Need advice Dr Wants to cut my dogs ear off!
 

Hi everybody Im new to the forum. My 2 year old yorkie had a freak accident where somehow he pulled his top knot band over his ear causing an injury.

He lost circulation by the time we found out he had his ear caught and now its a little darker in color than the other ear but its still standing up. We brought him to the vet who gave medicine to avoid infection.

Today he seems absolutely fine and completely comfortable. But the issue is the vet says his ear is dead and insists that it needs to be surgically removed and she is in a hurry to get him in to amputate.

The consequences of not amputating is it may fall off on its own and MAY become painful depending on how it comes off. This surgery will definately be painful, he will need to keep a cone on his head for weeks and it could get infected anyway. I did get a second opinion and they say remove. I just dont want to put him through that if theres a good chance the ear might stay on and not get infected.

I dont trust these vets. I really think he will be fine if we leave it alone and keep an eye on it. He is on antibiodics for now and there is no appearant discomfort. I want to wait it out.. Am I making a bad decision? Maybe the ear will stay on and he could go through life with a numb ear.. Ill admit the $500 cost and the way my dog will look do factor in. But I want to do whats best and am seeking advice from the forum. I am afraid to subject him to unneccessary discomfort and pain.

I think if you already got a second opinion and both vets said the same thing, you should listen to them. If you really don't trust them that is a different story, you could look for a board certified internist and get one more opinion, but if they think this is best then that is what you should do.

As far as looks... Yorkies have all different ears, some are up, some are down, some have one up and one down...it won't make your little baby any less lovable or cute if he has part of his ear removed.

As to cost.. Look into the care credit card if finances are a concern.

Good luck

Well, if you don't trust the vets and don't want to spend $500 and worry more about how he will look than if the infection spreads from dead tissue, which could lead to his death, then I would advise taking him to a specialist asap for a third opinion. I wouldn't delay as infection can spread through the blood. Did either of the vets discuss this with you? If you don't know of a specialist, ask your vet(s) for a referral. As I said, don't delay.

I see you're in Wayne, NJ. What Vets did you go to? Have you been to AERA in Fairfield?

HI AND WELCOME TO YT .im sorry to hear that ur little furbaby is not well, but if it was me, i wud listen to the vet, they know best, or you cud get a second opinion from another vet, my boy had his whole leg removed and it healed really well , he gets looks from people but its mostly out of sympathy, but we dont care as long as my wee man is healthy, please keep us posted and hope you enjoy it here, wud love to see photos:D

If the ear is dead, it will eventually rot off. Flesh without a blood supply dies and disintegrates. Ganggreen could very well set in and kill the remaining part of the ear, and could also cause a systemic infection (travels through the blood to all parts of the body) which would then be putting your dog's life at risk.

Maybe look into prosthetics if the appearance is bothering you too much.

Best of luck...

I'm wondering how the topknot shifted in such a way to cut off circulation to the ear without causing great discomfort to your little guy? Could you please explain this to us? Thanks :)

If you've already seen two vets and they gave the same recommendation, I'd bite the bullet and have the ear removed. It's not worth the chance of infection and further damage for the sake of appearance, IMO.

:thumbup::thumbup: If the a portion of the ear is indeed dead, by leaving it attached to the living portion you are indeed risking your pups life. Once dead, tissues and muscle quickly succumb to bacterial invasion. Therefore, since there is no longer any blood flow in that area there is also no longer any immune support. This will quickly lead to bacterial invasion, first in the dead/gangrene portion, then within the living portion of the body: sepsis, septicemia, and septic shock with penetrating infection throughout the organ systems which will eventually leading to organ failure is the natural progression.

With two vets giving you the same info, I would listen.

I too am curious about how this freak accident occurred. As for the next thing to do, I have no words but hope it works out well.

