Vet Blog
07/30/09
 Banfield, The Pet Hospital is an international chain of veterinary practices. The practices are often associated with PetSmart stores.
Banfield is the largest chain of veterinary hospitals in the world. The corporation owns more than 700 pet health care centers.
I didn’t realize that, until recently, tail docking and ear cropping were available at Banfield outlets. They aren’t any more.
Here is an excerpt from an article found at DVM Newsmagazine’s website.
Banfield discontinues cosmetic ear cropping, tail docking
Jul 27, 2009
DVM NEWSMAGAZINE
Portland, Ore. — Banfield, The Pet Hospital will discontinue ear cropping and tail docking surgeries, the company reports today.
Banfield’s decision follows an extensive review and subsequent approval by its Medical Standards Board, which is described as an internal panel of experienced veterinarians responsible for evaluating all medical standards and procedures.
In July, heated discussion about cosmetic surgeries erupted at the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) meeting in Seattle where its governing body reaffirmed its position against ear cropping and tail docking.
“After thoughtful consideration and reviewing medical research, we have determined it is in the best interest of the pets we treat, as well as the overall practice, to discontinue performing these unnecessary cosmetic procedures,” explains Karen Faunt, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, vice president for medical quality advancement for Banfield. “It is our hope that this new medical protocol will help reduce, and eventually eliminate, these cosmetic procedures altogether,” Faunt adds in a prepared statement released today.
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07/28/09
 I freely recognize that I practice veterinary medicine in one of the most progressive places in the world. Just a couple of states over, things are quite a bit different.
In November, 2008 the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) adopted an official policy against cosmetic ear cropping and tail docking. It turns out that some vets in Utah aren’t happy about that.
Here’s an excerpt from an article in the July, 2009 issue of DVM Newsmagazine.
AVMA’s hard line too hard?
Call for softer stance on cosmetic surgery among resolutions facing convention delegates
Jul 1, 2009
By: Christina Macejko
DVM NEWSMAGAZINE
SEATTLE — The Utah Veterinary Medical Association (UVMA) wants the AVMA to lay off the “hard-line slant” it took when the policy on ear cropping and tail docking was changed late last year and is asking the House of Delegates (HOD) to soften the policy.
In November 2008, the American Veterinary Medical Association’s (AVMA) executive board changed the policy to read, “The AVMA opposes ear cropping and tail docking of dogs when done solely for cosmetic purposes. The AVMA encourages the elimination of ear cropping and tail docking from breed standards.”
While the association was not necessarily in favor of the practice before, the policy change, for the first time, explicitly states its opposition to it.
It’s a move that UVMA says was made under pressure from outside groups.
“One of the reasons the Animal Welfare Committee suggested a change to the executive board was to bring the policy more into line with the American Animal Hospital Association and other countries,” UVMA explains. “We are the American Veterinary Medical Association, not any other and do not need to apologize for our positions.”
I have said repeatedly that I believe ear cropping and tail docking as well as debarking and declawing will wane in availability in coming years. Each year fewer vets are willing (or even able) to perform these surgeries.
New graduates from veterinary school generally abhor the procedures. Older vets who have no moral qualms with the surgeries (and who evidently run the show in Utah) are retiring every day.
The demographic shift will settle this debate in time. Meanwhile, the ethical wrangling over the procedures continues.
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06/11/09
 I have been told by some that a Cane Corso is not a Cane Corso unless they have the tail and ears cropped and docked. What is your opinion? I have a six-week-old female named Lupa. I have also asked numerous vets, and they have told me that they do not do this procedure. Help, I need answers.
Sandra
Philadelphia, PA
Don’t do it.
A Cane Corso is a Cane Corso regardless of whether her ears are cropped and her tail is docked. A Cane Corso is a Cane Corso whether she has four legs or three and two eyes or one. A Cane Corso is a Cane Corso whether she is black, fawn, or brindled.
The breed standards for many breeds call for tail docking and ear cropping. The breed standards are on the wrong side of history.
Here is another 30 year prediction, to go on the record with my 30 year prediction yesterday regarding antibiotic feed additives. In 30 years, almost nobody will own dogs with cropped ears or docked tails.
