Freeze Branding

[Cassidy]

Does anyone know anything about freeze branding dogs? I had never heard of it until a sweet little pointer mix came into our shelter. She came from the south. Her name is branded into her side and even though she is young and adorable, it is really hindering her ability to get adopted. People are saying that they don't want anyone to think they did something like that to their own dog. I had never heard of it before but after doing some research I found out it is somewhat common to do to hunting dogs (primarily in the south and midwest it seems) to deter anyone from stealing them. It is done with liquid nitrogen or dry ice and alcohol. Is this news to anyone else?

[applesmom]

That's a first for me! Leave it to a redneck to think of branding a dog!;)

Apparently it's more commonly used on livestock.


How Is Freeze Branding Done?

As we have said, a freeze brand is the result of applying a very cold branding iron to the hide of an animal. The two most common coolants used to make a freeze branding iron very cold are: 1) A combination of dry ice and 99% alcohol, and 2) liquid nitrogen. Liquid nitrogen is the choice of most people since it is far colder than dry ice and 99% alcohol. Also, a freeze branding iron is made of different metal (such as brass or copper) than other branding irons so that it will retain the cold longer.
A horse (or any animal) that is going to have a freeze brand applied will need to have the hair shaved off of the branding site. Hair is an excellent insulator and needs to be removed so that the extreme cold of the freeze branding iron can be applied directly to the skin. Then the freeze branding iron is submerged into the coolant. Immediately before the freeze branding iron is ready to be applied the animal's skin is rubbed, squirted, or sprayed with a generous amount of 99% alcohol, then the freeze branding iron is removed from the coolant and held onto the skin with firm pressure for several seconds. The exact amount of time will vary according to the kind of animal, the thickness of its skin, the type of metal the branding iron is made of, the type of coolant being used, and other factors.
Immediately after the freeze branding iron is removed from the skin an indented outline of the brand will be visible. Within seconds, however, the outline will disappear and within several minutes after that the brand outline will reappear as swollen, puffy skin. Several days later the brand will be difficult or impossible to see. Typically, within the third or fourth week the branded skin will begin to flake. Unless the branding iron was held on the skin too long (as for a light-colored horse or by accident) the hair that grows back in should be a nice, bright white.


http://www.cowboyway.com/What/FreezeBranding.htm

[skunkstripe]

I've not heard of it, but I am curious if tattooing (as opposed to microchipping) is that much better or worse than freeze branding?

[sheplovr]

We did our horses it was the normal thing to do under the mane so not to be so visable. Never ever heard of doing dogs nor would I. It makes no sense, I micro chip mine even the ones from Europe with right ear tattooed. Micro chips stay in and tatooeing can be smeared or they cut the ears off if a thief wants to.

This is a new one to me doing dogs, totally unecessary on my part.

[Wahoo]

My neighbor's horses are freeze branded, (under the mane as Sheplovr mentioned), and it's quite common to see cattle here marked that way. I have never heard of this with a dog. Somehow I doubt the practice will be very popular...

[Dauxside]

Evidently it's quite popular in hunting breeds, I came across quite a few "make money freeze branding at dog hunt" threads. *gack*

You can make alot of money freeze branding dogs at coonhunts, I probably branded 1500 dogs back in the 80's

Nice huh :(

Sadly I did not find any way to have the mark removed. So sorry.

[agilityk9trainer]

I've never heard of it either, but glad I've learned about it. But, sad it occurs. Having just returned from the dermatologist where they froze off a couple of things, I can attest it hurts during and for about an hour later. Freezing an area large enough to make a brand would be quite painful.

[Spicy_VV]

Yes I've seen this done, not too often but for the same reason, makes people reluctant to steal them. Some people started doing it with Pit Bulls but then at least one registry said the dogs couldn't be shown like that, its unacceptable so most of course don't do it. There are much more simple ways to ID a dog. I think its kind of silly to do.