Facelift - Not Just for Humans Anymore

A facelift is a popular cosmetic surgery option that is performed to give the patient a younger look by reducing visible signs of aging on the face. The age of a patient varies but until recently, it was always assumed that the patient only had two legs. That is no longer the case and Cosmetic Town News is ready to share the story of a dog who had a facelift to address sagging skin on his body.

Not sure what to make of that revelation? Let’s start making sense of it with the latest video from Cosmetic Town TV:

Facelift Surgery – A Good Option for Dogs?

A basset hound in Ireland is sporting a new look after undergoing a facelift to remove sagging skin from his body that weighed over two pounds.

Chief, who is a three-year-old basset hound, was having issues with his sight due to the formation of drooping eyelids. In order to help Chief with his vision, his owner, Tracey McDermott, made the decision to have a five-hour procedure performed on him to give the dog a new outlook with improved vision.

McDermott told a news outlet, “As he grew and became bigger, so did the problem with his sight, so we were increasingly concerned about him.” One of the reasons Chief might have had a problem with his vision was the fact that his breed is known for having wrinkles and floppy ears. As he continued to grow, the wrinkles might have contributed to the saggy skin.

McDermott continued by saying, “We would call his name, and he’d lift his head up to try and see where we were, but you could see he was struggling.”

At first, McDermott tried to deal with the vision issues by placing eye drops in his eyes. However, she soon came to the realization that a more drastic approach was needed for Chief.

She took him to a veterinary hospital in Dublin so a surgeon could remove a large amount of skin from across the neck of the dog. Once that task was accomplished, the doctor was then able to adjust the position of the eyebrows and eyelids of the dog.

The surgeon at the hospital had long thought that a facelift might be a good solution to improve the quality of life experienced by Chief. It was simply a matter of waiting until this four-legged patient was fully mature before performing the surgery. According to the surgeon, “Chief had a typical basset hound anatomy, but was suffering from severe upper lid ptosis (droop) and lower lid ectropion (slack and saggy), which had left him struggling to blink and to see properly. I just performed a coronal rhytidectomy (facelift) to remove a very large amount of skin from around the dorsal cervical (neck) region close to his ears."

While the doctor described the surgery as being both “long” and “challenging,” the end result is a happy dog who is enjoying the ability to see the world once again with clear vision. The patient is also at home with a very relived owner. According to McDermott, “Chief’s sight has significantly improved” and the final results have produced “a really positive impact on his quality of life.”

She added, “He was always a happy dog who got on with life in his own way despite the problems he had, now it is great to see him so well – and, of course, for him to see us.”

Facelift Surgery – Not the Only Cosmetic Surgery Option for Dogs

While the idea of a facelift might seem like an extreme idea that might be a “one off” procedure, Chief is not the only canine on record who has undergone plastic surgery to alter and enhance their look.

For example, there have been reports of a vet and plastic surgeon in Brazil who has performed a variety of procedures on dogs. Some of the cosmetic surgery treatments that the doctor in Brazil has performed include rhinoplasty (AKA a nose job), a facelift, Botox in the ears, and testicular implants.

Puppy Plastic Surgery – Is it a Common Request?

While it might seem like an odd idea to some people, the decision to have cosmetic surgery performed on a dog is actually quite common.

Two of the most common cosmetic surgeries performed on dogs include ear cropping (to give a dog a “particular look” or to meet the accepted standards in certain breeds) and tail docking (where part of the tail is removed to meet certain breed standards or to prevent injuries related to the tail).

Much like humans, dogs can also have an eye lift or rhinoplasty to relieve any discomfort they are feeling or to address any possible health risks.

On the other hand, there are some dog owners who want to have cosmetic surgery performed on their pet to give the animal a desired look and an example of this is the placement of silicone testicle implants in dogs who have been neutered in the past.

No matter the reason for the canine cosmetic surgery, the requests do not appear to be slowing down and will continue to be performed in the future.

- MA