There are two reasons why I am confident of this. First, public opinion is rapidly turning against the practices of ear cropping and tail docking.
You alluded to the second reason why the practices will die out in your question. Fewer and fewer vets are willing to perform the procedures. I do not perform them. Nor do most of the vets I know.
The vast majority of vets who dock tails and crop ears are older. In 30 years they won’t be practicing. You won’t be able to get your dog’s ears cropped even if the breed standards haven’t changed.
But they will change. The inevitable cannot be delayed forever.
Photo: Look at those beautiful ears! By Claudio Domiziani. License: CC.
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02/05/09
I’d like to thank Doreen for forwarding a great article to Dogster HQ. The article, from the Boston Herald, discusses a Massachusetts teen’s efforts to make debarking surgery illegal in his home state. Here is a quote from the article:
Needham High freshman Jordan Star doesn’t claim he can talk to the animals, but as the surprise driving force behind a bill to outlaw the surgical silencing of dogs and cats, the teen is doing a fine job speaking on their behalf . . .
Under his proposed law, to which Democratic House Majority Whip Lida E. Harkins and Republican Sen. Scott P. Brown have signed on as sponsors, devocalization would be illegal in Massachusetts unless a veterinarian licensed in this state certified for a town clerk or, in Boston, the police commissioner, that the operation was a medical necessity.
And, in case you had any doubts about Mr. Star’s opinion of the sort of people who have their pets debarked, here is a particularly choice quote from the article:
Anyone breaking the law would face up to five years in state prison and a mental-health evaluation (emphasis mine).
I have predicted the demise of several controversial veterinary procedures on this blog. Tail docking and ear cropping have been covered a few times. I haven’t written much about declawing cats, but I will say now that I believe the practice is not long for this world. [Note: my original post contained a typographical error and omitted the word "not". In fact, fewer and fewer vets are willing to declaw cats each year, just as fewer are willing to dock tails or crop ears.]
Until I read the article in the Herald, I had nearly forgotten that debarking surgery existed. Debarking involves removing parts of the vocal cords. It is a surgery with a relatively high rate of complications as well as a high potential for failure. Many “debarked” dogs can still vocalize. The harsh, throaty noises that such dogs produce can be much more unpleasant than a normal bark. Many among the dwindling number of vets who still crop ears, dock tails, and declaw cats balk at the notion of debarking a pet.
Vocal cord surgery is medically necessary when cancer or a syndrome called laryngeal paralysis strikes the voice box. But the practice of convenience debarking looks set to die a quiet death.
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01/29/09
 For years the subjects of ear cropping and tail docking have caused controversy and moral anguish among veterinarians. Many vets have lost sleep worrying about the ethics of the procedures, but that appears to be changing.
When I was studying to be a veterinarian, I made a conscious decision not to learn how to crop ears or dock tails. I thought it was a very original way to sidestep the controversy. I don’t know how to perform the procedures, so I can’t be placed in awkward positions by clients who want them.
My plan has worked, but it turns out that it wasn’t original at all. DVM Newsmagazine reports in its January, 2009 issue that it may eventually be impossible to find a vet who can crop ears or dock tails.
Many veterinary colleges no longer teach the procedures, which shows they are becoming less popular, according to [Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association consultant Barbara] Hodges.
“There is a resistance by the new generation of students,” she says. “They are speaking up and saying as they enter the profession that they don’t want to perform these procedures, that they don’t think the medical and health risks to the animal are necessary.”
I do not know any vets under the age of 60 who crop ears (tail docking is more common). In fact, I am aware of only one vet in the San Francisco Bay Area who performs the procedure.
As ear cropping and tail docking die out, so will the controversy.
To read previous posts on this subject, click here or here.
Photo: This could soon be the breed standard for Boxers.
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12/19/08
 I have written twice on this blog already that I do not perform cosmetic ear cropping or tail docking. You can click here or here for my reasons.
I, like all veterinarians, must carry professional liability insurance in order to practice. My insurance provider sends periodic newsletters that report on veterinary liability lawsuits and insurance claims. Below is an excerpt from the most recent newsletter.
