Never heard of this one before...

[PiggyPaws]

I hate it when people just can't be happy with how their pet looks.

 

[JarBax]

Whilst it is utterly ridiculous - it is I suppose relatively harmless. Some people CUT their dog's ears to make them eg. more pointy. They can be made to stand up straight through surgery - all for cosmetic aesthetics. That is truly unneccessary, if not cruel!

 

[gpigluver14]

Whilst it is utterly ridiculous - it is I suppose relatively harmless. Some people CUT their dog's ears to make them eg. more pointy. They can be made to stand up straight through surgery - all for cosmetic aesthetics. That is truly unneccessary, if not cruel!

Years ago people would cut the tails off of puppies for "fashion", without anesthetic. As well as cut/shorten or enhance the ears. I'm just glad we have more animal cruelty laws today, because it was so much worse back then.

Even my grandfather who "liked" animals did some very bad things: they had a couple of cats and one or two of them had kittens so he drowned them in their creek. He would do it at night too, so my mother or her other siblings wouldn't be able to stop him. :weepy:

 

[piggly wiggly]

Years ago as in hundreds of years,they did not crop ears or dock tails for fashion. The breeds that were done, like Dobes, German pinschers, German shepperds, were done for their safety. These dogs were used as front line dogs in the war, aswell as ratters (the smaller breeds). So their ears and tails were done so an enemy soldier could not grab them, or the ratting dogs, could not get bitten by vermin. That reasoning I can understand, it is these days where it is for fashion that is crazy.

 

[seagirl96]

Gpiglover14, I hate to say this, but people still cut the tails of puppies for appearance. A few take them to the vet's to have it done, but breeders still do it themselves. This is gruesome but Miniature Schnauzers' tails are done with a dog toenail clipper when they are only a few days old. I don't know how the ears are done, just that they wear bandages on their heads holding the ears up in a point until the ears are healed.

 

[gpigluver14]

It is horrible...That's why I would never get plastic surgery or anything. God put us on this Earth a certain way, we shouldn't change that or anything else's. It's also why I keep my natural hair color: blonde!

 

[seagirl96]

Plastic surgery has it's place. I assume you're talking about the cosmetic type for vanity, so I say good for you for seeing your worth without buying into that. I am keeping my natural hair color by artificial means these days, but if it hurt, I wouldn't color my hair. The poor little puppies are different though. They don't get asked and I know it hurts a lot.

 

[Piggersrule]

Cropping ears, docking tails and removing dew claws are very painful to the dog. Some people use rubber bands to dock tail. I just can't imagine how painful it must be for cats to be declawed.

 

[gpigluver14]

My neighbor's cat is declawed, and it's an outdoor cat. I don't believe in declawing any animal because, a cat's claws for instance are their only major defense besides their teeth. It's taking away their natural ability to fight back if in a fight for example. So what if the people don't want to get scratched, the cat doesn't get to give its opinion about if it doesn't want its claws anymore or not.

Also, male pigs on farms shortly after they are born have their tails docked, teeth clipped, ears notched, and are castrated, all without anesthesia. Like that's not painful.

 

[Piggersrule]

Male cows/Bulls go through the same treatment and they are branded several times. Their horns are sawed off right down to their heads.

 

[gpigluver14]

Along with that, I imagine when farm animals get ID tags in their ears it causes a great deal of pain.

 

[seagirl96]

The ear tags don't hurt more than getting your own ears pierced and horns and hoofs dont have feelings unless you cut into the quick, like with your piggy's nails. Cutting horns down to the scalp would be awful. The rest is terrible. No declawed cat should EVER be let outside. They have no defense and no escape up a tree, etc. I think usually, cats are declawed because they can be very destructive to furniture, drapes etc. Don't worry, I have never had it done to any cat and don't think anyone should, ever. If you feel the need to do that, maybe you are not a cat person!?!

 

[WheeksUnlimited]

Please keep in mind that all of these procedures-tail docking, ear cropping- are done when the pups are very young and under the anesthesia.. The skin is very thin, and there isn't as many blood vessels or nerve endings, so everything heals quickly and with less trauma. Of course this means responsible after care. And I don't agree with DYI procedures for tail docking on pups-a vet should being doing the procedures.

Same is true for farm animals-all done at a very young age, though most are not done under anesthesia. And the reasons are not so much for beauty, but more for hygiene and prevention of harm to other animals.

Ponder these:

Horses-the gaited breeds. Their high stepping action can be greatly enhanced by "soring"-applying a caustic material right above their hooves (illegal). Tail muscles are surgically cut and the horses wear a kind of brace to train the tails to stay in the high position. Western Pleasure horses would also have their tail muscles cut to prevent them from swishing their tails in the show ring. Of couse, they couldn't swish away pesky flies.

Cattle, sheep- Forcing the animals to stand for extremely long times with out laying down-makes them feel and look firmer for the judges. Also, their are devices that they can put cattle in that mechanically "stretches" them so they are longer in the topline for shows.

