Plastic surgery was the key to helping an orphan dog preserve his sight. The Shar-pei would have gone blind had he not received the gift of a full face lift and double eye lift.
A dog in Australia recently received the gift of plastic surgery when authorities determined he might go blind without it.
According to Sydney’s Daily Telegraph, an orphaned Shar-pei named Roland was suffering from a condition called entropion. This condition caused the dog’s eyelids to fold inward and they were rubbing against his eyes. In time, Roland would have gone blind from the damage and may never have been adopted. And so the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) saw fit to buy the dog a full face lift and double eye lift – which smoothed away wrinkles that were contributing to the problem.
The operation, which lasted an hour and half, cost close to a thousand dollars, but true to its mission, the RSPCA picked up the tab.
“What we have done is made him adoptable,” explained Magdoline Awad, RSPCA chief veterinarian.”It is not uncommon in this breed; it is a congenital problem.” She also said the dog is now more adoptable not only because he can see, but because the society’s efforts have spared the adopting family any surgical expenses.
The Shar-pei breed is rare, and is reportedly one that is available at shelters in high rates, since its congenital problems can be expensive for pet owners. In many cases, Shar-pei owners abandon the animals because of the medical difficulties that naturally develop.
Other breeds, such as the St. Bernard, Cocker Spaniel, Bull Mastiff, Great Dane and Irish Setter, also frequently suffer from the eye disorder entropion. But the Shar-pei breed often begins to experience these symptoms as young as two to three weeks old. Surgery is almost always necessary to correct it. In Roland’s case, however, the family that adopts him can use the money to buy more doggie treats.
