ear clippings

Question
Hi, I'm interested in getting my 5 month old puppy's ears clipped, he is a pitbull, and I wanted to know what the chance is of him possibly getting an infection. also, if you would happen to know of a really good place that does that work. I live in San Leandro California. Thank you for your time. I'll hear from you soon!

Answer
It is rare for puppies to get infections after ear trimming.  Many vets do not do ear cropping anymore because some people think that it is mutilating surgery.  I do it with a CO2 laser.  It is almost painless to the puppy after surgery and the laser creates much less tissue damage and that results in less itching and pain after surgery.  We usually do this surgery at 3 months of age, not 5 months. You will have to call around to the vet clinics in your area to find out if anyone there does ear cropping. If anyone does it with the laser, that is the best option.