When do the Yorkshire Terrier's ears stand up? how to put ears on a Yorkie

There is also a theory that protruding ears form in a child during prenatal development - due to malpresentation.

There are several ways you can try to remove such a defect, but otoplasty remains the most effective.

Most often, parents seek to correct protruding ears for their young children. If this does not happen, then the question arises later - in adolescence. However, an adult can also think about correction. The reason is that such ears are considered an aesthetic defect and are often negatively perceived by others, complexes and a desire to change appearance appear.

When does a Yorkie's ears stand up?

This process occurs individually for each pet. Some puppies have ears that go up at 10 weeks, some after six months. If they remain hanging after 4, something is probably going wrong. We recommend consulting with your veterinarian before making hasty decisions.

It is possible that one ear is up and the other is hanging. Also sometimes they can fall after some time. For example, due to vaccination.

Why don't my ears hold up?

There are several reasons why a Yorkie's ears won't stay on:

Calcium deficiency

Often the time when a puppy's ears should go up coincides with the change of baby teeth. To simultaneously strengthen cartilage and grow molars, your pet needs double the amount of calcium. If there is a lack of calcium, add vitamins and supplements to your pet's diet.

If you feed your puppy natural food, feed it a spoonful of cottage cheese every day. Gelatin is rich in calcium: it should be added to food in small quantities.

Wool

A Yorkie's coat that is too long interferes with the proper development of the ears. In this case, the fur needs to be trimmed carefully.

Genetic defect

An honest breeder immediately warns the future owner about the puppy’s defects. If you adopted a Yorkie from an unprofessional breeder or through an acquaintance, the likelihood of a defect increases. Only surgery will help you position your ears correctly when they are deviated.

We advise you not to dock your dog. She still won’t be able to take part in exhibitions. Docking will only bring suffering to the animal.

Genetic defects also include:

problem with cartilage and/or circulation;
ears are too big.

According to breeders, vaccination may be one of the reasons for drooping ears.

What to do if they don't rise?

If your puppy's ears do not go up, first contact your veterinarian to accurately determine the cause and not harm the animal. After the consultation, the veterinarian will give recommendations, and you can do everything necessary on your own.

Tips for setting up your Yorkie's ears:

Fix your Yorkie's ears no earlier than at the age of 4-5 months;
if your Yorkie begins to whine or behave strangely, remove the fastenings;
do not keep the glue on the puppy for more than one week;
be sure to trim the fur before applying the patch;
secure the structures better, because the Yorkie strives to pull off the foreign body.

How to install?

There are several effective ways to raise the ears of Yorkshire terriers, after familiarizing yourself with which, each owner will be able to choose the most convenient one for himself.

Removing excess hair

Shaving off excess hair can significantly lighten the weight of the ears and reduce the stress placed on their tips. As a result, the ears often stand up on their own and do not need to be lifted on their own. The coat should be clipped or shaved weekly from the tips almost to the base of the ears on both sides.

tube

The classic and most common way to set the ears of a Yorkshire Terrier. To do this you need:

Wash the dog, then dry the coat and clean the ears well.
Using a razor or clipper, remove excess hair from the ears.
Degrease the skin with toner, micellar water or other cosmetic product.
Take a piece of adhesive tape (preferably with a silk base to minimize the likelihood of diaper rash), the length of which is 4-5 times the width of the ear.
Fold one edge of this piece inside out so that its sticky side touches the non-sticky side, forming a “cylinder”.
Place the “cylinder” inside the ear and wrap the edges of the ear around it so that it takes the shape of a tube.
Wrap the remaining part of the adhesive plaster around and secure the structure.
Glue the ears at a short distance from each other so that they remain in an upright position.

The Yorkie should walk with the tubes for 7 days, after which, if necessary, the procedure must be repeated.

Do not wrap your pet's ears too tightly, as this may impair blood circulation.

Addition (“crown”)

The ears should be shaved first and the skin on them should be degreased. Then, to avoid the formation of wrinkles and creases, you need to fold the ear in half so that its parts touch, and secure them with a band-aid. In order for the resulting structure to be in a vertical position, it is necessary to stretch a strip of plaster from the base of one ear to the base of the other, first from the front, and then, wrapping it around the ear, from the back.

Bonding with tape

One of the simplest methods, suitable for those who are doing ear fitting for the first time:

Remove excess hair from the ears and degrease them, then glue a triangle of tape slightly smaller than the ear contours into each ear.
Cut a strip of tape several times longer than the width of the base of the ear.
Attach the middle of this strip to the back of the ear.
Glue the inner edge of the strip so that it reaches the outer edge of the ear, and glue the outer edge to the inside of the ear.
Connect the edges of the tape to form a vertical plate from the ear.

The tape puts less pressure on the ears, so the blood supply to the soft tissues is not disrupted.

Cotton swab

Shorten the cotton swab so that its length is slightly less than the length of the ear, and wrap the bandage around the cut side, covering the sharp edges. Then place the stick vertically in the dog’s ear and glue it inside. If necessary, additionally secure the ears together with a strip of plaster or tape.

Massage

It is necessary to gently stroke the Yorkshire Terrier's ears on both sides with your thumb, index and middle fingers, gently pulling the tips upward. Such a massage, carried out regularly, helps give the pet’s ears the necessary correct shape. It is especially important to perform a massage when the ears are fixed with a plaster or tape - it helps improve blood flow.

