Hey, fam!!!!
Welcome to this new blog of Spanieldogs.com, where we will be looking at a much sensitive topic today.
Ear piercings!!! A very average trend for human beings, no wonder. However, some pet owners have also shown immense interest in having their furry partners adapt to the same trend as themselves in recent years. But is the practice safe, or should pet parents know of some serious concerns? For more details, let’s start with the topic.
Table of Contents
Can I pierce my dog’s ears?
NO!!! According to Animal Safety Laws, piercing a dog’s ear in any way is considered unethical and is subjected to heavy penalties. When ignored, violators will be required to pay hefty fines and face prison time. Similarly, to avoid any more instances of animal cruelty behavior, responsible authorities will also ban or reject any rights that the owner previously had on their pupper. The dog will then be transferred to foster care or handed over to a professional animal shelter until another pet-loving family comes by to adopt the innocent soul.
Why is the act banned?
When a dog’s ears are pierced, it involves severe physical pain and discomfort for the pupper. During this process, the fluffy part of their ears is punctured, which is made up of a massive network of arteries and veins conducting blood to many essential organs. So, even though a proper anesthetic is administered before performing the piercing, it still poses considerable risk of after pain and discomfort.
Moreover, given their sensitivity to ear infections and scratching tendencies, your dog might also end up pulling the earring. This, in turn, can lead to bruises and deep cuts in the area, causing severe pain and bleeding. To prevent such instances, many nations and organizations have also petitioned for strict acts against animal abusers and mistreating of animals. For example, THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS ACT. ACT NO. 59 OF 1960 under the Indian Penal Code states heavy penalization and punishment of perpetuer, thereby ensuring both pets and stray animals with a quality life.
What are the side effects associated with canine ear piercing?
Apart from causing them pain and discomfort, other side-effects of canine ear-piercing include:
- Severe pain
- Redness and swelling
- Sticky discharge coming from the piercings
- Increased risk of ear infections
- Scarring and keloid scars
- Allergic reaction due to earring components
- Risk of nerve damage
- Dogs go deaf after severe infections
There are a lot of instances where these side effects can swiftly turn into a much difficult situation. Infections can lead to uncontrolled bleeding or even paralysis of one side of the poor pupper. This happens mostly when a critical nerve or cartilage is accidentally damaged during the piercing. So, why lead your beloved fur baby through such discomfort when they are already so adorable???
Factors increasing the risk of dog ear piercing:
Even though some may find it fashionable to have their dogs transformed as some sort of decorative piece, the whole ordeal is UNNECESSARY and SUPER-UNCOMFORTABLE for the innocent animal. To make it easy to understand, here are some reasons why opting for dog ear piercing can go crazy wrong.
Scratching
Like all animals, dogs do scratch a lot. And no, not just their ears but their whole body. This behavior is a common mechanism for them to destress which can also be due to various other common factors. These include dry, flaky skin, mites, or even skin infections. So, no matter why they might be scratching, it can cause them severe pain and wounds if they end up scratching the ears.
Shaking of ears
Similar to scratching, another standard behavior of dogs includes ear shaking, which can cause painful lacerations everywhere the piercings touch. As their ears are sensitive from the very start, piercing them only increases the problems by several folds. In extreme cases, the earrings can also get stuck in their fur, bringing them more pain and discomfort.
Ear Infection
If you don’t want your dog’s ears to be infected or stay in the red zone all the time, never piercing them is the best bet. Not only are the earrings uncomfortable for them to wear, but they also increase the risks of infection. The piercing might start bearing pus and stay swollen and reddened most of the time. As a result, your sweet pupper might get aggressive, moody, or whine a lot, every time you try to pet near their ears.
Dogs are animals in reality. And hence no matter how close they might be to you or your family, compromising their lifestyle with things not meant for them is never the best choice. While your good boys and girls may not object much to your superficial demands, opting for dog ear piercing is indeed harmful and immensely scary for them.
Imagine a sharp foreign thing being pierced into your ears, causing you loads of pain and discomfort, all in the presence of your beloved owner. Won’t it cause you to have second thoughts for your owner, whom you used to love so unconditionally and trust blindly??? If your answer to this scenario is a ‘Yes,’ then you now know what your pup’s thoughts are on this subject.
Is piercing a dog’s ears illegal everywhere?
Although the same has not been cleared in the legislative guidelines of every state or region, the movement is slowly but gradually gaining traction. In states where the law is still unclear when it comes to dog ear piercings, the act is considered similar to animal cruelty. And the after-effects can be as severe as long imprisonment or heavy fines.
The fight against such practices initially started after several ‘gothic kittens’ were reportedly pierced all along their spine by their owner. The woman, allegedly the owner, who sold these kittens with such ridiculous earrings, stated that the piercings made the creatures seem beautiful.
However, to her dismay, animal advocates and pet parents worldwide had something else to say. Although, to everyone’s shock, the woman was set free after a six-month house arrest, this report led many states and regions to understand the severity of the issue. As a result, many areas, including India, New York, the USA, California, have stated a stringent policy working for the welfare of domesticated animals. The policy states, “Under no circumstances should an animal be pierced.”
Why is it unethical?
Dogs are lovely furry partners who stay by their owners forever and love them unconditionally. So, as a loving pet parent yourself, do you have the guts to make your puppy go through such cruel, painful acts so that they can fit your definition of ‘fashion’???
Even though many pet parents may now claim that ‘it’s their pup and they have every right to do anything with their dogs,’ do you think such thoughts are rational enough? They have their own life, likes, and dislikes. So, even though they wag tail whenever with you, it doesn’t give anyone, and even you, the right to force them to do something without their consent. Or something that will cause them much pain or risk their living in any way possible.
Because finally, “Every animal life matters.”
Have your own thoughts on this subject? Don’t forget to mention them in the comment section below, and we will soon get back to you with more details.
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