Taping The Cropped
Ear |
EQUIPMENT REQUIRED: Good quality adhesive tape, scissors, popsicle (or craft) sticks cotton balls, rubbing alcohol and patience. An extra pair of hands can also be very useful. Make sure the ears are clean and dry. Rubbing alcohol wiped in the shell of the ear with a cotton ball works well. Cut 2 strips of tape for each popsicle stick to be used, a little longer than the stick. Affix these strips of tape to the sticks in the following manner. Place the stick onto the sticky side of one piece of tape, then place the other piece of tape on top of both with the sticky side facing out. Figure 2 This is very important as this sticky side affixes to the ear. Cut two more pieces of tape for each ear, one to go around the bottom - approx. 5 - 6" long and another to go around the top - approx. 2" long. Take one of your tape covered sticks and prepare to affix to the ear. This is the time to have someone hold the pup facing you if possible.
BE CAREFUL NOT TO WRAP THE TAPE TOO TIGHTLY AS YOU COULD CUT OFF THE CIRCULATION IN THE EAR! When both ears are up you may find it useful to put a brace between the ears. A 10 -12" piece of tape will do. Starting at the front of the ear at the bottom (stretch ear up and out) take the tape across the front of the head to the other ear (stretch that ear too) and affix to the bottom of this ear. Continue around the ear to the back where you will join the tape to the piece you just placed across the front, go all the way across until you are back where you started. Figure 4 It is important that the ears do not tilt towards each other. Keep the tapes in good repair and remember that for every day you let the ears flop you have 2 extra weeks of taping ahead of you. GOOD LUCK. Mary L. Curl |