“Tattoo” gives Jack Russell terrier new leash on life

Apply sunscreen, stay out of the sun… these are easy solutions to prevent sun damage to humans. But to pets, it is not that easy, and if you have a pet with no melanin pigment in their eyelids, it is even more crucial.

Thanks to West Acres Animal Hospital and a local tattoo artist, Leeroy Snyman, a three-year-old local Jack Russell terrier named Chester can now live a normal life in the harsh Lowveld sun.

What was once seen as a controversial procedure, has become a common practice in the veterinary world these days.

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Tattooing areas with a lack of pigment (like eyelids or the tips of ears) in animals like dogs and cats can prevent skin cancers, sunburn, and skin inflammation, infections and irritations.

While other local vets have already started to explore this avenue, West Acres Animal Hospital recently did its first of these procedures on Chester.
According to Dr Jacqui Hardy of the hospital, Chester’s owner, Larisa du Buson, approached them to treat him.

“I saw another vet doing the procedure on Facebook a while ago and asked our vet at West Acres Animal Hospital if they also did this,” said Du Buson.

Dr Nicola Colborne was the veterinarian in charge of Chester’s anaesthetic and the procedure. Dr Hardy explained that with the anaesthetic, there was very little discomfort involved for the animal.

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“Chester was under full general anaesthetic during the entire procedure. He received pain medication and anti-inflammatories before the procedure as well as for a few days thereafter. He did very well and his owner says he has healed very well,” said Hardy.

For the procedure, Chester’s hair was shaved off in the area, but Du Buson said it has grown back nicely over his “tattoo”, to such an extent that you cannot even really notice it anymore.

Screamn’ Skin Tattoos’ Snyman was the artist behind Chester’s “permanent make-up”. A friend remarked on his personal Facebook page that he was now “Dr Leeroy”, but he said he was merely doing what he could to help.

Hardy also referred to the Johannesburg Animal Eye Hospital, which offers the same procedure.

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On its website, it provides “a scientific and objective view of current information regarding the presence of skin cancer in animals and tattooing with black ink as an option that could assist in reducing the chance of skin cancer in pale-skinned animals.

“Many of our domestic pets are born with no dark melanin pigment around their eyelids, noses and ears, and this frequently leads to serious pathology as a result of sun damage.

“All breeds with pale and pink skin such as Jack Russell terriers, fox terriers, bull terriers, Maltese terriers and white cats, for example, are at high risk of developing skin cancer.”

It goes on to say that even certain horse breeds such as the Appaloosa and Palomino are at risk.
Hardy said they have received quite a positive reaction to the procedure and reckons this is because they have the science to back it up.