Bloodhound blinded by his ‘hanging’ skin gets facelift to see again

Luca takes in all the sight after regaining all of his sight.

According to SWNS, the 6-year-old bloodhound recently started bumping into furniture and struggling to get around due to his sagging skin. Bloodhounds are known for their wrinkled appearance, but for Luca, his folds went too far and began to cover his eyes.

“What caused the problem was that the skin on top of his head lost its elasticity and because of the weight of his ears it pulled the skin forward and Luca couldn’t see,” the dog’s owner, Sheilah Needham, told to socket outlet.

After watching the dog run into objects and struggle to walk straight due to his blurred vision and knowing the problem would only get worse as Lucas’ skin continued to sag, Needham made the difficult decision to seek surgery for his pet.

“Luca needed something to help him see again,” she says.

Needham and Luca ended up at the Veterinary Vision animal hospital in Sunderland, England, where doctors recommended a five-hour operation that included a rhytidectomy facelift.

“Luca’s vision was gradually deteriorating due to the drooping facial skin and cataracts,” Lucas’ vet, Lyndsay Moss, told SWNS. “It was a major operation for Luca to undergo at his age and a difficult decision for his concerned owners to make to accept an operation.”

The surgery involved removing Lucas’ tongue’s excess skin and moving his facial fur to prevent future sagging.

“Now that Luca has had the successful procedure, his vision has improved significantly,” says Moss, adding that the dog is more “active” and “interested in his surroundings.”

Needham agrees. She has noticed a remarkable difference in Lucas’ mobility and vision since his surgery and recovery.

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“Luca’s quality of life has changed so much since his procedure,” said the pet parent. “He really looks like he’s enjoying life.

“When he runs, it’s much faster and his head is up instead of following his nose,” she added. “He can even find his toys a lot easier when he’s playing around the house.”