A two-year-old bulldog called Tuna had major facelift surgery - and now looks like a different dog.
However, the reason she had to have the surgery wasn’t for vanity - but because her breed’s genetics can cause distressing breathing difficulties.
Flat-faced ‘brachycephalic’ breeds - like English bulldogs, French bulldogs and pugs - can struggle to breathe because of the structure of their faces, which in turn can lead to them suffering and expensive vet bills for owners.
Tuna was rescued by the RSPCA in September as part of an animal welfare investigation and was taken in by vet nurse Katherine Maling, who works at Blackberry Farm Animal Centre in Buckinghamshire. The young dog had many health problems due to being bred to have an extremely flat face and had to sleep with her head propped on a pillow to help her breathe while she was sleeping. Determined to give her a good quality of life, Katherine booked for Tuna to have major surgery to help relieve some of her discomfort and help improve her quality of life.
Katherine said: “Tuna had facial-fold resection surgery - which is like a facelift - to remove some of the excess skin from around her face and muzzle.
“The ‘rope’ - or the roll of excess skin - around her nose was causing her a lot of issues, like sore skin and hot spots that often led to infections. The weight of it also pulled her eyelids down, which made her eyes weep. The ‘rope’ was causing her lots of issues.
“Facial fold surgery is a big operation but it was worth it for Tuna as it’s given her a new lease of life. Some owners like the ‘rope’ on their dog’s face because of how it looks, but there is no benefit to them having it.”
Thanks to her surgeries, Tuna is now a happy, active dog who does plenty of exercise - including obedience training.
