Dog ate chocolate?

ask a vet

Floppy ear in German Shepherd.

Species: Dog
Breed: GERMAN SHEPHERD
Age: 6-12 months
Hello my name is nick and i have a purebred west german shepherd from working lines. My dog rock just turned 7 months. His left ear is floppy and his right ear stays erect with floppy tips. His left inner ear is currently braced with dr scholls moleskin and sergical glue. For extra calcium i add a teaspoon of plain yogurt to his meals twice a day. I also add vitamin c in the mornings to his meal. My question is when is it to late for a german shepherds ear to stand. At what age do they stop to develop. Also i read online that i can take him to a dr so he can get a calcium injection in his ears. What do you recommend ?? Some people say if the ear is not up by 8 months it will never go up and some say it will go up. Both ears are large and soft. thanks for your time


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Thanks for your question.

This is a controversial subject. You will hear many different opinions on things that you should or should not do to get a dog's ears to stand and the truth is that no one knows for sure what is the best thing to do.

In general, I tell my clients that if the dog's ear is not up by 6 months then it is not likely to stand which means that Rock's ear may not ever stand up.

There is no evidence at all that calcium or vitamin C would help. I really can't see how they would. You will definitely have people who claim that they did help saying things like, "My dog's ears were floppy. I gave him vitamin C for two weeks and then they finally stood up." But who's to say that they wouldn't have stood on their own? I find that most floppy dog ears are like that...they can just decide to stand on their own even if you do nothing.

The taping is something that *may* help. It is important that the taping job is done by someone who has experience with taping. There's no harm in taping but again, no one has proven whether it actually works or not. My guess, however is that by this age the taping may not work.

I personally love the look of a floppy eared German Shepherd, especially if just one ear is floppy, but I can understand having a preference for straight ears.

Dr. Marie.


Do you have a pet website? Interested in learning more about SEO for Wix?


Check out our dog age calculator and cat age calculator.

Want to receive pet coupons, vet advice and info on new pet products in your inbox?

* indicates required

We'll only send you great stuff, never spam. Unsubscribe any time.

Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

Customer reply:

Just an update on rocks ear. His ears are both straight up and look really good. The mole skin on the inner ear shaped the dogs ear really good. This method worked for me and my buddy had the same issue and the moleskin worked wonders.


Customer reply:

The ears stood at 8 months old


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Good to know. Thanks for the update.

Dr. Marie.



Search for similar questions:

ask a vet

Popular questions...

High ALP in a pug. Hi Dr. Marie, I have a 7yr old female Pug. She was getting "pyoderma" every few... (36412 views)

Parvo carrier? A dog by the name of Bo was pulled from the pound along with some puppies, the... (32974 views)

Epogen for cat with anemia. Hi Dr. Marie, I need a second opinion. My 19 year old male cat was recently... (15729 views)

Brown spots on belly. Hello, I have a five year old Pomeranian mix (25lbs). Within the last few weeks I... (22373 views)

Cat is hungry and has swollen tummy. Our cat seems to be hungry all the time, she is spayed, but we have just moved... (29804 views)

How often is a dog in heat? My dog started her first heat yesterday. I know not to breed her now she is not... (6237 views)

Revolution and fleas my dogs are treated with frontline and we brought home a kitten that was treated... (17911 views)

Cat has lump on neck. hi dr marie my cat abby has been bitten or posioned on her neck first it was a big... (15702 views)

Old dog vomiting. My dog has been throwing up food that she eats except soft stuff, she is old and she... (17851 views)

Restraint of dogs. Hi, I am currently filling out a university application for vet science at the... (10050 views)

See all questions...

Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.