Plastic surgery has been around for centuries, but there’s one form that is new and gaining momentum: Plastic surgery for pets.
It’s so become so popular that plastic surgery for our dogs and cats is now a $50 billion industry, according to an article by Bloomberg Businessweek. And there are many explanations why, experts believe, this trend is taking off right now.
Chris Ashton, co-founder of the pet insurance company PetPlan, said there could be several factors behind this trend. People are having human children later in life and pets earlier, so they have more disposable income to spend on their pets. Empty nesters often get pets, too, and they often have the most disposable income to spend on their animals.
And just what kind of plastic surgery are we talk about? Pretty much the same kind of procedures humans get. Ashton says that dogs with squishy faces (like bulldogs or Boston terriers) frequently suffer from obstructed airways due to their saggy skin. In which case, some owners may opt to give Fido a nose job to save his life and keep him breathing.
Just like procedures meant for humans, these measures could save or increase their quality of life. And for any owner who knows what it’s like to think of a pet as family, plastic surgery may be the saving grace you’ve been waiting for.