# Ear weight paste?



## Chixarecute (Nov 19, 2004)

What is the stuff called that you put a little gob on a collie/sheltie's ear tips to get them to weight down before the cartilage stiffens? And where do I get it?

Our Zorro pup has nicely tipped ears, but 2 days ago with the heat coming on they went straight up. Please tell me it's temporary!

He is 14 weeks old, colliexenglish shepherd.

Thank you.


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## Willowynd (Mar 27, 2005)

You do not want to weigh down the ear at all. That is just for temporary purposes in the show ring and the weight will actually make the muscle to the ear stronger and cause them to be pricked. A mixed breed with shepard may not have tipped ears no matter what you do....it relies on many things...shape , thickness, length, etc. You can try glueing down the ear. If they need braced (doubtful if they are standing) you use moleskin and/or rug yarn with glue. I use tearmender glue and glue the tips down. It last 2-3 weeks even if it gets wet, is non-toxic and removes rather easily by rubbing or peeling it off once the ear does come unglued. That said, it may or may not work depending on the ear itself. I ahve some collies that were glued from weaning till 10 months old- still have pricked or one ear pricked....thier ears were just not the right thickness or shape to get a tipped ear.


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## Mulish (Mar 24, 2005)

Went I was raising bulldogs, I used a surgical adhesive, I cannot remember the name of it, but I could get it at any drug store. Worked like a charm, and was easy to remove.


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## wintrrwolf (Sep 29, 2009)

surgical adhesive..its Nuskin I think its called ..drug stores have em as liquid bandages. Vet I worked for used it mostly for cat neuters since you dont need to suture that site. Had a doctor use it on my daughter in lew of stiches in her face from a light dog bite...the stitches would have left more of a scar but she only has a litte white scar left...its great stuff.


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## Willowynd (Mar 27, 2005)

I think you may be thinking of skinbond...for osteotomy? repair. Tried it years ago and the tearmender works better and is easier to remove. You can get it at any ace hardware store. Liquid bandage is similar to super glue...not going to be removed easily without products that could cause an allergic reaction and you must clean the site and have it grease free...which means something like ether being used....which can also cause an allergic reaction. I find I do not even have to clean a reasonably clean ear at all to use the tearmender. If it is really dirty, I will use some baby wipes to clean them.


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## Chixarecute (Nov 19, 2004)

I was just thinking of the little Sheltie I grew up with..."tipping" was breed standard. She didn't meet minimum height, so I guess we shouldn't have been worried about breed standard, anyway.

It surprised me to see his ears go straight up, after being "half mast" for the first couple of weeks we had him. He's got the collie looks over the english shepherd, and I am glad to know that the ear tipping is just a show ring effect. 

His ears shall remain free & unfettered!


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## PNP Katahdins (Oct 28, 2008)

Lori, if Zorro's ears are going prick at this age, good luck getting them to tip! The heat expands the blood vessels in his ears which causes them to stiffen up. Nothing wrong with that.

I had four purebred Shelties from show lines years ago. Two had naturally prick ears and two from a different line had the pretty tulip ears, no surgery involved like they do nowadays.

Zorro will be happy either way. Did his collie father have prick ears or tipped ones?

Peg


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## Willowynd (Mar 27, 2005)

Ears have so many different genes to factor in that even pups from 2 parents with natural ears can be pricked....and an entire litter from a prick eared parent can be perfect. Yes, the ear tip is just for the show ring...but I do prefer tipped ears and will glue them over on my dogs that have pricked ears in heavy fly season because the flies to not seem to mess with the ears if they are tipped....but pricked ears are like a beacon that says- bite me!


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## Chixarecute (Nov 19, 2004)

Hmmm, I don't know if the father had the tipped ears or pricked. Zorro's ears will be staying "au natural", however. Thank you for the advice!


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