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5 unusual pet procedures that improve quality of life

People aren't the only ones getting facelifts and breast reductions.

By Matt HickmanMon, Dec 19 2011 at 9:56 AM EST
 10

pug puppy at veterinarian PET PROCEDURES: Doggy nose jobs might sound absurd, but the procedure can improve the lives of small, congenital breathing problem-prone breeds like pugs. (Photo: lumenphoto/iStockphoto)

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While controversial — and often illegal — procedures like ear cropping, tail docking and declawing are nothing new in the world of pet modification, a new, ahem, breed of surgeries that you’d normally associate with your drastically nipped and tucked Aunt Beryl from Atlantic City have become increasingly popular among pet owners in recent years.
 
Most of these procedures won’t require you to fly Princess Chubby Cheeks to Sao Paulo for a facelift or tummy tuck as many established veterinarians specialize in plastic surgery for pets. And although these procedures — we’ve listed five notable ones below — do enhance the physical appearance of your four-legged amigo, most pet-owners consider them not for reasons of vanity. Instead, pets undergo these surgeries to correct discomforting — and often fatal — health conditions (The Humane Society opposes “cosmetic and other forms of surgery on animals when done solely for the convenience or pleasure of the owner and without appropriate benefit to the animal.”). Plus, in addition to providing relief to a suffering pet, we can imagine a better method of warding off intruders than a German shepard with prosthetic testicles and braces.
 
Rhinoplasty
Although a doggy nose job might sound absurd, this procedure is much more common than you might think … and it improves, and often saves, the lives of small, congenital breathing problem-prone breeds (pugs, Boston terriers, bulldogs) with those adorable smooshed-in faces. In addition to bringing comfort to Francois the French bulldog, canine rhinoplasty can help an owner sleep easier as it helps to eliminate or at least decrease the volume of ungodly snoring from a four-legged bedmate. We’re friendly with a pooch, Oprah the pug, that’s undergone a rhinoplasty procedure and although she’s still a bit of a rampant snorter, her quality of life has increased significantly.
 
Facelifts
Pooches such as shar-peis and bulldogs certainly rank high on the adorable scale but sometimes giving them kisses (or getting anywhere near their faces) can be a decidedly stinky affair as their trademark skin folds can often harbor harmful, hard-to-clean bacteria. Full facelifts in which a dog’s facial skin folds are decreased help to alleviate this problem. Post-surgery, facelifted pooches emerge happy and healthy, their wrinkly-faced charm still intact (no, they don’t come out looking like Heidi Montag). Reconstructive skin-fold procedures can also be performed around the eye, tail and vaginal areas to keep bacterial infections at bay.
 
Prosthetic testicular implants
Used to boost Mr. Bojangles self-esteem rather than help treat any debilitating medical issues (unless you count doggy depression and post slice-and-dice trauma), Neuticles are testicular implants made from FDA-approved solid silicone designed to mimic a cojones-free canine’s former doghood, putting that unmistakable swagger back in his step (and sway between his hind legs). Invented by Gregg Miller after his own pooch, Buck the bloodhound, began to show signs of post-neuter malaise, Neuticles are inserted by a veterinarian directly following an altering procedure so that “it’s like nothing ever changed.” Now available in four models and for cats, horses and bulls (!) in addition to dogs, more than 425,000 pairs of Neuticles have been sold since 1995. Satisfied customers include Rocky Kardashian. Why are we not entirely surprised by this?
 
Orthodontics
Although we’ve never personally encountered a dog wearing braces, no doubt we’d stop dead in our tracks if we did. Used more to help ease the pain and periodontal disease associated with abnormal tooth alignment (malocclusion) than for cosmetic enhancement, there is one drawback to canine orthodontics: while Harry the Hazanese is outfitted with braces, bands or a retainer (unlike human orthodontics, the gear stays in for a matter of weeks instead of years) he can’t eat hard food or gnaw away on his favorite rawhide toy. Still, a small sacrifice for emerging with a smile that looks like a million bucks (and costs around $1,000).
 
Breast reduction
Normally performed on rescue dogs that have been subject to extensive over-breeding, canine breast reduction procedures help to eliminate the discomfort (and self-consciousness) that comes along with prematurely sagging mammaries. And no, procedures that enhance a ladydog’s bosom fortunately do not exist. Just don’t tell that to Fred the frisky Jack Russell Terrier who has a thing for ample you-know-whats.
 
Also on MNN:
 

Click for photo credits

Photo (shar-pei): wheany/flickr
Photo (teeth cleaning): Army Medicine/flickr
MNN homepage photo: Shutterstock

 

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Related Topics: Healthy Pets, Pets, Pets & Animals

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anonymous
Tom 12/30/2011 20:07 PM

Prosthetic testicular implants for dogs? The end is near. Armageddon is around the bend. We have lost all control of sanity as we know it.

anonymous
Ezra 12/30/2011 20:16 PM

I had my bulldog neutered and was glad I did. He was the neighborhood terror, what with chasing females and dry humping everything in site, including small children and the back end of a big wheel. I gladly paid to have him fixed. I would never think to place fake balls on that dog. He is ugly enough as it is, worse with that damned swinging sac showing.

anonymous
Dararie 12/30/2011 18:59 PM

we had a female spayed beagle who had recurrent infections of the vaginal area, she ended up needing cosmetic surgery to get rid of the scar tissue, once that was done, her infections decreased dramatically.

anonymous
The Burgie 12/23/2011 23:34 PM

I had a male Siberian Husky who had an impressive pedigree. He was a romeo and was totally fearless. He jumped out of the window of my pickup truck at 35 mph because he smelled a female German Shepherd that was in heat! I thought I was going to have a severly injured or possibly dead dog, but he was always lucky. I found him with the woman who owned the female dog in heat. She thought he was a wolf and was holding her dog up so that he couldn't get to her. I put him back in my truck and he was.... More

anonymous
Enter your name 12/23/2011 19:50 PM

people die of hunger everyday and fake balls for a neuterd dog are a good way to spend cash???

anonymous
Thomas 12/23/2011 19:45 PM

What about dog caterack eye lense replacement?

anonymous
Enter your name 12/23/2011 19:41 PM

beyond stupid. yeah, dogs are capable of embarassment, macho-ness, or self consciousness. Can we stop personifying dogs? Why are there so many dogs with behavioral issues in this country? BECAUSE WE TREAT THEM LIKE AND IMAGINE THEIR BRAINS WORKING LIKE PEOPLE'S!!!!

anonymous
Enter your name 12/23/2011 17:03 PM

need to fix them so they cant bark,

anonymous
Linda 12/23/2011 14:47 PM

I had a small Shetland Sheepdog who lived for 14 years. When she was a puppy she retained baby teeth and which resulted in her canines coming in at all angles. I drove from Long Island to Virginia 3 times over a period of a few months. In the end it cost around $600, but was well worth it because in the end, her adult canines were fine and exactly in place where the should be and most importantly functional. Canine teeth aren't really extractable. My friend who is a veterinarian has a brother.... More

anonymous
Carolyn 12/23/2011 14:15 PM

Cute dog, but not a pug. It's a Boston Terrier.pretty good example of breed standard as far as I can see with it lying down.

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