Cosmetic surgery is not just for humans. Companion animals have been subjected to these procedures for as long, if not longer, than their human counterparts. However, where you opt to have that nose job or face lift, your furry companion has no say in what’s being done to them.

Some of the, more or less, unnecessary procedures include:

• Ear Cropping
• Tail Docking
• Dew Claw Removal and Declawing
• Neuticles (testicular prosthetics)
• Debarking

Ear Cropping

Ear cropping procedure’s origin dates back two thousand years to Roman times. The procedure was performed for the purpose of fighting and hunting. Floppy ears were something potential predators, or competitors, could grab hold of and tear. This was a vulnerability to be avoided.

Some breeds, likely due to their performance as hunting or fighting dogs, have adopted cropped ears as part of their “ideal physical attributes.” Most common are the Doberman Pinscher, Pitt Bull, Cane Corso, Scnauzer, Boxer, and Wire Fox Terrier.

Ear cropping has been banned in many countries. However, it continues to be practiced in the United States. The financial cost of this procedure will range but the emotional and physical cost to our beloved fur children does not change. Recovery time for a routine neuter or spay is two weeks but ear cropping ranges between 6-8 weeks! Furthermore, dogs use their ears to communicate, whether pinned back or perked up. Cropping ears, therefore, can hamper a dog’s ability to communicate effectively.

Tail Docking

Tail docking also originated around the same time as ear cropping. People believed tail docking would reduce the spread of Rabies. The myth was that removing the tip of the tail and, according to some records, part of the tongue, could prevent the dog from contracting Rabies.

Later, tail docking became a sort of societal label. Poorer families were not permitted to hunt and the belief was that tails helped in the chase. Therefore, lower class dogs’ tails were docked to differentiate from those of higher social standing.

Many working dogs had tails docked to prevent injury. These included dogs performing physical labor as well as those fulfilling security type roles. Offenders trying to get past guard dogs could use the tail as a means to gain control over the animal. Breeds popularly used as guard dogs are seen with ears and tails docked, for this reason.

Finally, despite the origin of the procedure, tail docking became a standard character trait for some breeds around the 1950s. These include: Doberman Pinschers, Boxers, Rottweilers, Pembroke Welsh Corgis, German Shorthaired Pointers, Australian Shepherds, and Jack Russel Terriers.

Dew Claw Removal and Declawing

Dewclaw removal stands as one of the more divided debates among veterinary professionals. This stems from the question of necessity, both for the dewclaw itself and for the procedure. In order to find one’s place in this debate, we should look back through the evolutionary history of man’s best friend.

The miacis existed somewhere between 40-60 million years ago. This cat-like tree climber has been evidenced to be an ancestor of the dogs we know and love today. It is from the miacis that our companion’s dewclaws originate, as having five digits granted a necessary advantage for climbing trees. However, miacis evolved over time into cynodictus (about 20-35 million years ago), then tomarctus (about 10 million years), canidae (about 1 million years), leading to canis lupus and finally canis familiaris.

In addition to the dewclaw evolving into a smaller digit, dogs also evolved into digitigrades, walking on their toes rather than the full length of their feet. This granted them enhanced speed, thusly making them excellent hunters.

Dewclaws were deemed unnecessary by some, and potentially detrimental by others. The procedure to remove this fifth digit likely began with dogs intended for hunting, preventing potential injury by catching on underbrush. This brief surgical procedure is typically performed when the pup is only 2-7 days of age, as the digits are not yet fully formed. It can still be done on older dogs but can be more complicated and may require more healing time.

Declawing is similar to the procedure of dew claw removal but is the removal of the tips, or last joint, of each finger rather than the removal of one digit. This procedure is primarily done in cats and is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. This topic will be covered in greater depth in a separate article.

In some pets, self-injuries, property damage, or injury to family members may lead to potential necessity for these procedures. Always consult with your veterinarian regarding any elective surgical procedure for your pet to ensure you’ve exhausted all alternative solutions.

Neuticles (Testicular Prosthetics)

The first set of neuticles, or testicular prosthetics, were implanted in 1995. Gregg Miller invented neuticles after he had to make the decision to have his bloodhound neutered to combat wandering behaviors. With the help of a veterinarian, Miller was able to patent the procedure for neuticle implants. Miller established the CTI (Canine Testicular Implant) Corporation and even won an Ig Nobel Prize for the invention.

Neuticle implants are intended to give the look of an intact male while still having the pet neutered. While neutering can prevent of a list of behavioral and medical problems, some pet owners don’t like the altered appearance this leaves behind.

Similar to many cosmetic surgeries that are still practiced by some veterinarians in the United States, this is yet another that has been banned legally in other countries. In the UK it is considered unethical to perform any form of cosmetic surgery on animals. New Zealand states that the insertion of neuticles serves no benefit and can be a means of concealing the pet’s status as neutered.

The concealing of a pet’s neutered status could be a means of entering them into purebred show competitions where being intact is a requirement.

Debarking

Debarking, or devocalization, while somewhat less physically apparent can still be considered a form of cosmetic surgery. The parts of the voice box responsible for a dog’s ability to bark are removed. This leaves the animal with a hoarse and significantly reduced bark.

This procedure is not taught in veterinary school and many refuse to learn the procedure, even if given the opportunity. Pet owners that request this procedure often do so due to complaints from neighbors.

Debarking is illegal in Massachusetts, New Jersey, and parts of Rhode Island. Ohio prohibits the debarking procedure in “dangerous dogs.” Again, as with many cosmetic surgeries in veterinary medicine, the United Kingdom and any country that have signed the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals has outlawed debarking as a form of mutilation.

As barking is a particularly essential tool in communication for dogs, this procedure is considered unnecessarily cruel. Dogs bark and howl to alert each other of their locations. Our pets bark to let us know if they’re hungry or need to go outside. A guard dog might bark to alert their human family of intruders and danger.

There are numerous training methods as well as tools to help control your pet’s barking behaviors. Debarking is an unnecessary shortcut that should never be considered.

Some of these procedures do have occasions of medical necessity but, sadly, the vast majority of are not of this sort.