Hunting Pups Left Standing with Short Tails After Miscommunication
Dr. A was presented a litter of ten pups for tail docking. The owner discussed the docking with the technician and asked if the tail dock was going to be one-third. Then, the owner made a hand gesture of space of about one inch. The technician left to confirm with Dr. A that yes, the docking would be “one-third” and then the technician relayed this information to the owner. Dr. A cropped the tails leaving one-third on each pup, which is the show or conformation standard for this breed; however, the owner only intended for one-third of the tail to be removed, which is the field trial standard. The difference of leaving a third of the tail versus only removing a third of the tail was the point of miscommunication. The owner alleged the pups decreased in value from $1200 to $300 each. The owner demanded more than $20,000 for the value of the pups, stud fees, and breeding expenses. Dr. A consented to settle the case and Dr. A’s insurance carrier is working to negotiate a settlement. (Source: AVMA Professional Liability Insurance Trust newsletter, fall 2008)
Tail docking per se wasn’t the cause of Dr. A’s problems in this case. Communication problems were the root source of the lawsuit. Nonetheless, I wonder if Dr. A has ever thought to himself that he could have avoided the misery of this lawsuit if only he didn’t dock tails.
About the photo: “9″, from Connecticut, will meet neither field trial nor show standards. I think he looks good.
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12/02/08
 I mentioned in a recent post that veterinarians are becoming increasingly reluctant to crop ears and dock tails for cosmetic purposes or to meet breed standards.
Many vets, myself included, purposefully have not learned the procedures and have not familiarized themselves with breed standards. I have amputated tails and ears during my career, but I have done so only when medically necessary.
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is the nation’s leading organization of veterinarians. I am a member. It is my opinion that the AVMA has a less-than-perfect track record on animal welfare issues. The AVMA’s position on Proposition 2 was, in my opinion, an example of poor leadership by a very important organization.
However, less-than-perfect is not the same as all bad. The AVMA has just released a position statement on ear cropping and tail docking that I feel is extraordinarily well reasoned. Here it is.
The AVMA opposes ear cropping and tail docking of dogs when done solely for cosmetic purposes. The AVMA encourages the elimination of ear cropping and tail docking from breed standards.
A recent article in DVM Newsmagazine quotes Dr. Ron DeHaven, chief executive officer of the AVMA, elaborating on the AVMA’s new position statement.
“For many years the AVMA has acknowledged that ear cropping and tail docking of dogs for cosmetic purposes are not medically indicated nor of benefit to our canine patients,” DeHaven explains. “If it can be responsibly demonstrated that the purpose of performing the procedure is to protect the health and welfare of the dog, then of course the association would support the appropriate surgery.”
Dr. DeHaven, I couldn’t have said it better than you.
About the photo: I think Spooner the Doberman/Dobie mix looks adorable with floppy ears and a long tail!
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10/10/08
 I do not know how to crop ears or dock tails. Both procedures are relatively straightforward for a qualified veterinarian. I could easily master them. But I have chosen not to.
I am not willing to perform surgical procedures that are not medically necessary. Most of the vets I know hold similar attitudes. Doberman Pinschers can lead perfectly healthy lives with long tails and floppy ears.
Ear cropping and tail docking are painful. The procedures may lead to infections, disfigurement and other complications. My decision not to perform these surgeries was straightforward.
Unfortunately, this attitude is coming into conflict with breed standards and the expectations of some pet owners.
As fewer veterinarians are willing to crop ears and dock tails, more breeders and owners are turning to unqualified individuals to perform the procedures. Many experts worry that this trend will lead to increased complication rates and inadequate pain control for animals subjected to cosmetic surgeries.
Some members of the veterinary community feel that vets should embrace the procedures. When a qualified veterinarian crops ears or docks a tail, he or she is able to use sterile technique and implement an appropriate pain management protocol.
However, a growing number of vets (including me) advocate a different solution. Change the breed standards. Eliminate cosmetic surgeries in animals. I predict that we will prevail.
Photo credit: jsmjr (Flickr)
Photo licensing information: CC.
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Banfield, The Pet Hospital is an international chain of veterinary practices. The practices are often associated with PetSmart stores.
You have questions. 