Over the years working with chihuahuas, I have mostly heard 2 different explanations as to why the ears change like this while they are puppies. I don't know if either is correct, I doubt anyone really knows. #1, which I favor, is that it has to do with teething pain, that when their teeth hurt like that, part of the response involves relaxing the muscles that stand up the ears. #2 is that while they are growing quickly, the calcium in their system is mostly being used to develop bone, so the cartilige in the ears gets reduced calcium for a while, making it softer and more floppy.
Regarding taping/splinting, I've done it at the urging of others, and since 9 out of 10 will have the ears come up naturally anyway, you never really know if it did anything or not. I'd certainly not bother to do it if I wasn't seeing in that pup a potential showdog. Done properly it doesn't seem to bother the pup at all. --- In [email protected], "marsha" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > a lot of people have luck with the breathright strips. They are stiff, but not so stiff as to be miserable. I have never dealt with floppy ears and probably wouldn't bother to fix them if I had them, but yea, I have heard of a lot of people who have successfully taped the ears until they were up. Surgical tape and breathright strips are the tools of choice among breeders right now for this. > Marsha > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: susantn1962 > To: [email protected] > Sent: Saturday, November 18, 2006 8:21 PM > Subject: [Chihuahuas] Re: Nina's ears > > > Nina's ears are starting to perk back up a bit. The breeder did tell > me her dad's ears are perky, but her mom's are bit floppy. So...Nina > may end up with not so perky ears. I was just wondering, though...the > vet said sometimes people tape their ears up with popsicle sticks to > get them to stand up. (I'm not so keen on that idea....sounds > uncomfortable.) The breeder mentioned some people just use tape. > Anyone have any feedback on that? I don't want to do anything that > would be cruel or uncomfortable to Nina, though. > > Let me know when you get pics of BBG posted, Marilyn! > " Lets talk about our wonderful little friends! Join today! " Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Chihuahuas/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Chihuahuas/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