Be a Good Mommy
 

Take your pup to the vet asap and get it taken care of!
Why this is even a question is beyond me.:aimeeyork

I find it hard to believe you would not take 2 vet's recommendation but look for advice on a forum. We are all just pet owners and some breeders as well. That could never take precedence over 2 vets who have had the dog right in front of them to examine. I know this must be a very dificult decision but I would put the dog's health first and do as the vet's recommend.

I would also like to hear how a horrible accident like this could occur and you not notice? I just cannot imagine how it physically could happen. Even so, it must have taken quite some time. :confused:

Please listen to this advice. Losing his ear is nothing compared to losing his life.

I would DEFINITELY listen to the vets. Dead tissue isn't just tissue that has no feeling, its tissue that has no blood supply. It will eventually turn more colors, rot, and fall off, if it even gets that far. More then likely it will cause a systemic infection in the blood and make your yorkie very very sick, and can become fatal. Again listen to the vets. You got a second opinion, which is great, and they both said to take it off. Better to lose part of an ear then a whole life.

Also i would love to know how your yorkie managed to get that tiny rubber band, which is looped 3-4 times around his top knot, around his ear as well all on his own. without thumbs i'd say its pretty impossible to undo the band enough to get it over his ear and then tighten it again so that it cuts off circulation to his ear.

I think its more likely that whom ever put his top knot in was in a hurry and didn't notice his ear was pinched in. i've seen it happen before to other yorkies, as well as getting their scalp stuck in the band.

Wow. I've never heard of such a thing. I can only say - you've gotten two opinions and they both said amputate.

I hope this doesn't make you love him any less; it certainly wasn't his fault and was probably quite painful.

Poor baby.

Well, I honestly wouldn't be comfortable amputating an ear even if I got a second opinion if I didn't trust either to begin with... So you'll have to find a vet that you trust immediately and get a third opinion. Best option would be a specialty hospital. But it is better to just hope the vets are right and do it then to assume that they are not and wait. Not worth losing his life over an ear...

In total agreement.

I find it very difficult to phanthom how a topknot band could wrap around a dogs ear without someone putting it there. I put topknots up daily and intricate ones at shows.....impossible to wrap an ear with the size of bands I use 1/4 inch medium grade..

He said it slipped :rolleyes:

Slipped where? you put the topknot in the center of the head, parting the hair away from the ear......slipped and it accidently wrapped itself around the ear:confused: Geez maybe the band being used was the size of those used on the Sunday Newspaper.....

Whatever....the dog's welfare is what is at stake here. If two vets say amputate, they aren't saying it just willy nilly, it's for the dogs health.

Find a 3rd vet if you truly don't trust the opinion of the first two, but don't just wait this out. Necrotic tissue needs to be removed asap to prevent systemic infection that could very well kill your dog.

But I have to say, I'm with Mardelin on this one. How a top knot slips to the point that it wraps around the ear and REMAINS there long enough to cause tissue death is beyond my comprehension.

All by itself, it jumped over and got round the ear. Mine are so small I can barely get the scissors under them to cut them out, let alone get an entire ear in one. :rolleyes:

No one on here is going to tell you to NOT listen to the vets. They are the experts, they have seen the ear, we have not. Why would you trust the opinions of complete strangers over that of 2 separate vets?

You received a lot of good advice If you do not trust the 2 vets get a third opinion from a reputable certified vet/surgeon. Make the best decision for your dog not for vanity. Good luck would what you decide.

[QUOTE=Mardelin;3353571]Slipped where? you put the topknot in the center of the head, parting the hair away from the ear......slipped and it accidently wrapped itself around the ear:confused: Geez maybe the band being used was the size of those used on the Sunday Newspaper.....
/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=JeanieK;3353658]All by itself, it jumped over and got round the ear. Mine are so small I can barely get the scissors under them to cut them out, let alone get an entire ear in one. :rolleyes:
/QUOTE]

Not justifying this person's lack of action.....but I took it to mean that a portion of the ear base was caught in the band. Not a good move but if it was a small dog and the person wasn't great at doing topknots and got it way off center.....:eek: well, that's the way I pictured it anyway YMMV ;) (the SLIPPED part was an attempt to cover up lack of experience IMHO)
Either way it appears this lil pup needs help :(

I've got 2 things to say the first being if you don't trust the two vets get an another opinion but do it really fast. This is something you don't want to put off. Actually I have 3 thngs. I wouldn't care what my baby looked like as long as he was okay. As far as the expense I would also look to get a care credit card they are great. The 3rd thing is that I am really glad my dog will not let me make a top knot he likes his hair to flow free.

