of the puppy and trims it with small scissors. The cut site is immediately treated with an antiseptic. They do the same on the other side. Then, using larger cartilage scissors, the tail is docked and treated with an antiseptic. An experienced veterinarian performs all manipulations in 3-5 minutes.
If the puppy is less than 2 weeks old, no stitches are needed - there is little bleeding and it stops within a few minutes. You can dock the tail and ears on the same day, so as not to cause unnecessary stress to the puppy. You can perform the operation at home by calling a veterinarian, but sterility rules must be observed.
Preparation and technique of surgery
The owner of Central Asian Shepherd puppies is highly discouraged from carrying out the procedure for developing the exterior standards of the breed himself. Only an experienced veterinarian can crop ears and tails at home. Sometimes the breeder takes on these functions. In any case, aseptic and antiseptic standards must be observed.
The operation must be performed together; the owner must fix the newborn on the table in a lying position and close the animal’s eyes with his palm. The pet will make attempts to free itself and may twitch or squeak at the time of the incision; the owner’s task is to maintain a stationary position of the head or tail during the entire procedure. Typically, the ear and tail docking process takes about 3-5 minutes.
Ear cropping can only be performed by an experienced specialist.
The baby's ear is straightened, the skin is disinfected with a 70% alcohol solution, the auricle is slightly stretched, and the soft tissue is cut with sterile scissors. The wound is immediately treated with an antiseptic solution or spray. The second ear is cut in a similar way. Docking the tail is done by pulling the skin fold towards the base of the tail with cartilage scissors, followed by treating the wound with an antiseptic.
Features of the operation for dogs of different ages
The advisability of using anesthesia, pain relief, suturing and shaving hair at the incision site depends on how many days old the little patient is:
- when the operation is performed at the age of 2-5 days, specialists do not anesthetize or sew the surgical wound;
- puppies 10-14 days old - local anesthesia and suturing are applied;
- in older age - the operation is performed under general anesthesia, the surgical field must be cleared of hair and disinfected, the edges of the ears and tail are sutured.
Within 10 days after the operation, it is advisable to wean the puppies from their mother to avoid licking the wound. Babies are brought in for feeding 6 times a day and the mother’s behavior is carefully monitored. If docking was performed on an adult pet, experts recommend placing a collar on the dog’s neck until the wound is completely healed and the stitches are removed. The bedding on which Alabai puppies live must be changed daily, washed and boiled.
Ear cropping of an older Alabai should be carried out in sterile conditions under general anesthesia.
Possible complications after cupping may include bleeding, scarring, or suppuration of the incision site. Most often, problems with wound healing are observed in adult pets. If the ears and tail become red, blood or mucopurulent discharge appears, you must immediately contact a specialist to avoid blood poisoning.
Possible complications
Wound healing occurs within 1-2 weeks. After this, the dog needs to be shown to a veterinarian, who will assess the animal’s condition.
The following complications may occur during rehabilitation:
- Bleeding. It occurs more often in adult dogs, especially after injury to a scar that has not yet healed. Stops with veterinary pencil or powder.
- Scars and seals. They do not interfere with the dog, but affect the exterior. In puppies under 2 weeks of age, such complications almost never occur.
- Inflammation. Occur after infection gets into the wounds. Requires veterinary treatment.
If you properly care for your puppy after surgery, there will be no problems. Complications occur more often in adult Alabais - another argument against docking after 2 weeks.
At what age are ears and tail docked?
The docking of the tail and ears of the Central Asian Shepherd (Alabai) is carried out no later than 10 days after birth.
If the procedure is performed later, general anesthesia and multiple sutures will be used..
During the first 10 days of life, the Alabai puppy tolerates the docking procedure much easier. Also at this age, wounds heal faster, and the procedure itself does not cause harm.
Veterinarians' opinion
Yulia, 27 years old, Kazan
“The owner's whim is the law. If we are told that we urgently need to dock the ears and tail of an Alabai, we, of course, do not object. If they ask whether this is necessary, we answer directly - no. Why further traumatize the puppy? Any dog looks beautiful with the ears and tail given to it by nature. It is not for nothing that such operations have long been banned in Europe. I think it's humane."
Larisa, 31 years old, Ryazan
“Our clinic has a simple policy - the person says “must”, the dog lies down on the operating table. I don’t see any point in arguing with breeders - there have been so many disputes on the topic of docking, but they are all pointless. Everyone pursues their own goals. I believe that an Alabai’s ears and tail should be trimmed only if the dog is a guard dog. So he really looks menacing and becomes less vulnerable.”
