Three-year-old Basset Hound Chief required a surgical “face lift” after his excessively saggy skin began to negatively impact his way of life.
A Basset Hound has been given a chance to see the world around him after having a facelift to remove 1kg (2.2lb) of saggy skin.
Three-year-old Chief had plastic surgery after his owner noticed he was struggling to see due to his drooping eyelids.
Owner Tracey McDermott, 40, from County Wicklow near Dublin, Ireland, said: “We realized when Chief was just a puppy that his eyes were quite droopy – more than seemed normal.
“As he grew and became bigger, so did the problem with his sight, so we were increasingly concerned about him.
“We would call his name and he’d lift his head up to try and see where we were but you could see he was struggling.
“We were constantly using eye drops to moisturize his eyes to stop them from becoming dry and sore.
“We realized something had to be done as the skin was starting to cover Chief’s eyes and affect his vision.”
Three-year-old Basset Hound Chief required a surgical “face lift” after his excessively saggy skin began to negatively impact his way of life. PHOTO BY PROMISE HILL VETERINARY HOSPITAL/SWNS
Tracey took Chief to Linnaeus-owned Primrose Hill Veterinary Hospital in Sallynoggin in Dublin where he underwent a five-hour operation.
Veterinary surgeon Mike Woods removed the large section of skin from across the dog’s neck and repositioned his eyelids and eyebrows.
“I then placed walking sutures across the cranial region (skull) to increase tension of the skin back from the eyelids.
“It was a long, challenging surgery but everything went well and at his post operative check-up three weeks later the wound had settled down very well.
“The best news is that Chief is now visual as he no longer has any skin folds obstructing his vision.
“He may need further treatment in the future but, for now, he’s looking very well.”
After a brief stay to recover from the operation earlier this year, Chief is now back home with a relieved Tracey.
“Chief’s sight has significantly improved thanks to Mike and it’s had a really positive impact on his quality of life.
“He was always a happy dog who got on with life in his own way despite the problems he had, now it is great to see him so well – and, of course, for him to see us.”
Produced in association with SWNS Talker
