Taped Ears

[k_sep]

So, originally I was going to wait another month or so, but I was dropping off a stool sample at the vets and was talking to her about taping ears. She advised me to do it now at five months, so I have tried! How do you think it looks? Does it need to be fixed, or is it okay?

This is the third attempt and after fleeing and fighting the first two times, I think she admitted defeat and just lied there sullenly as I taped her ears. She seems fine now though. No tearing at it at the moment, hopefully it stays.

[dvsdevelopment]

I know nothing about taping but I will say that based off of taped ears I've see before these look different. I am probably wrong, any other opinions?

[jdh520]

Be very very careful when doing this! I did it and believe I did a lot more harm than good. Make sure she is not scratching at them or shaking her head to get them off.

[GermanShepherds6800]

I suggest you have someone with knowledge do it for you. These are not done right and can cause damage.

[k_sep]

Okay, well what's wrong with them? It'd be helpful if you could actually tell me. I'm just trying to follow this: Leerburg | Taping German Shepherds Ears

[GermanShepherds6800]

I went to get a video for you. They are not very supported looking and too tight. If you notice in video they pull tape off the roll a distance so they are not to tight as it would be if you taped by pulling on the ears.
taping ears - YouTube

[k_sep]

Thanks, the video is helpful. I think the foam rolls I'm using in the ear are too small because I didn't actually wrap it that tight.

[ShenzisMom]

Dog Ear Supports - DogSport Gear

I much prefer these inserts. You should look into them

[k_sep]

I was going to get the ear inserts, but her ears are way too small for them. Plus, I never liked the idea of putting glue in her ear, at least with the tape, I can take it off quickly.

[saraja87]

From my little to no experience, I'd vote breathe right strips! I didn't want to tape my girls ears because it seemed way too easy for them to get infected if dirt or water or bacteria got inside the taped ear and started to breed in the moist, warm environment. To me, gluing with a liquid human grade adhesive type product seemed to make more sense because it bonds with the skin and nothing can get under it to get gross. There's simple adhesive remover if you need to take it off in a pinch that doesn't rip off all their fur and hurt like I imagine tape would.

I just did my girls ears (she's 5.5 months) and the strips leave her ears open to the air and thus far they don't seem to be getting irritated. There's no too tight or too far in or out and no brace, just her normal ears with the tips standing up instead of flopping down. She can hear perfectly and there's nothing to rip off, they supposedly just fall out when they don't stick anymore. She barely paid any attention to me putting them in and hasn't been bothered enough to scratch or bug them. She actually doesn't seem to notice them at all.

Another vote for breathe right strips for me was her ear movement. Her ears are very expressive, she lays them back when she's happy and turns them left and right like little antennas picking up her favorite radio station. If I glued them together to taped them she wouldn't be able to move them around and I think she would absolutely hate that. This way they stand up straight no matter how she's moving them and we're both happy.