Safari's dental has been cancelled. The vet wants her to meet with the board-certified dental specialist before they move forward. I'm keeping my fingers crossed he's seen something as horrific as her mouth before (as sick as that sounds), and he will have an idea how to best proceed.
I posted my own mini-rant on Facebook, but I will copy and paste it here too, so others will hopefully see it and think twice when seeking out a "teacup."
Here it is:
This is why I cringe when anyone tells me they want a "teacup" or asks me how much Rory and Lane weigh (who are virtual giants in the Yorkie world - giants that can still be safely secured in a carrier to travel in cabin on planes with me). I know for some it is ignorance, and once they actually educate themselves and see just how "big" a five pound dog is that they are horrified at the prospect of owning a pup half that size or less. But for many, their selfish desire for a gerbil-sized dog outweighs the pain and suffering these dogs and their puppies face at the hands of these so-called tiny breeders. These greeders shoulder much of the blame, but the people who seek them out knowing all of this are just as complicit.
My hope is to educate the ignorant people, so they too will stand up and give a voice to these innocent animals and to hopefully make those who intentionally seek tiny dogs out think twice. Money is a very strong-motivator, so I don’t think there is much that can be said to change the mind of these greeders who breed for deliberately tiny dogs.
I get it. Many of us are programmed to think tiny is cute, but there is nothing cute about the health issues many of these dogs endure. And even the “lucky” ones that are healthy are much more likely to be injured by things that wouldn’t be nearly as threatening to a larger dog. While it’s true that on rare occasions reputable breeders may find themselves with a puppy that does not mature to the adult weight they would like, it is not the norm, and the homes these dogs are eventually placed in are not ones that would try to capitalize on the small size of their dog.
I’m beginning to think a toy breed dog’s weight should be like a lady’s weight. You know better than to ask a lady what she weighs, and most ladies who are willing to share are just trying to brag.
I beg of everyone to stop coveting tiny dogs. Do it for Safari, a little love muffin, who is so undeserving of the hand she’s been dealt.