ABCNews.com

Reporter's Notebook: Pawdicures and Neuticles -- Inside the World of Dog Plastic Surgery

PHOTO: A British bloodhound named Junior got a facelift. His owner said that before the surgery, when Junior leaned over, his skin fell over his face.

How far do you think a dog owner would go to primp their pooch?

Whatever you're thinking, the answer is: further.

At the Atlanta Dog Spa we met Anais Hayden, a canine creative stylist, who was busy giving a terrier called Frankie Beans a blueberry facial, before giving his friend Boomer Junior a "pawdicure." Yes, a pawdicure.

"Creative styling is where you add a little bit of color," explains Hayden. "Whether that's rhinestones, a little bit of glitter ..."

Watch the full story on "Pet Crazy" Friday at 10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. CT on "20/20"

Her psychedelic creations are astounding. She even paints dogs' nails. And the dog owners -- or "mommies and daddies," as Hayden calls them -- love the results, because their dogs turn heads in the park, and back home they are clean, fragrant and "kissable."

Courtesy Denise Smart; ABC News
A British bloodhound named Junior got a... View Full Size
PHOTO: A British bloodhound named Junior got a facelift. His owner said that before the surgery, when Junior leaned over, his skin fell over his face.
Courtesy Denise Smart; ABC News
A British bloodhound named Junior got a facelift. His owner said that before the surgery, when Junior leaned over, his skin fell over his face.
Pet Crazy: Naughty Dog Maji Watch Video
Woman Choreographed Dances With Dog Watch Video
Laser Therapy for Arthritis in Dogs Watch Video

And do the dogs like it? "They love it," replies Hayden, as she brushes Boomer Junior's teeth.

Hayden goes only skin deep. But some dog owners go far deeper in pursuit of canine beauty, tattooing their dogs' flesh (which requires a full anesthetic) and even piercing their ears.

And then there's surgery: plastic surgery. We've heard tell of a Chihuahua in Florida that had liposuction, although only a pound of fat was removed. There's a mutt in South Africa who has been fitted with a titanium nose. An Australian dog called Roland had a brow lift. A Saint Bernard in England had a full face lift. Dogs are injected with Botox, have braces fitted to their teeth, and canine nose jobs are pretty commonplace.

But surely dogs don't care what they look like.

"There's no bikini season for dogs," explains Dr. Marty Becker, a renowned small-animal veterinarian with a clinic in Idaho. "There's no ultra-thin dog models on Animal Planet."

on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook
You are using an outdated version of Internet Explorer. Please click here to upgrade your browser in order to comment.
blog comments powered by Disqus
 
You Might Also Like...
Connect with 20/20
Social Tools Facebook Twitter Twitter Connect with 20/20 YouTube RSS
ABC News Newsletters
 
Today in ABC News
1