Surgical operations such as tail docking and ear cropping are commonly performed on certain dog breeds. They’ve become so common for some breeds, that’s is difficult to recognize dogs with intact ears and tails. Katelyn Mills, a graduate student at the University of British Columbia became interested in unnecessary surgeries. She, her animal welfare professor and fellow student Marina von Keyserlingk, published a review of the scientific literature and history of docking and cropping earlier this year the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association or, JAVMA.
Mills also wondered how lay people perceive these procedures. That led to a study from which findings were recently published in PLOS One. When showed photos of pairs of dogs; one surgically modified and one in its natural state, some participants believed the dogs were born that way. Mills believes this lack of awareness is intentional because people don’t want to know about things they find uncomfortable.
Source: Washington Post, September 8, 2016.
They’re not particularly pleasant procedures to know about. Tail docking is performed by veterinarians or breeders when puppies are three to five days old, either by cutting the tail with scissors or a scalpel or putting an elastic band around it that restricts circulation and makes it fall off. Anesthetic is rarely used.
INSIGHTS: Tail docking and ear cropping are banned in Australia and some of Europe. This article highlights some reasons for and against the practices.