I get questions about Machete's ear situation quite often so I whipped up a quick age chart.

Doberman Ear Cropping Cost

Doberman ear cropping is an aesthetic procedure where the thin external tissue of the pet dog's ears is clipped so the thicker membrane can be trained to stand. Historically, this practice was designed to increase the watchdog's sound localization and to prevent an assailant from clutching onto its ears. Considering that a Doberman is born with floppy ears and longer tails, the ears will be cropped to attain a standing position. Just recently, ear cropping stimulated a debate when specific groups, particularly the animal rights groups, complained about it on the premises that it is inhumane. Some nations even prohibit ear cropping.

Just how much does Doberman ear cropping cost?

Typically, the majority of people pay anywhere from $195 to $600 for the whole treatment of getting their Doberman's ears cropped. Nevertheless, depending upon the kind of treatment that is done, the expenses can quickly reach the $1,200 mark. Longer crops are more pricey than much shorter ones. You might also like our articles about the cost of tail docking, dog sedation, or dog deworming. According to a thread on the Dobermantalk forum, costs can vary from $195 to $525 while GentleDoberman states the cost might be between $400 and $1,500. A veterinarian on JustAnswer noted that the expenses might vary anywhere from $110 to $790 or more, however, it will very much differ depending on where you live. Ear cropping by means of laser treatment might cost $1,000 or more, however, it does not trigger much discomfort, bleeding, or swelling.

Doberman ear cropping details

before the surgery, your Doberman will need to go through pre-operative tests to check its specific age and basic health condition. The preoperative assessments normally consist of a comprehensive blood test and pre-surgical chemistry panel. In many cases, a clotting test might also be carried out. Once it's confirmed that your pet can go through the procedure, general anesthesia will be administered to induce unconsciousness, decrease discomfort and relax the muscles. This also makes the treatments a lot easier for the veterinarian to carry out. This ear cropping treatment is carried out only when the puppy is around 7 to 12 weeks old. If you wait longer than that, the majority of veterinarians will be against it and will usually not want to carry out the treatment even if you really want it. The whole procedure will take about thirty minutes. A lot of knowledgeable vets will refuse to carry out the surgical treatment on an older pup due to the fact that its ear cartilage has already formed to a flat shape, making it less pliant and less likely to be the base of erect ears. The ear cropping treatment can be done generally or by laser technology. The latter is more costly due to the fact that it is less intrusive. After the treatment, the pet dog will be required to use a cone, and the stitches will be taken away about a week of recovery.

Are there any additional expenses to consider?

As pointed out before, your pet dog will require pre-operative work such as a physical examination and bloodwork. This will or will not be added to your final bill. You should try to talk with your veterinarian to understand your overall expense breakdown. The expense of ear cropping mostly depends upon your geographical area, the kind of surgical treatment you choose for your Doberman, recovery time, and the reaction of your dog to the treatment. Some Dobermans might experience complications throughout the surgical treatment, and if this were to occur, the pet dog might need additional time to recuperate, which generally means extra expenses to consider. You may also need post-surgery visits at your vet to guarantee that your pet fares well after the surgical treatment.

Any tips you should know about?

Given that every pet dog has its unique ear characteristics and ability to respond, the surgical treatment might not come close to your expectations. Some dogs might not entirely develop erect ears. Around two-thirds of the ear is taken away via the cropping treatment. The remaining membrane is firmly taped into a vertical position. Although ear cropping is legal in some countries, just a few vets really practice the treatment as it is not something that will be taught in veterinary schools. It is rather recommended that you go to a vet who has adequate experience in ear cropping to ensure the best treatment for your pet. Although there are some risks linked to general anesthesia along with dangers of bleeding, postoperative infection, and wound failure over the cut, these threats are extremely low and the vast majority of Dobermans do perfectly fine with this procedure. Cropping the ears might lead to scarred or bent ears. The general cost of fixing complications is low, other than when there is a requirement for extra surgical treatments or loss of one or both ears. The pet dog's hearing is not affected in any way by the procedure. Some countries are completely against the procedure, so it's a good idea to know your local laws before even considering having your dog's ears cropped.

Is there any way to save some money?

Think about the laser surgical treatment if your veterinarian is able to provide it. It might sound pricey if you will take a look at the figures without thinking about post-operative care. Nevertheless, this treatment rarely requires post-operative upkeep and can for that reason in fact save you considerably in the long run. Pick a knowledgeable vet who can crop well to lower any risks of complications and post-surgery care. Keep in mind that not all vets are knowledgeable in this practice. Read the full article

Do Machete’s ears have triangles cut out of them? Or is that a natural thing sorry if this is a stupid question or has been answered before

They have pieces cut out of them. He doesn't have them in any of the pictures where he's under 20.

I think I have an explanation for them but it's not that important. He doesn't talk about them in story setting.

baby machete's ears are a lot rounder and floppier, are they cropped as an adult or did he grow into them?

All dogs are born with floppy ears, it usually takes a while for the cartilage in them to harden enough for them to stay reliably upright all the time, especially if we're talking about big, tall bat ears like Machete has.

Here's some ibizan hound pups with unruly ears

and adult ones

No cropping involved. He's supposed to be somewhat of a late bloomer runt anyway so he retained the puppy ears into his early teens, longer than average. His design and demeanor gets progressively sharper, pointier and more unapproachable over the years.