Cosmetic Surgery in Companion Animals
By Jean Hofve, DVM
Who ever heard of cosmetic surgery for dogs? It happens all the time. Cats, dogs, and horses have been subjected to the vagaries of fashion and whim through the centuries. Surgical alteration of animals' appearance is more common than most people think.
Naturally floppy-eared breeds, like Great Danes, Boston terriers, and Manchester terriers, have traditionally had their ears surgically cropped to stand up straight. Breeds with normal tails like Rottweilers, Pembroke Corgis, and most spaniels, have their tails "bobbed" or "docked" (amputated) to produce a certain look or breed standard. Some breeds, like Doberman Pinschers, Boxers, and Schnauzers, get both ends "done" (most commonly, in separate procedures).
Squeal and Cry
Tails are usually docked, without anesthesia, on puppies 2-10 days old. The tail is clamped a short distance from the body and the portion of the tail outside the clamp is cut or torn away. Puppies undergoing this procedure squeal and cry, yet tail-docking advocates claim that the newborn's nervous system is unable to feel the pain. However, it is well documented in the human medical literature that newborns do feel pain, and neonatal pain management is taken seriously. "Clinicians believe that infants can experience pain much like adults, that infants are exposed daily to painful procedures, and that pain protection should be provided ... even very prematurely born infants respond to pain," states one report from the Department of Pediatrics at the Washington University School of Medicine.
Proponents of this procedure (they are many, and vocal) claim that their favorite breeds, usually hunting or sport breeds, "often" have their tails damaged while hunting. This is supposed to justify docking the tail of every puppy of that breed, whether or not he will ever be used for hunting, and whether or not he ever would actually run a risk of damaging his tail. One certainly wonders about the validity of this argument, when Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, Irish, English and Gordon Setters, hounds, and standard Pointers do not have their tails docked, while Vislas, Weimeraners, spaniels, and German short-haired Pointers do. Spaniels, moreover, have long, dangling, furry ears that would appear to be more hazardous in thorny, brushy terrain or water than a long tail.
This also doesn't explain why Rottweilers, Dobermans, poodles, and Schnauzers (as well as Old English Sheepdogs, and Australian Shepherds unfortunate enough to be born with tails instead of without), routinely have their tails docked -- these non-hunting breeds aren't racing around in the woods. Old English and Aussie breeders would undoubtedly insist that a tail is a liability around livestock -- but why isn't this so, then, for Border Collies, Shetland Sheepdogs, Australian Cattle Dogs, or other herding breeds?
One pro-docking website mentions Ben, a Springer spaniel puppy being trained for police work (drug-sniffing), yet in his boundless enthusiasm for his work, constantly wagged his tail so hard that he kept damaging it in the confined spaces he had to search. Finally, they amputated the tail, but after the surgery, Ben was no longer interested in his job. Docking proponents said, "If Ben had been docked as a tiny pup, like generations of spaniels before him, he would never have had to undergo such a painful operation in adulthood, and he would still be a police dog today" (emphasis added). From our point of view, this case only highlights the serious physical and psychological trauma that cutting off a dog's tail can cause.
Disfigured Ears
Ears are cropped at 8-10 weeks of age. Under general anesthesia, the ears are cut, and immediately afterwards the sore ears are taped in position to make the ears stand up straight. They will be taped and re-taped for up to several weeks. Post-operative pain medication is not routinely given, even though the ear has an extensive blood and nerve supply. Even after all the torment, some dogs end up with floppy, bent, scarred, wrinkled, twisted, or otherwise disfigured ears. No reason other than for looks (to conform with breed standards) justifies this mutilating procedure.
Many veterinarians and veterinary associations, both in the U.S. and around the world, have reconsidered these practices, and now recommend against them, citing anesthetic risk as well as suffering for the animal undergoing these painful procedures. Increasing numbers of breeders refuse to mutilate their puppies. Dog show judges now allow "natural" (uncropped, undocked) dogs of traditionally cropped and docked breeds in their classes and sometimes even reward them with blue ribbons.
The Council of Europe, an association of 39 European countries, adopted a Convention in November 1987, prohibiting "surgical operations for the purpose of modifying the appearance of a pet animal or for other non-curative purposes ... in particular: a. the docking of tails; b. the cropping of ears; c. devocalisation (debarking); and d. declawing and defanging." Eleven countries have signed and ratified this convention, although 5 have exempted tail-docking under certain circumstances, e.g., for hunting dogs. Worldwide, more than a dozen countries have specific laws restricting or banning tail-docking.
In the U.S., the Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights has issued position statements opposing ear-cropping and tail-docking in dogs. The American Animal Hospital Association and the American Veterinary Medical Association both adopted the same, somewhat tepid, resolution, stating that "Ear cropping and tail docking in dogs for cosmetic reasons are not medically indicated nor of benefit to the patient. These procedures cause pain and distress, and, as with all surgical procedures, are accompanied by inherent risks of anesthesia, blood loss, and infection. Therefore, veterinarians should counsel dog owners about these matters before agreeing to perform these surgeries." In Georgia, a bill was introduced in 1999 that would ban these procedures.
Cats and Horses
The declawing of cats, usually done for something as trivial as protecting furniture, is a excruciatingly painful procedure that involves amputating each front toe at the first joint.
(For further details, see Declawing: Behavior Modification or Destructive Surgery? in Animal Issues, Winter 1998.)
Even horses are not safe from cosmetic alterations. Quarter horses may have nerves in their tails injected with a numbing agent (which may last for a year or more), or in some cases even cut, to make the tail lie flat -- the current desirable look. The horse is then unable to switch the tail to get rid of flies, move it out of the way to urinate or defecate, or use it for inter-horse communication. Horses with big ears may be subjected to ear cropping to improve the look of the head. Standardbreds and Tennessee Walking Horses may have their front legs "sored" by use of caustic agents, chains, surgically embedded weights or other irritants, and other techniques, to make them raise their legs higher and give them a "flashier" gait in the show ring. They can be trained to do this, of course, but some unethical trainers prefer short cuts to hard work.
As Nature Intended
Cosmetic surgery is pointless, barbaric, cruel, and inhumane. Rather than making animals "better" through surgery, we should learn to appreciate on its own terms the natural beauty that every animal possesses.
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