Face-Off

A face-lift for a dog? Brazilian vet does it all
'Good symmetry is very important'

By MEI-LING HOPGOOD
COX NEWS SERVICE

SAO PAULO, Brazil -- Is Fido in need of a face-lift?

Go see Edgado Brito, who is advancing the practice of pet plastic surgery in a land with a worldwide reputation for making people beautiful by any means.

Brazilians have long been known for their penchant for cosmetic surgery, and Brito has been adapting those techniques for use on animals.

"Plastic surgery is good for dogs!" said Brito, 45, a Doberman breeder who has worked as a veterinarian for 20 years.

He can make protruding ears droop and uses Metacril to straighten bent ears. He uses Botox to fix inverted eyelashes. He has even tightened the mammillae of a couple of female dogs, whose owners wanted to show them after they had given birth.

Simple surgeries usually cost from about $100 to $200.

In Brazil, the United States and Europe, pet plastic surgery is increasingly in demand, despite objections from animal rights activists and some dog breeders.