Plastic Surgery For Your Pet - Really?

It seems a little farfetched but practitioners insist that there are some valid reasons people are considering plastic surgery for their pets. While it’s true that for pure eres and cuteness, many people react negatively to the idea of plastic surgery for pets. There are others though that point out the benefits.

The classic profile of some breads, like the Doberman pinscher, have long dictated docking the tail and ears. Albeit a crude form of plastic surgery, the practice of docking is banned outright in many countries. In countries that do not ban docking it is sometimes prohibited by professional veterinary associations or simply considered as cruel mutilation by the public.

While vets are leery of recommending purely cosmetic surgeries they do recommend certain procedures for some breeds. Pugs and some breeds of cats sometimes develop breathing problems that can be alleviated by nose surgery. Botox has been used to reduce the wrinkles of breeds like the shar-pei when infection in the folds of the skin become a problem. Some bloodhound owners have even resorted to face-lifts and eye-lifts when sagging skin has resulted in their animal being unable to see.

Then there are the prosthetic testicles. Despite little or no apparent medical benefit, it is estimated that over 500,000 neutered dogs and cats have been fitted with silicon replacements called “Neuticals” since 1995. The company website’s tag line is “It’s like nothing ever changed”. Reality TV personality Kim Kardashian’s dog Rocky even sports a shiny new pair.

It might not be such a bad idea. Despite the inventor being awarded the IG Nobel Prize, a less than complimentary parody of the Nobel Prize, Neuticals have also garnered an endorsement from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. It turns out that many pet owners hesitate to neuter their dogs because of the perceived stress and depression caused by the trauma of the procedure. The availability of Neuticals leads some owners to neuter their pets that otherwise wouldn’t, and that, thinks the SPCA, is a good thing.

Hopefully most pet owners will consider a few imperfections as just part of their beloved pet’s charm and personality, but for some situations there are surgical alternatives available to help their pets live a healthy happy life.