Nip and tuck gives hound back his smile

A DOG has joined the ranks of more Hollywood A-listers than would probably care to admit it, after undergoing an £8,000 facelift.

But far from going under the knife as a vanity project to cheat nature, five-year-old bloodhound Junior had the op to prevent him going blind.

Concerned owners Denise and David Smart, of Selby, North Yorkshire, decided to take Junior for surgery on a rare disorder that meant he had not grown into his skin properly and the weight of the excess flesh above his face had caused it to fold and cover his eyes.

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But the three-hour facelift was far from your average nip and tuck, specialist Cumbria vet Gary Lewin describing it as the most challenging and delicate one he has ever done.

Mr Smart, a 42-year-old sales manager, said: “Gary said he’d done the same for about 500 spaniels, but the weight and volume on Junior’s head made it the most difficult operation to do.

“It took three hours but it was worth it. He’s a lot less grumpy and aggressive now. He can still be nervous, but he’s a lot happier with life.

“Bloodhounds are very mischievous and are notorious for stealing things, and now Junior’s sight is restored he’s certainly living up to that reputation. We’ve had cordless phones, mobile phones, cameras, remote controls, spectacles and computer mice go missing since the operation and we normally find them chewed up in the garden. It’s great that he is full of life again.”

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Junior, whose father Fortitude was winner of Best in Breed at Crufts 2009, was left with a large scar down his head following the £7,812 operation, but has now made a full recovery and is back with the couple’s other bloodhounds Jasper and Judge, and basset hounds Johnson and Jed.

Mrs Smart, a 49-year-old parental support advisor, said: “It was just a freak quirk of fate, and the vet said he’s never seen a case of this with a bloodhound.”

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