Ear placement methods

Experienced breeders recommend trying haircuts coupled with massage as the most gentle methods. If this does not help, proceed to gluing.

A haircut

The simplest thing you can do to raise your ears is to trim them a little. For this:

Clean your work surface. You will need: scissors or a trimmer, tweezers, a towel (to hold your Yorkie), cotton swabs, peroxide (an antibacterial agent).
Bathe your Yorkie and carefully remove water from the ears using a cotton swab.
Lightly dip a clean cotton swab into the antibacterial solution. Gently disinfect the inside of the ear. Remove excess hairs with tweezers.
Grab the outer edge of your ear. Lightly comb the puppy to define the boundaries. Trim the fur from top to bottom, then go through it with a trimmer.

Repeat the haircut every few weeks to prevent the hair from becoming overgrown. Remember, the procedure must be carried out carefully and under sterile conditions.

Bonding with adhesive tape

To attach this method, you will need a roll of plaster (sold at any pharmacy) and scissors. Procedure:

Trim your Yorkie a little. How to do this - see above.
Take a piece of the patch and wrap it around your ear, without twisting it into a tube. Don't touch the fur. Do a similar procedure with the second ear.
Once both ears are taped, secure them in an upright position with duct tape.

A Yorkie should not wear this design for more than a week. After a week everything should level out. If necessary, make a dressing.

Tip: to avoid unnecessary pain when removing the patch, moisten its ends with vegetable oil before removing. Over a long period of wearing, the patch sticks to the puppy’s delicate skin. Discomfort or irritation may occur if not handled carefully.

"Wand"

In addition to the patches, you will need cotton swabs. First remove the cotton wool from them so that only the rod remains. Owners of Yorkies advise filing the ends with a file so as not to injure the dog. It is advisable to moisten the ends of the sticks with an antiseptic, then dry.

Following are the instructions:

Disinfect your ears.
Cut two pieces of adhesive tape. They should be larger than the stem of the wand but smaller than the Yorkie's ear.
Place the stick on the sticky side. Cover it with the second piece of adhesive tape. You need to do the same with the second stick.
Place a simple device vertically into each ear. Secure with another piece of tape. It is important that the structure holds up well. The puppy must not damage it or remove it.

Using veterinary glue

Buy special glue for dogs at the pet store.
Glue the tips of the Yorkie's ears so that they stick out. The inner side must be unfolded.
After a week, wash off the glue.

Massage to restore blood flow

Give your Yorkie a daily massage for quick results. Using your thumb and forefinger, gently move from the base of your ear to the tip about 5-6 times. Repeat the procedure several times a day. Combined with the methods described above, massage will give excellent results.

Otitis

Inflammation of the inside of the ear. Divided:

externally – inflammation of the part of the ear canal located between the inlet and the surface of the eardrum;
medium – inflammation spreads further, beyond the eardrum;
internal, or deep, is the most severe form of the disease, which can lead to damage to intracranial structures.

Symptoms vary depending on the extent of the damage. With external and otitis media the following are observed:

restlessness, desire to scratch the sore ear;
discharge of exudate from the ear, often with an unpleasant odor;
the dog shakes its ears;
the visible part of the ear and ear canal is red, inflamed, swollen;
a diseased ear is hotter than a healthy one;
there is a decrease in appetite, lethargy;
The dog tilts its head towards the affected ear and may spin around in place.

With deep otitis, the following are possible:

significant enlargement of lymph nodes;
partial or complete hearing loss;
development of strabismus;
disturbances in the sense of balance - the dog walks in circles.

The diagnosis is made based on clinical data. In difficult cases, laboratory and other tests are prescribed.

According to statistics, most often various cocci, Malassezia and Candida fungi are found in the ear canal, and occasionally other microorganisms are found. To prescribe adequate therapy, it is advisable to conduct a quantitative analysis, since all these microorganisms are normally contained in ear secretions and only their excess quantity indicates a disease. Treatment of otitis should be carried out under the supervision of a veterinarian. The most commonly prescribed medications are antibiotics, antifungals, anti-inflammatory drugs and, in severe cases, hormones. It is important to regularly remove debris from the ear, as it deactivates medications and increases inflammation. But cleaning the ears should be as gentle as possible, because the inflamed surface of the ear canal is very sensitive and additional damage will only aggravate the course of the disease.

Bars Forte ear drops are successfully used to treat otitis media. The active components included in the drug provide a pronounced antibacterial and antifungal effect. The course of treatment ranges from 5 to 7 days, depending on the severity of the disease.

Advice from breeders and dog owners

Marina “Well, Betty and I suffered a lot! We were told to cut first, then glue. It’s easier to get the dog’s hair cut completely, and at the same time the ears will be trimmed. And after that you can glue it.”

Natalya “I know one breeder, she bought a male dog from one of the nurseries for breeding and exhibitions. By six months his ears were no longer erect. This is how we went to exhibitions: two hours before the event we glued our ears with adhesive tape. They stood for a couple of hours, then returned to a hanging position. Maybe they teased me with something else, I don’t know for sure. It's a complete torment for the dog. My opinion is this: before getting a Yorkie, read the literature and ask other breeders. The puppy was definitely cheap, but that’s another topic…”