Plastic Surgery For Fido

More And More Pets Getting Nips And Tucks

(CBS) 
Dr. Bill Grant, head of the CVMA task force of lawyers and
veterinarians says, "The practice of veterinary medicine is a highly regulated profession in the state of California. These issues should be dealt with on a statewide basis, not by local ordinance."

Also, the CVMA takes a firm position on cosmetic procedures for animals in general.

Says Grant, "If it's just cosmetic, I think our profession looks at it as unnecessary surgery and would not support doing those procedures.

One such procedure might be the implantation of neuticles, prosthetic replacements for neutered dogs.

Ralph Liberatore didn't want his miniature pinscher, Butch, to be less than Butch after getting neutered.

Liberatore notes, "They're actually more symmetrical than his first pair, so he's actually a little bit better, I think. He looks better."

But what do Liberatore's friends think?

"Even to this day," Liberatore responds, "the most common question is, 'Well, why? Why are you doing that?' Most women will say, 'I just don't get it.' And then men, after a little while, they're like, 'Yeah. Yeah that makes sense — yeah.' "

Butch's neuticles are barely noticeable.

"This isn't about Butch and about, you know, it's all about me," Liberatore says. "It's my issue. I wanted him to be whole in my mind, and that was the decision I was going to make."

It was a small price to pay for a little peace of mind, he says: "Eighty-five dollars each. One-hundred-seventy dollars for the pair."

Addressing Butch, Liberatore adds, "He's got the family jewels. Right, Bud?"
When asked what his wife thinks about the whole thing, Liberatore says she thinks he's nuts.

Some of the cosmetic procedures for pets can be a bit pricey. They range from a few hundred dollars to $2,500 or more for the so-called facelifts.