A toothless golden retriever has gone viral on TikTok after its owner explained why his tongue is sticking out of his mouth.
Since he was just a puppy, Jax the Golden Retriever was getting sick on a regular basis and each time he had serious complications. Jax’s owner Erin Smith, 32, explained that he developed serious dental disease when he was 1 year old and despite her best efforts to save his teeth, they had to be removed.
Smith had shared a video on her TikTok account @agoldendogmom, responding to one person asking why Jax’s tongue is sticking out. She explained that he didn’t have any teeth to hold it in his mouth.
The TikTok video detailing Jax’s “Toothless Dog Story” was posted on March 3rd and has already garnered more than 435,000 views and 60,000 likes.
Photos of Jax with his “iconic” tongue hanging out. The Golden Retriever had some teeth removed when he was 1 year old and the rest when he was 2 years [email protected]
Details on canine dental disease can be found at Veterinarians.org, which notes that they are not fatal on their own. However, if left untreated, dental disease can lead to life-threatening complications. It can spread to organs, possibly causing heart disease or kidney failure.
Smith, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has taken Jax to many specialists. Though vets are yet to issue an official diagnosis, it’s thought he may have an autoimmune condition that’s preventing his body from fighting off bacteria.
After sharing the story of her “special boy” on TikTok, Smith told Newsweek about the health journey Jax has been on so far.
Smith said: “Jax has had bizarre health issues since he was a puppy. He gets sick very easily and every time he gets sick he has a very extreme reaction.
“We’ve dealt with everything from skin irritations, allergies, coughs, sensitive stomachs and infections. He also has vitiligo, which makes his skin blotchy,” she added.
“The most logical explanation for all of his problems is that his immune system isn’t working properly and isn’t able to fight off disease or infection like a healthy dog would.” The vets suspect he has some kind of autoimmune disease, but we’ve never been able to officially diagnose anything.”
Jax’s teeth were removed in two phases; the first lot at the age of 1 and the second lot at the age of 2.
However, Smith said a toothless dog doesn’t stop Jax from doing much and it certainly doesn’t bring him down.
“Jax developed serious dental disease when he was a 1 year old and the canine dentist believes it was due to his not being able to fight off the normal bacteria that get into his mouth. We tried everything to save his teeth but nothing worked. ” She said.
“After having his teeth removed he was much happier and healthier. He even regained a healthy weight which made us realize that being toothless was the best decision for him.”
Smith said: “Overall he’s a very happy dog without his teeth and that doesn’t stop him from doing much. He can’t play tug-of-war or chew bones anymore, but that’s it. He still loves to play with toys, can carry things in his mouth and eats great.”
Continue reading
Since sharing the story of Jax’s “iconic” tongue sticking out of his mouth, Smith now hopes to encourage other dog owners to trust their instincts about what’s best for their pup’s health.
Smith added, “Jax got so much love from the video. He always had his iconic tongue sticking out, so I started posting about him hoping it would bring other people as much joy as it did us.
“I also hope that our story can inspire people to trust themselves to make the best health decisions for their animals. It was so hard making the decision to have his teeth removed at such a young age, but his health and happiness have now confirmed that it was for the best for him.”
Hundreds of TikTok users have commented on the video to express their love and admiration for Jax. One person wrote: “Jax is so adorable! What a sweet story, so glad he is a happy pup and loved so much.”
Another TikTok user wrote: “Jax you look so good! Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet that you want to share? Send them to [email protected] with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
