# The 'impossible ear'



## Sithumya17 (May 22, 2019)

Sorry guys I know am being an immense worry wart but plz cope with me lol

So an update on my Kaiser's ear status :
Finished teething at exactly 5mos 
Both ears shot up for bout 2 weeks 
Weak ear started getting weak again and slowly kept staying down for longer 

He's currently 6mos old and am pretty sure the windows closing in now ? 

So far we've tried giving plenty of things to chew, including beef bones, egg shell for extra calcium, yoghurt, and an overall good diet...
Only options I've left now is Gelatin, Glucosamine and Taping all 3 being kinda problematic... 

So for gelatin ive tried to find Knoxx in our supermarkets and its not awailable There's a local brand with unflavoured gelatin powder so is it alright to use that?

As for glucosamine and taping... Both Vets ive been to aren't concerned at all Infact they simply dont care... So I'll prolly wait till he's nearing 7mos and try taping at home.. Is tht possible...?

Ik ik erect ears are just an aesthetic thing but he just looks so handsome with both up and we've spent a hefty sum for this lil guy so the least i want is a GSD who looks like a GSD ?.. and you guys have to admit one up one down doesn't look right so am gonna do everything possible to get them up for good ? 

Last option I've got is contacting the canine department at the AF cause my dad works there but then dont knw if dad's going to be OK with that ?

Anywaysss thx in advance guys U'll r amazing for providing me the best advice possible despite all my threads and questions )


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## Sithumya17 (May 22, 2019)

Sorry one thing I forgot to mention is I dont think this is genetic in nature because both parents had erect ears (Although mom's looked kinda thin like Kaiser's are now) and he hasn't had GSDs with non erect ears... Also no trauma to the ears before coming to our place (Well honesty on the breeder's part i cannot assure tho lol)


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## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

This is my girl, Star. I got her at 12 weeks, and both ears were up. They fell down within the next week. This picture shows her at 9 months. Her ears had ONLY just come up to stay in the last few weeks! I forget which ear was the lazy one, but you can see the creases in the base where the ear would flop.

Rule of thumb is: if they once were up, the will come up again, unless there's been some sort of injury! 

I see from your sig photo that the bases of the ears look strong, so that makes me think all will be well.

A friend of mine had a male with a floppy ear. She'd buy Breathe Right strips and put one across the area where the crease was to keep the ear standing. They were so small and light that they didn't bother the dog, and eventually the weak ear stayed up! I don't know if you can get them in your country, but if you can, you might want to try them!
https://www.breatheright.com/


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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

If it were my dog, I would start taping them now. It is a cartilage issue and all of that other stuff you are doing will likely have little to no impact. Don't let others come on here and bully you into not doing anything with the ears. It is your dog and erect ears are your preference. Do what you have to do to get there.


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## Sithumya17 (May 22, 2019)

Sunsilver said:


> This is my girl, Star. I got her at 12 weeks, and both ears were up. They fell down within the next week. This picture shows her at 9 months. Her ears had ONLY just come up to stay in the last few weeks! I forget which ear was the lazy one, but you can see the creases in the base where the ear would flop.
> 
> Rule of thumb is: if they once were up, the will come up again, unless there's bee some sort of injury!
> 
> I see from your sig photo that the bases of the ears look strong, so that makes me think all will be well.


Such a beautiful girl! I know am supposed to be patient but am worried if I dont do anything now and they end up not being erect I'll regret not doing anything before... Also I have heard ear going up after 6mos is pretty rare or not usual..
I'd actually like to tape after waiting maybe a couple more weeks but am finding it hard to find a Vet or some1 with knowledge on that regard... I am going to contact the canine department at my dad's work soon so I'll update the thread with what they say ?


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## Sithumya17 (May 22, 2019)

MineAreWorkingline said:


> If it were my dog, I would start taping them now. It is a cartilage issue and all of that other stuff you are doing will likely have little to no impact. Don't let others come on here and bully you into not doing anything with the ears. It is your dog and erect ears are your preference. Do what you have to do to get there.


Yes am going to look into taping now Honestly i didn't think this would be an issue at all I was told by the breeder the ears will come up by 5mos ish...Is it possible to tape at home?


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## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

Thank you! That's probably my all-time favourite photo of her!

Yes, it is, but you have to know how to do it. Get an experience person to show you. 

Some people GLUE the ears together, especially if the pup is a long coat! Then, of course, the pup loses some of the hair when the ears have to be separated.

Could you post a picture of what the ears look like now?

