For a long time it was decided to stop Alabayam ears and tail. Nowadays, breeders have divided opinions, but many still carry out this procedure, although there is no objective need for this. Nowadays, the issue of cupping ears and trimming tails is an exclusively personal matter of each dog owner.
Indications
Let's try to figure out why we need such a procedure. We will make a reservation in advance that the cupping of the ears and tails of dogs is one of the most controversial and problematic topics of discussion between amateur dog breeders and professional breeders.
Most opponents of this procedure equate it to barbarism and cruelty to animals, while adherents of the practice insist on its necessity.
There is a version according to which initially the ears and tails were cut off only by the aggressive Alabayam, who often attacked people. Seeing such a dog, the man tried not to attract the attention of the dog for fear of becoming a victim of an embittered and aggressive animal. There is no scientific and historical evidence of this theory, so encyclopedias offer a different opinion.
According to scientists These large dogs began to stop the ears and tails several centuries ago in order to make Alabai as little as possible vulnerable when fighting with other animals. So, Alabai, who entered into battle with the wolf, often died from blood loss if he had a bitten tail. To protect the pet from such dangerous situations, to prevent the risk of death of animals and began to arrest their tails and ears.
In our time, the procedure has long since lost its significance, since most of the dogs live at home - the probability of meeting a wild beast and receiving damage from it that is incompatible with life is minimized. The only exceptions are situations where alabai works in the protection of the territory or is in the service of law enforcement agencies, then the procedure is resorted to for the convenience of the animals themselves.
In this case, the relief performs the same function - protects the dog from injury in the event of an attack.
Nowadays, trimming the tail and ears is carried out only if if there are medical indications. Moreover, in some countries there is even a ban on such procedures. Nevertheless, not all owners are willing to abandon this questionable procedure.
Some breeders cut off alabai ears for aesthetic reasonsto give distinctive breed traits to your pet - the fact is that It is quite difficult to distinguish an uncropped dog from the Caucasian Shepherd Dog or Labrador.
Among the medical indications for circumcision are:
- auricular necrosis;
- tumor processes:
- surface ulcers;
- injury.
There are no reasons for tail arresting, therefore in the West, they have long abandoned the practice of evaluating dogs at exhibitions on this parameter. Moreover, in international competitions, judges even find fault with their ears and tail, since these manipulations are legally allowed exclusively in Russia and the states of the former USSR.
Keep in mind that there are conditions in which stopping is prohibited, these include:
- pathology of growth and development in a puppy;
- viral, infectious, or fungal pathologies;
- recovery period after illness or injury.
The fact is that all the described situations are accompanied by reduced immunity - in this case, the healing will go slowly and the development of inflammatory processes is possible.
Timing
If you are determined to cut off your ears and tail to your alabay, then this should be done before the age of 10 days, and if the bitch’s delivery was successful and without complications, you can do it in 5 days. The fact is that on the first day after the birth, the nerve endings in the alabna auricle zone do not work, and the vertebrae in the tail resemble cartilage in their structure, therefore the procedure is relatively painless for the animal.
The operation should be carried out only by a veterinarian, some breeders are trying to cut off the dog's ears on their own, but, as practice shows, this does not end well.
Procedure
When performing cupping it is extremely important that the cutoff line remains smooth, the Alabai short-haired breed, therefore, the misapplication of the cupping will immediately be noticeable, and such animals will not have to wait for good grades at exhibitions. Usually, the ears are given one of the following forms:
- standard - in this case, the cartilage is left of medium length, and the cut is performed in a straight or semicircular version;
- bear - ears are cut in a semicircle, so they become the same as that of a bear;
- Caucasian - The longest option, the ears with this design is left on 1⁄3 cartilage.
We draw attention to the fact that the owner must choose a single form once and for all. Any further attempts to bring the ears to perfection of the lines will only hurt and torment the dog. To avoid the wrong decision It is advisable to contact a veterinarian who has sufficient experience with Alabai dogs.
As for the tail, it is usually cut Not too short - this is not just a physiological process, it is also a tool with which the animal lets its owners know about their condition, mood and desire to communicate with other dogs. Besides, the tail is necessary alabayu when running - it allows you to maintain a balance of movements.
At home, the tails of animals were cut off about half, and then, only males, females left the tail in its original form. Nowadays, the orders are slightly different: the tail is usually cut off at the place where the thick part turns into thin.
Training
Before the operation, you should carefully examine the ears of your pet - if you notice sulfur emissions, the presence of bald spots of unknown origin, skin rashes or inflammation - it is better to postpone the operation until the dog recovers completely.
Be sure to inspect the hair and skin of the animal's eyelids, make sure that there is no tick stuck anywhere - this is especially true for alabai, living in an aviary or self-walking in the yard of a private house.
The feeding of the animal is stopped 12 hours before the operation, at which time it is better to isolate the mother from her puppy. 1.5 hours before the procedure, the inner surface of the ears should be treated with hydrogen peroxide.
For the tail of any preparatory activities is not provided.
If you intend to stop a dog that is more than 14 days old, then you will have to try hard to find a veterinarian who has agreed to such an operation. In this case It will be necessary to pass tests that show the general condition of the puppy and reduce it to zero the risk of complications during circumcision.
Nowadays, cupping is most often carried out without anesthesia, so the animal begins to break out - it is very important that the owner keep him and close his eyes, otherwise the veterinary mistake cannot be excluded due to the young Alabai’s too sudden movement.
If there is wool on the ears, it needs to be shaved off, then sanitized and quickly cut off the ears with sharp scissors, the cut must be immediately treated with an antiseptic.In the same way, the second ear is cut, after which a portion of the tail is cut off with special scissors for working with cartilages, then also treated with an antiseptic solution. A professional doctor performs all these manipulations in 3-4 minutes.
Puppies younger than 14 days do not impose sutures, blood usually flows very little, and after a few minutes it stops completely. It is desirable to stop the ears and tails in one operation, so as not to cause additional stress in alabai.
Recovery
Places of slices after cupping need to be treated with an antiseptic for 10-14 days, even if it seems to you that they have already been dragged out. During this period, it is necessary to change the litter of a puppy as often as possible, otherwise an infection can get into the wounds and cause tissue necrosis.
If possible, isolate the pet from the mother, bringing it only at the time of feeding. - if you leave him close, the mother will begin to lick her cub, which will not allow the ears to heal quickly.
When arresting animals older than two weeks, the seams are better adjusted, they are removed after 10-15 days, all the while they are certainly treated with a bactericidal composition.
Usually within 1.5-2 weeks, complete healing occurs, but the occurrence of complications is possible.
- Bleeding - usually adult dogs face this. In this case, you need to contact the veterinarian, who will stop the blood with a powder or a veterinary pencil.
- The appearance of seals and scars - they do not interfere with the dog at all, but its appearance deteriorates. To avoid such unpleasant consequences, it is necessary to stop an animal correctly in the first days of life.
- Inflammations - Occur when an infection gets into a wound. Such situations require an indispensable appeal to the veterinarian.
To learn how to properly arrest the tail of the alabai, see the following video.
