We have just rescued a whippet cross dog in Warrington. His ears have been deliberately clipped at the end (small triangular clips) obvioulsy to mark him in some way. However his ears have become badly infected with an invasive infection which is eating away at the ears. The vet has put him on antibiotics .... does anyone know of anything else that might help this beautiful dog who is suffering needlessly because of someones barbaric actions?

Bathing the ear in either a tea tree ointment of Aloe Vera may assist with the external healing while the antibiotics tackle the internal bit! What a sorry stae your poor dog must be in. Are there any clues as to why his ears have been clipped like this?

Seems they do it with pure breeds sometimes to prevent showing, and with racing dogs/working dogs for identification purposes. He is about 3 years old and does not appear to have been a working dog ... but that may be because he is still nervous and clingy in his foster home. By that I mean he loves everything he meets!!! It is the first time in all my rescue years that I have come across this practice ... and I have to say I am disgusted. He is the sweetest little dog imagineable ... got the body of a whippet .... perfect, and the head of a ... who knows what??? Thanks we will try the bathing. :)

If its barbaric, then why do the RSPCA it to cats? Oh yes, silly me. I forgot, its because they don't have a clue about animal welfare!!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously though, they came to a friends farm which they had just purchased, complete with about 30 odd feral cats, and cage trapped them, neutered them & returned them again. The only way they could differentiate the neutered ones from the entire ones was by notching their ears.

We do it to sheep too, and have never had an ill effect.........done several thousand of them in fact!
I have never come across it done to dogs though.

Have you tried the antiseptic powder they put on stitches

Thanks Mattie, he is a little brighter today. I guess it is true not everyone would think it barbaric ... not everyone has had to see the emaciated state this little dog came into us in ... not everyone has had to watch the raging infection bring him down, not everyone has had to see his ears eaten away at by infection, not everyone has had the chance to witness his gentle nature, not everyone has been able to watch him bleed and shake his head in pain .... well it may not be barbaric ... but clearly I differ from the majority of people on the site .. so Leigh if you read this you can happily unsubscribe me .... :(

Caitlin, I have no intention of unsubscribing you :-)

You are right, not everyone will have witnessed some of the things that you have, but there are many of us who have. On the other hand,you will not have seen some of the things the rest of us have. :-) Thats what makes us all individuals.

This Forum is successful because everyone holds varying opinions and experience with dogs...and life! EVERYONE has something to offer :-) There are times when we may all agree and there are times when we will have to agree to disagree. Thats life :D

We are all here for one main reason, our love of DOGS.

Leigh

Hand~Bagging this thread for "chill out" time