I am sure there are other cruel ways that animals are subjected to in order to win in the show ring.

 

[tyamar]

Maybe it's just me... but I don't see much difference between all of this and what so many people are still doing to their infant boys. Circumcision. Luckily for my son, I'm not one of those people.

 

[PiggyPaws]

Well, that's due to religious reasons so I think we should change the subject now

 

[pink piggy lips]

Well, that's due to religious reasons so I think we should change the subject now

Except for the Jewish community and other religious groups that regard it, I don't consider the practice to be literally a religious one in this day and age.

Most people have it done today because it's considered normal or standard.
Moms think about the extra time they will have to take to clean and explain things to their son, so they have it done. It's also done for appearances sake, too.

And probably several people don't even realize that you can choose not to have it done. I didn't know that until a few years ago. Just like I didn't know you don't always have to be embalmed before you are buried.

As for animal modifications, I grew up with Yorkies. I found out at an early age that their tails were lopped off to just a stub, and tape was put on their ears to make them stand up when they were puppies. Still boggles my mind.

I think I'll stick with spaying/neutering and necessary surgeries when it comes to animals. I don't even like the idea of modifying myself, even if it does mean I come out "better looking" in the end.

 

[Hooray4Ashley]

Years ago people would cut the tails off of puppies for "fashion", without anesthetic. As well as cut/shorten or enhance the ears. I'm just glad we have more animal cruelty laws today, because it was so much worse back then.

Just letting you know...I have worked as a vet tech for 3 1/2 years now, and am in school to become a CVT. Tail docks and dew claws are still done without anesthetic in some cases. If the puppies are 3-5 days old they can be done without anesthetic, after that they are considered more of a surgical procedure (why wouldn't it be considered that when it's done without anesthetic?!) and anesthesia must be used. It's just horrible to hear the little babies cry and see them struggle to get away.

Some clinics in my area still do ear cropping. My clinic is oen of them. It's awful. Luckally we don't do many at all. One to two a year. We have many people schedule them, then are no shows. I guess they realize how stupid it is to pay 700+ dollars (I would comment on putting their dog through the pain...but most don't care about that!) just for fashion. I hate assisting in them. The blood smell is unreal, and it's just so sick to me. Then to hear them scream as they wake up from the anesthetic because they are so scared. They are BABIES going through this horrible pain for fashion. It just doesn't make sense to me. THEN most owners don't follow the proper aftercare instructions causing the ears to just flop over and have to be retaped over and over causing more pain. It's not fun to hold these pups down while their ears are taped up again.

Declaws I can argue differently. The animal services in my county was ranked the worst in the country. It euthanizes the highest number of animals, most of these cats. I am all for giving these cats homes and sparing their lives, if it means declawing them. Many elderly people come into the clinic I work for and are diabetic. A scratch (which is more likely than a bite- so no one argue the cat could still bite them) can result in them having a horrible infection and possibly amputation. These are the bulk of our declaws. Elderly people who live for these cats, and whose cats couldn't possibly ask for better homes. Or in the case where the cat is destroying everything and all other options have been exhausted...it's either declaw or the shelter, then I can understand it. I can't understand people doing it just to do it.

Sorry about the rant...these are things I feel strongly about...Whew, I feel better.

 

[crazywiggy]

I'm totally against any form of surgery on an animal which is done for fashion. Fortunately most tail docking will now stop here in the UK, but it has always been done (either by cutting or banding) without anaesthetic. Some people have tried to argue that because the puppies are only a few days old they can't feel pain. This is totally unfounded nosense. (Incidentally not so long ago it was believed human children couldn't feel pain!). In fact some research even suggests that neonates are hyper-sensitive, meaning they feel pain more acutely than adults.

Even if anaesthetic is used, how is that better? Anaesthetic itself is a big risk, especially in animals so young. Then, unless the animal is given appropriate after care and pain relief, the poor puppy is still going to be in pain when it comes round.

I am also against declawing cats - to me it is a pointless and cruel operation carried out so that people can be lazy and irresponsible. If you can't deal with claws, don't get a cat. Same for getting dogs debarked - why don't these people just get a teddy bear? Of course, I don't really understand the whole concept of declawing as its virtually unheard of in the UK - I don't even know if its legal over here.

I am also aganist this crap about using superglue to get a puppies ears to look right. I guess its not as bad as cropping them but it could still be uncomfortable and is pointless. Animals are not fashion accesssories!!!

 

[Kealie78]

I have never understood the reasoning of tail docking, or ear clipping. I think the dogs look just as cute with full tails myself.

Of course I don't understand most human cosmetic surgery either. It is sad that most young girls feel they will have to look non-human to attrach a mate! Whats so wrong with natural bodies the way nature intended? Now, circumcision is a personal choice a parent has to make. Some for religious some for hygiene concerns. I personally am amazed there is even an appearence issue to that. Anyway, I feel it is sad that human and pet owns have this over whleming "need" to alter what nature has made in order to please someone's eye.

Oh the horrible things they have done for showing animals is scarey....