And is your dad a vet, or does he work for a veterinary practice?



> I am going to contact the canine department at my dad's work soon so I'll update the thread with what they say


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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

Sithumya17 said:


> Yes am going to look into taping now Honestly i didn't think this would be an issue at all I was told by the breeder the ears will come up by 5mos ish...Is it possible to tape at home?


Yes you can do it at home. Please don't glue the ears together as it is very painful for the pup. You can ask your vet to show you how or Google the internet or YouTube. There are lots of online how-to videos. Come back and ask questions if you get confused. 

As someone else stated, pictures would be helpful.


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## Sithumya17 (May 22, 2019)

Sunsilver said:


> Thank you! That's probably my all-time favourite photo of her!
> 
> Yes, it is, but you have to know how to do it. Get an experience person to show you.
> 
> ...


Yes I will show updated photos tomorrow ) And nope! My dad is not a Vet xD He works in the military the AF and I was referring to their K9 department I can ask dad to contact them and ask for advice ?


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## Sithumya17 (May 22, 2019)

MineAreWorkingline said:


> Sithumya17 said:
> 
> 
> > Yes am going to look into taping now Honestly i didn't think this would be an issue at all I was told by the breeder the ears will come up by 5mos ish...Is it possible to tape at home?
> ...


Yupp am going to start some researching on that regard I will make another thread later to inquire for more advice regarding that Thx )


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## Sithumya17 (May 22, 2019)

Hellow a lil update and another Q lol ? 

Finally contacted my dad's friend and he recommended 3 tablets namely:
Flexible Joint by Vetzyme (for glucosamine)
Seraflam 15mg
One alpha 25mcg capsules (For Vit D) 

I have heard about Flexible joint and One alpha and its uses but am lost about Seraflam... Should I give it? ?
In any case he said after 3 weeks if the ears aren't up he'll personally tape his ears for us so am very glad ?

Can someone give an opinion about the listed tabs?


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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

I would not spend waste money on things that are unlikely to have an effect on your dog's ear. Your dog is over six months old now and you are on the edge of waiting too long to tape his ears, why wait three more weeks?


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## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

Sithumya17 said:


> Hellow a lil update and another Q lol ?
> 
> Finally contacted my dad's friend and he recommended 3 tablets namely:
> Flexible Joint by Vetzyme (for glucosamine)
> ...



You are overseas...right? Can you get raw Chicken Feet? Chicken feet are a great source of naturally occurring glucosamine and chondroitin. Raw chicken feet are one of best and most rich sources of glucosamine/chondroitin. 2 feet 3 times a week contains more glucosamine/chondroitin than 15 supplement pills, and it's 100% bioavailable, 



I don't know anything about the *"One Alpha"* capsules, but *I do know* that an excess of Vitamin D can be deadly for dogs. If a dog is put on Vitamin D by a veterinarian, blood tests need to be done every 8 weeks to check the levels! 

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/heal...-has-toxic-levels-vitamin-d-fda-warns-n943281 




*Seraflam* Tablet works by helping the body in breakdown of protein.

Seraflam *Side Effects*: The following is a list of possible side effects that may occur from all constituting ingredients of Seraflam. 


Bleeding nose
Vomiting
 Urge to vomit
 Loss of appetite
Diarrhea
Allergy
Seraflam may also cause side-effects not listed here. https://www.tabletwise.com/seraflam-tablet

*i-herb.com ships internationally*. Here is the Gelatin: https://www.iherb.com/pr/Great-Lake...lagen-Joint-Care-Unflavored-16-oz-454-g/52775 


Best of luck!

Moms


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## Sithumya17 (May 22, 2019)

Momto2GSDs said:


> Sithumya17 said:
> 
> 
> > Hellow a lil update and another Q lol ?
> ...


Hi thx a lot for taking the time to explain them all for me!
I live in Srilanka and the thing is due to my culture and stuff I cannot give raw meat to my dog In fact we only buy meat from supermarkets There's very minimum meat shops and even they dont sell that wide a range of meat items (Ik it sounds odd but thats the way it is) That's why I thought of giving Glucosamine supplement for him as final option before taping
I will not give the other tablets Only the glucosamine one for now and when its vacation I will take him for taping 
Thx again ?


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## Sithumya17 (May 22, 2019)

MineAreWorkingline said:


> I would not spend waste money on things that are unlikely to have an effect on your dog's ear. Your dog is over six months old now and you are on the edge of waiting too long to tape his ears, why wait three more weeks?


