'My dog keeps eating my ears': Patient returns for her third time after pet mistakes prosthetic for chew toy on Body Parts

When Karen lost her ear to cancer, she didn't expect to return to the specialist so quickly.

Her anaplastologist Allison Vest made Karen's first prosthetic ear... and her second and her third for one very odd reason.

"My dog keeps eating my ears," said Karen with a smile.

In an episode of Body Parts, which you can stream for free on 9Now, Karen explained how she lost her ear to skin cancer in 2017, before being fitted with a brand new prosthetic (hopefully) one last time.

Stream episodes of Body Parts for free on 9Now.

"Being so close to the brain, it had to go away," said Karen of the cancer. "It's much better to lose a body part than your life."

In the video below, Karen explains her story.
WARNING: This video contains graphic content.

Doctors removed Karen's ear canal and grafted skin from her shoulder to use as "patchwork", she recalled.

READ MORE: Heartwarming moment boy sees his new prosthetic ears after losing both in a dog attack

She was then given a "beautiful" prosthetic ear that Karen admitted, her dog keeps mistaking for a chew toy.

"Dogs have repeatedly not been a prosthetic's best friend," said Allison. "To the point where it's in our written instructions 'Do not let your pets eat this'".

"My poor ear," Allision couldn't help but laugh. "It's a pretty fun chew toy apparently."

Allison kept a "time capsule" that housed all the physical models of past patients in case they'd ever come in handy. For Karen's sake, luckily she did.

"I admire Karen's positivity in so many ways," Allison smiled. "And that fact that she loves her dog so much that she'll just keep getting some ears."

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A couple of weeks later and Karen was "so ready" to see her new ear. She even brought in earrings to try.

Catch the heartwarming moment here:

"When Allison brought out my ear, I was absolutely overwhelmed," Karen beamed. "She is a true magician."

READ MORE: Is it OK to treat myself to something sweet every day?

Karen promised to keep her new ear far away from her curious pup.

"But never say never," she added with a cheeky grin.

You can catch Karen's full story and more of Allison's life-changing transformations in 'Ep 2 They Look So Real' of Body Parts on 9Now.

Stream episodes of Body Parts for free on 9Now.

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