In the USA, new trend sends pets under the knife for plastic surgery

The Kroll Show on Comedy Central has a terrific skit about Dr. Armond, a dog plastic surgeon, but pet 'braces', cosmetic eye replacements, and tummy tucks are no joke. Some owners are putting their pets under the knife to give them a new look. Kaiser the Doberman is recovering from 'ear implant' surgery for perfectly upright ears. His owner is Heather Hughes, who is also a vet. She says, "The cartilage has not stiffened all the way, so his ears did not stand up completely." Mesh implants for ear 'lifts' are one of the many new advancements in pet plastic surgery. The cosmetic changes are happening in and out of the operating room. There are even pictures online of dogs with pierced ears and artsy tattoos, and ads for implants to 'help' neutered pooches. No matter that the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Humane Society of the United States are against performing surgery for only cosmetic reasons.