Monday, February 29, 2016

This Dog Has The Most Adorable Brace Face You'll Ever See

This adorable pup's metal mouth smile will take you back to high school. 


The Harborfront Hospital for Animals in Spring Lake, Michigan, shared a photo on its Facebook page last week of Wesley the dog with a mouthful of braces. Veterinarian James Moore, who's been a "doggie dentist" for more than a decade, gave the pooch braces to help Wesley close his mouth effectively. 





Unsurprisingly, the photo has taken the Internet by storm, with animal lovers and former braces-wearers alike completely charmed by Wesley's smile. 


Moore told The Huffington Post that Wesley, who actually belongs to Moore's daughter, Molly, has a "rostral cross-bite" which prevents him from closing his mouth correctly. The pooch has to wear his braces for four-six weeks before he'll be able to flash his pearly whites. 





While the adorable photo has shocked many with its cuteness, Moore told HuffPost that the procedure is actually fairly common in his field. However, dogs aren't given braces just so they can have a nice smile. 


"We place orthodontic appliances in dog’s mouths to alleviate pain and dysfunction," he said. "We do not perform orthodontia for aesthetic purposes."


While human braces can sometimes feel extremely annoying, Wesley seems to be taking his metal mouth pretty well. 


"Wesley does not seem to bothered in the slightest," the doctor said. "We make every effort to control discomfort in our patients."


There are some similarities between human and dog orthodontics, though. The doctor said that the equipment used on pups like Wesley is the same as the equipment used in human orthodontics.


While he's pleasantly surprised at the attention Wesley's photo has received, he told HuffPost that the photo comes with an important lesson. 


"I think that Wesley is an adorable dog and I feel that it is important that we educate people to the importance of maintaining their pets’ oral health."


And Wesley? Well he's just soaking up his newfound fame. 


"He is happily enjoying some of the benefits of his celebrity (although he already had ample hugs, kisses and belly rubs)," a post reads on the hospital's Facebook page. 

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.











No comments:

Post a Comment