Snow Leopard

Snow Leopard
Snow Leopard cub (7 mos old) - Cape May County Zoo

Monday, April 4, 2011

Plastic Surgery for Dogs (and Cats)

This isn't a story about Hollywood stars and their pooches. 


This is medically indicated surgery that I sometimes call "plastic surgery" because people can relate to it that way.


A few procedures that would be in this category:


1. Rhinoplasty aka "nose job." In this case, it's for dogs with stenotic nares or very narrow nostrils. These dogs have a lot of trouble breathing and are often quite noisy. Primarily a problem in breeds like pugs, Bulldogs, shih tzus, Boston terriers, puggles (not a breed..a MIX of a pug and beagle), and a few others, this is best corrected at the time of spaying or neutering. This can be done several ways but the essence involves removing a wedge of the nostril to create a larger opening.  This is also seen in some cat breeds such as Persians. 






2. Entropion surgery. The condition entropion, is when the eyelids roll inward. This causes the little hairs to be in constant contact with the cornea, causing pain and in many cases, corneal ulcers. In this surgery, we removed a small piece of skin from above or below the affected lid that would allow the eyelid to lay as it's supposed to against the eye. Breeds with a lot of extra facial skin/folds are more prone to it (Bulldogs, Shar Peis, Newfoundlands, etc). I have also seen it in a few cats. 






3.  Vulvoplasty. This is a procedure used for dogs that have what we call a recessed vulva. The vulva is covered by the tissue and skin around it, creating a great environment for skin infections but also predisposing these dogs to urinary tract infections. The surgery is similar to what we do with entropion, in that, we are removing enough skin to allow the vulva to be in a more normal position.  

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