Buddy is a seven-year-old chiweenie (a chihuahua/dachshund mix) that we just transferred in from another shelter. You could smell Buddy from across the room — and it was his mouth that was the culprit. His teeth were absolutely encrusted in plaque, and the few remaining areas where you could see an actual tooth had visible decay and rot. We immediately scheduled a dental with our veterinarian for the next day.
We received an unexpected phone call during Buddy’s dental procedure. Did we know, they asked, that Buddy had no tongue?
Buddy’s tongue was severed at some point in his life, and the doctor said it appeared to be from a traumatic injury and not a birth defect.
It is well-healed but definitely causes Buddy problems when eating. Ideally, his future home will shape canned dog food into “meatballs” and hand-feed him. Buddy is a very plump nine pounds at the moment, and his target weight should be about 7 pounds or thereabouts, so he does need to lose some weight — but he shouldn’t be hungry while on a diet.
Buddy is now available for adoption with a sparkling clean mouth. He had nine teeth extracted and the remainder were scaled and polished. He’s a sweet, mellow dude who only wants a lap to curl up in and someone to cuddle with. He would benefit from leisurely walks around the neighborhood (though he sometimes stops and demands to be carried).