Have you taken the pup to a 3rd vet yet? Any updates?

Not sure I understand how this accident happened. What have you decided to do?

There is no place for vanity or not taking care of a pets health. Sometimes we may see what we want to see but you have been given very clear instructions from 2 Vets, Medical DOCTORS. They may not tell you every horror but this situation is NOT okay to wait and see. This is the time to act responsibily. Find a way to work out the $500, our pets depend on us to take care of their needs just as children do. It may make Christmas tough for many but it gives your yorkie it's health back. Leave this type of decision in the hands of the experts; few of us have their qualifications. Please don't put your dog at risk for further damage and potential life threatening issues that can stem from this situation. We will support you and if you let us know specifically what you need; there are enough members tlo help you find resources to get your dog healthy again. Take care and know we speak from the heart and the mind and know that in the long run you will appreciate our candidness. Take care, you will find a way...

Update- 2nd and 3rd vet say no operation :)
 

Folks I had sought out additional advice from the local vets and found a new vet I relly like and trust. The office was a much more positive environment compare to the office we had been using.

First I wanted to elaborate on what we think happened in the first place. The rubber band attached to the bow my wife uses might have come loose. Our dog either scratched at it or maybe when rolling around pulled the rubber band over his ear. I know its a freak occurance and we feel terrible. I prefer we dont put anything on his head anymore ever.

So This vet examined the ear and noticed the inside was affected from the loss of circulation the outside remains healthy tissue. So the tip of the ear MAY Likely fall off naturally. Currently the dog is comfortable because the leathery tip is acting like a bandaid. Eventually the inside will fall off like a scab and he will end with a floppy tip of his ear. Worst case scenario is it breaks and re- injures the healthy part of his ear causing bleeding. In which case we bring him in for a bandage and if needed stitching. He had been on antibiodics so we will continue that.

I am so glad I persisted on this. I appreciate the layman's perspectives but my gut said the best thing is not to operate and keep an eye on it. Thats the plan now. I am so glad not to have put my dog through the discomfort of removing his ear, the collar, the fear of another operation the drugs etc.. I am also glad I sought advice and found a better vet.

So Ill post an update if anything happens but I expect this to be a happy ending! Thanks again all!

What I dont understand is how can a band that was in so tight that it was enough to cut off circulation to the ear would have enough give in it to 'slip'. It just dosnt make sense.
How long was the band like this before you noticed? That dog must have been in a lot of pain and the dog would have been crying and clawing at the ear to get the band off. Where were you?

In my opinion what you are planning to do dosnt sound like a good option. I dont understand which part of the ear was actually trapped in the band. Was it the tip or the whole ear?
How can the inside tissue be dead but the outside tissue be healthy?
Either way if ANYTHING is going to 'fall off' it is going to leave an open wound which is open to infection. This sounds very painful for your dog.

I know freak accidents do happen, but a rubber band could not under any circumstance "jump" from a bow located in the center (ish) of his head, to around his ear and cut off circulation. Do you have a child running around your home, have you asked them what they were up to?
I don't' think the "wait and see" is a good method, if 2/3 doctors said amputate I'd take it off, not wait to see if there is an infection and have it spread and instead of just loosing a tip of his ear he looses the whole thing...or his life. With all of these vet consults you've done looking for someone who was on board with you not taking off the ear you could have paid for the surgery, at least in part.
I pray for your little dog, and hope that he does come out of this with his health intact.