Toothless Tonks Tuesday

Today, Tonks wanted to share a shot from the same photo shoot as her post from last week. This time, though, she wanted to show off her teeth. Or, her lack thereof.

As you can see, Tonks does indeed have some teeth. But, did you count her canine teeth in that photo? She has but one. Both Tonks and Thimble underwent dentals back in October. While Thimble lost the most teeth that day and now has a bottom jaw with essentially no teeth, Tonks lost three of her four canines. Her upper right canine was the only one to survive the dental procedure.

Tonks hopes seeing her adorable, partially toothless self helped brighten your day!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

We've been experiencing some rain and wet snow these days. The umbrella has indeed made more than one appearance lately, and so this doodle seemed apt enough for today.

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Tip of the Day

For today's Spay/Neuter Awareness Month tip, we're discussing how it is important to be aware of your cat or dog's age and size, and to have them spayed or neutered at an appropriate, safe, effective time of their kittenhood or puppyhood. This is important, for one, because cats can potentially become pregnant as early as 4 or so months of age. Dogs fall not far behind that, with the potential for becoming pregnant at 5 or so months old. Should your kitten or puppy get loose, this means they could come back pregnant even at such a young age.

In addition, spaying or neutering your furbaby before they go through their first estrus or pregnancy will give them the best chance of remaining free from related health issues later in life, such as mammary cancer. Spaying or neutering before their first cycle can also help to potentially reduce the display of certain behaviors, such as spraying. Though certain such health or behavioral issues can still arise even if a furbaby is spayed or neutered, having this surgery performed before their first cycle can reduce the risk.

So, then, when should you have your cat or dog spayed or neutered? The short answer is to discuss this with your veterinarian. Ultimately, it depends on the individual animal's overall health and development. For typical, healthy kittens and puppies, the AVMA has endorsed spaying and neutering as early as two month of age, and/or when the kitten or puppy has reached two pounds. Many shelters and rescues follow this practice. Some veterinarians will prefer to wait a little longer, such as when the kitten or puppy has reached three, four, or even five months of age. Essentially, a veterinarian will best be able to determine when is the best time for your furbaby to be safely and effectively spayed or neutered, so of course discuss this with a professional.