A rescue shelter discovered a stray dog had a second mouth growing on the side of her head – and it even had teeth and salivated.
The five-year-old mutt, Toad, arrived as a stray to the Oklahoma City Animal Welfare shelter.
She then made her way to Mutt Misfits, a nearby rescue centre for animals with major medical conditions, where they discovered her unusual second mouth in the spot where her ear should be.
The five-year-old mutt, named Toad, arrived as a stray to the Oklahoma City Animal Welfare shelter
Heather Hernandez, the charity’s founder and Toad’s owner, said: ‘Immediately we recognized that she was very different to most dogs.
‘She was initially showing lots of aggression but once she and I got together, that all disappeared.
‘Upon her initial intake exam at the shelter, our veterinarian originally thought she had extra ears.
‘But once we sedated her for her spay surgery, that’s when we discovered that she actually only has one ear and two mouths!’
She then made her way to Mutt Misfits, a nearby rescue centre for animals for major medical conditions, where they discovered her unusual second mouth in the spot where her ear should be
The second mouth is said to rarely cause Toad pain aside from ‘some discomfort’ due to cracked teeth.
Ms Hernandez said: ‘We originally thought it had two teeth but we did a dental cleaning on the ear a few weeks ago and discovered it has several.
‘A few of the ear teeth had cracked, which caused some discomfort, but once we removed the broken teeth she was good as new.
‘The main teeth we kept since they appear to be attached to the skull.
‘We certainly can’t rule out that the ear mouth might cause further issues in the future but that’s okay, we can just take it one day at a time.’
But the second mouth is unable to function normally and doesn’t have a jaw to allow it to open and close.
The second mouth is said to rarely cause Toad pain aside from ‘some discomfort’ due to cracked teeth
‘It has what looks like lips in which the opening of the lips are the part that actively salivates,’ Ms Hernandez said.
‘The ear mouth does not have a jaw though so it doesn’t actually open and close. The skin and ear lips are what move primarily.’
But Toad’s owner said that despite her unusual medical condition, the mutt’s life is fairly normal.
She said: ‘She doesn’t hear, see or smell very well because everything in her head is misaligned, but otherwise she’s totally normal.
But Toad’s owner Heather Hernandez said that despite her unusual medical condition, the mutt’s life is fairly normal
‘She is very devoted and loyal to her family. She thinks she’s a lap dog and always insists on sitting on my lap.
‘All of the other dogs move out of the way for her, everyone has accepted that she gets special attention because our bond is so tight.’
Other mainstays at Mutt Misfits include Scary Jack, who owes his unusual appearance to a severe case of puppy strangles.
Heather said: ‘The charity was formed because in shelter settings there aren’t many organizations that specialize in the special needs pups.
‘Most rescue groups take in highly adoptable pups from shelters and rehome them. We focus on animals with major medical issues and saving the sick and injured pets.
‘We like to help people to understand that animals don’t have to be perfect to make perfect pets.’
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