Golden retriever puppy who has to wear BRACES becomes an instant hit online

An adorable golden retriever who has been fitted with braces has taken the internet by storm. Wesley, a six-month-old puppy from Spring Lake, Michigan, has become an internet celebrity after images of his goofy brace-covered grin went viral.

An adorable golden retriever who has been fitted with braces has taken the internet by storm.

Wesley, a six-month-old puppy from Spring Lake, Michigan, has become an internet celebrity after images of his goofy brace-covered grin went viral. 

The Harborfront Hospital for Animals in Spring Lake shared the images on their Facebook page, featuring the pup from when he was just a tiny newborn up to when a dental problem caused him to be fitted with a mouthful of metal courtesy of his owner Molly Moore's father Jim, a veterinarian. 

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A winning smile: Wesley, a six-month-old golden retriever from Spring Lake, Michigan, has gained online fame after an image of him with braces appeared online

A winning smile: Wesley, a six-month-old golden retriever from Spring Lake, Michigan, has gained online fame after an image of him with braces appeared online

Pretty puppy: As the little dog grew, he began to have trouble closing his mouth, leading to difficulties eating 

Pretty puppy: As the little dog grew, he began to have trouble closing his mouth, leading to difficulties eating 

Happy family: Wesley's owner Molly Moore (pictured) was worried that the sweet pooch was seriously ill 

Happy family: Wesley's owner Molly Moore (pictured) was worried that the sweet pooch was seriously ill 

While it's clear from the photos that the sweet dog has been a looker since birth, she was not able to close his mouth properly because of the position of his teeth. 

'When people hear that Dr. Moore is a "doggie dentist", they immediately say things like: "What? Does he put braces on dogs, too?" The answer is . . . yes. Yes, he does,' read the hospital's Facebook post.

The poor pup was having trouble eating because his teeth alignment - a condition called malocclusion - but luckily he was in the perfect family to do something about it.

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Share Getting a grip: Molly said that she noticed her dog wasn't playing with his toys and losing weight as a result of his teeth problems

Getting a grip: Molly said that she noticed her dog wasn't playing with his toys and losing weight as a result of his teeth problems

To the rescue: Lucky for Wesley, his owner Molly's father Jim Moore (pictured) is a veterinarian that specializes in dentistry

To the rescue: Lucky for Wesley, his owner Molly's father Jim Moore (pictured) is a veterinarian that specializes in dentistry

'He wasn’t playing with his toys and he was losing weight,' Molly explained to Buzzfeed. 'It was very worrying for me, and we needed to do something for him to be pain free and live a happy puppy life.'

And lucky for Wesley, he only needs to wear the braces for a matter of weeks to correct the issue as Molly's father Jim Moore happened to specialize in dog dentistry. 

The photos posted to the hospital's Facebook page show the before and after images of the young retriever, including a photo of Wesley laying on his back looking up at the camera with his braces poking out of his mouth.  

Sorting it out: Jim used his skills to help Wesley into a snug set of braces to have him good as new and eating in no time

Sorting it out: Jim used his skills to help Wesley into a snug set of braces to have him good as new and eating in no time

Telling it like it is: Jim explained that the braces are only performed for practical reasons, adding 'we don’t place braces or any oral appliances in the mouth for aesthetics'

Telling it like it is: Jim explained that the braces are only performed for practical reasons, adding 'we don’t place braces or any oral appliances in the mouth for aesthetics'

On his way: Wesley will be back to his old self soon enough, as he will only need to wear the braces for a matter of weeks On his way: Wesley will be back to his old self soon enough, as he will only need to wear the braces for a matter of weeks

On his way: Wesley will be back to his old self soon enough, as he will only need to wear the braces for a matter of weeks

'It obviously doesn't bother him one little bit (if you look at the "after" photo),' added the hospital. 'He's a happy little guy.'

Dr. Moore, who also does other oral surgeries and Endodontics, added: 'We don’t place braces or any oral appliances in the mouth for aesthetics. We do this for pain or function.' 

The images of Wesley, shared in honor of National Pet Dental Health month, quickly took off online. 

Since being posted on Friday, Wesley's story has been shared over 280,000 times and liked by over 250,000. 

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