Is ear cropping recommended for my 4-week-old pitbull mix puppies?

Ears are usually cropped between 8-12 weeks. Some vets won't do it because it is an unnecessary procedure. Surgically changing the conformation of a dog's ears is expensive, painful, and is not always successful. If you aren't going to show him in confirmation shows, there's no reason to put your puppy through ear cropping. Please consult with your veterinarian before putting your puppy through this elective procedure.

The ideal age for ear cropping varies by breed. In general, Dobermans and danes are cropped between 7 and 9 weeks of age. Boxers are cropped between 9 and 12 weeks. Pit Bulls are done between 3 and 4 months of age. Smaller breeds like min pins and Miniature Schnauzers are cropped older -- around 4 months of age. In the USA, ear cropping is a personal choice of the dog owner; in some countries the practice is banned. Cropping is an elective surgery with no medical benefit. Its only purpose is cosmetic.

Ear cropping is generally done when puppies are very young, so this is likely the case. It is not usually done on adult dogs or older puppies (and the process is being moved away from on all dogs of any age) unless there is a medical necessity for it.

Lycan appears to have a severe ear infection. I recommend making an appointment to see your veterinarian as soon as possible. He/she will likely show you how to clean his ears and send home an ear cleaner that is less irritating than the product you have to clean the ears daily for 7-10 days as well as a steroid/antibiotic/antifungal ointment to be applied daily or twice daily for 7-10 days. There are also other ear infection treatment options where you do not have to treat the ears yourself daily at home that is you can ask your vet about (Osurnia, Otipacks). I do not recommend ear cropping as it is unnecessarily painful for cosmetic reasons. Good luck!

Please please do not have someone who isn't a vet clip Shell's ears! This will be EXTREMELY painful for her, and the stress and pain of this could potentially lead to a miscarriage. In addition, this person will not have access to safe pain medication or anesthesia. This type of procedure should only be done under anesthesia with a vet. I cannot stress enough how painful this procedure is to a dog, and to have it done to Shell by a lay person would be cruel. I very strongly urge you not to have this done at all by a lay person, and only have it done after she has had her puppies and weaned them.

Ear cropping is not necessary and is considered a cruel and unethical practice by most veterinarians these days. For more information about this procedure, I recommend you read the link below from the American Veterinary Medical Association. https://www.avma.org/KB/Resources/LiteratureReviews/Pages/Welfare-Implications-of-Ear-Cropping-Dogs-Backgrounder.aspx I would also consider adopting a doberman rather than buying one. It appears that there is more than one doberman rescue in IL. Below is a link to one. http://www.ildoberescue.com/ I hope that helps.

Poor Thor! Cropping a dog's ears can be very painful, and seeing a vet would be the best thing for him. Unfortunately, there are no safe human pain medications you can give him, as many are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. I would find a vet to see him who can check to make sure his ears are healing correctly, and can prescribe some pain medication for him.