 I have to take him to the K9 department which is about a 4hr drive so it'll have to be when I get my vacation in a couple weeks So for now I want to try other methods...


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## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

Sithumya17 said:


> Hi thx a lot for taking the time to explain them all for me!
> I live in Srilanka and the thing is due to my culture and stuff I cannot give raw meat to my dog In fact we only buy meat from supermarkets There's very minimum meat shops and even they dont sell that wide a range of meat items (Ik it sounds odd but thats the way it is) That's why I thought of giving Glucosamine supplement for him as final option before taping
> I will not give the other tablets Only the glucosamine one for now and when its vacation I will take him for taping
> Thx again ?



Here is iherb info for shipping the plain Gelatin (ear strengthener) to Srilanka:
*General Information*
Due to the fluctuations of the exchange rate, orders with value very close to the tax-free limit may be assessed Duties and Taxes (D&T) as the currency exchange rate may vary from the order date to the customs clearance date.
Please check with your local customs office in Sri Lanka to see if you can import the items, and if any additional licenses or permits are needed.
*Customs Information*
For information about customs, import duties, etc., visit: Sri Lanka Customs 
*Shipping*
All iHerb orders are shipped out from our US warehouses to your country by Air Freight. 
The Estimated Delivery window provided by iHerb reflects most standard deliveries. However, some orders may occasionally be subject to longer transit time caused by air freight delay, Customs hold, or any other unforeseen complications outside of iHerb’s control.
You may have to pay import taxes, customs duties, or a brokerage (handling) fee for your order. These charges are separate from your shipping fee, and you will be billed directly from the carrier of your choice.


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Keep us posted!
Moms


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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

Sithumya17 said:


> I have to take him to the K9 department which is about a 4hr drive so it'll have to be when I get my vacation in a couple weeks So for now I want to try other methods...


You just have to google YouTube to see how it is done. You don't have to take him anywhere.


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## Sithumya17 (May 22, 2019)

Momto2GSDs said:


> Sithumya17 said:
> 
> 
> > Hi thx a lot for taking the time to explain them all for me!
> ...


Thx a lot! I will look into that as well Hopefully after taping ? 
I will keep updating this thread on progress of his ears Wish me luck ?


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## Sithumya17 (May 22, 2019)

MineAreWorkingline said:


> Sithumya17 said:
> 
> 
> > I have to take him to the K9 department which is about a 4hr drive so it'll have to be when I get my vacation in a couple weeks So for now I want to try other methods...
> ...


? True but this is a very unfamiliar task for us and I certainly dont want him to get hurt or cause damage by doing it wrong Soo let the professionals handle it ?


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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

Sithumya17 said:


> ? True but this is a very unfamiliar task for us and I certainly dont want him to get hurt or cause damage by doing it wrong Soo let the professionals handle it ?


Why don't you watch a couple of videos on YouTube first so that you can see what is involved?


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## atomic (Mar 28, 2016)

I’m also a member of a Doberman forum and trust me if numerous people can post those ears off of YouTube videos taping is a breeze. Honestly I believe you are over thinking the process, it’s fairly simple and the videos will show you everything.


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## Sithumya17 (May 22, 2019)

atomic said:


> I’m also a member of a Doberman forum and trust me if numerous people can post those ears off of YouTube videos taping is a breeze. Honestly I believe you are over thinking the process, it’s fairly simple and the videos will show you everything.


Yes i watched a few videos on YouTube but they didn't look that good or informative Cn u plz recommend some good videos?
I also found this site https://www.google.com/amp/s/m.wikihow.com/Tape-Up-Stubborn-German-Shepherd-Puppy-Ears?amp=1 and am hoping to follow that procedure to tape hopefully by next week... Am a bit concerned about the glue Is there anything I can use other than that glue?
Thx ?


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## Pawsed (May 24, 2014)

If you aren't comfortable with doing this, don't. I still don't feel it is necessary and the pup has lots of time for that ear to come up. I don't believe that it's all done and over by 6 months. I know that not to be true from personal experience and from the experience of many people here. 

Just as not letting anyone bully you into not taping his ears, don't let anyone bully you into taping them either. Make your own decision. What is the worst that can happen if you don't tape? The ear doesn't stand. Is that such a bad thing? 

There is a chance that it will come up on it's own. And taping doesn't even guarantee that it will stand after your remove the supports. 

I would relax and enjoy the dog the way he is. However he turns out will be fine. It's not the ears that make him who he is or who he will be in the future.


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