6-month-old puppy shows off his mouth full of braces

Just like most teens, a 6-month-old puppy named Wesley has a mouth full of braces.

He proudly showed off his ‘brace face’in a photo that was posted to the Harborfront Hospital for AnimalsFacebook account on Feb. 26. They have since said that they are “overwhelmed by the outpouring of care and interest from around the nation” for Wesley.

Wesley, agolden retriever puppywas having trouble chewing foods and closing his mouth. His owner, Molly Moore, told ABC News that he was starting to lose weight because he wasn’t able to eat and he wasn’t playing with his toys anymore.

Moore’s father, Dr. James Moore, is a veterinarian at HarborfrontHospital for Animals in Spring Lake, Michigan. He put the braces on Wesley on Feb. 19 to help with his tooth alignment. They should be coming off in the next few weeks, according to the New York Daily News.

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Dr. Moore, often referred to as ‘Doggie Dentist’,explained that braces for dogs are the same as ones for humans. It is rare for dogs to need braces but not unheard of. Harborfront said that pet orthodontia is primarily because of health concerns.

Wesley is coping just fine with his medal hardware. Despite being able to eat onlysoft foods, Moore said he is “still his puppyish self.” She said the one wayhe knows something is different is that he still cannot play with his toys yet.

Harborfront shared thephoto to Facebook in honor ofFebruary being National Pet Dental Health month. The hospital wanted to spread the word and wrote in the post that dental health is just as important for pets as it is for humans.