A dog with no nose who was almost put down because nobody wanted her has finally found a home.
Bonnie, a Border Collie cross, was rescued in Romania and was on the verge of being put down due to the extent of the injuries she sustained as a stray.
The pooch was found with her snout missing, leaving a large, open wound, and part of her front left leg missing as well.
Scroll down for video
Bonnie, a Border Collie cross who is missing its nose and part of its leg, has finally found a home
The pooch was found with her snout missing, leaving a large, open wound, and part of her front left leg missing as well
Kate Comfort, 29, from Canterbury, spotted Bonnie on Facebook and adopted her months later
Bonnie was brought over to the UK by Beacon Animal Rescue Centre where Kate Comfort, 29, from Canterbury, spotted Bonnie on their Facebook page.
It was love at first site for Kate and Bonnie was officially adopted her a few months later.
Kate, a civil servant, said: ‘We adopted Bonnie from Beacon Animal Rescue Centre which is run by my best friend Rebecca.
‘Rebecca put up a post of her with her beautiful big soulful eyes and huge ears and I just fell in love.
‘I had trouble trying to convince my husband at first – as we already had three dogs – but no one wanted Bonnie so I said that I would foster her until we could find her the perfect home.
Bonnie was rescued in Romania and was on the verge of being put down due to the extent of the injuries she sustained as a stray
Bonnie the sweet dog with no nose has finally found a forever home
‘The fact no one wanted her made me want her more, she was vulnerable and needed love.
‘It turned out that her perfect home was our home and we ended up adopting Bonnie ourselves!’
Kate admits she was alarmed by Bonnie’s appearance at first but grew used to it the more time she spent with the dog.
Kate and her husband, Ross, 31, wanted to gain experience of taking care of dogs with unique needs but ended up falling in love with Bonnie and couldn’t give her up.
Upon the decision to adopt her, they began fundraising for Bonnie to get a prosthetic leg, but the wound on her stump kept opening up.
They were advised to remove it and wished they had done it sooner; Bonnie is now completely pain-free and as agile as the couple’s other dogs.
Kate admits she was alarmed by Bonnie’s appearance at first but grew used to it the more time she spent with the dog
Kate and her husband, Ross, 31, wanted to gain experience of taking care of dogs with unique needs but ended up falling in love with Bonnie and couldn’t give her up
Kate said: ‘We thought about paying for Bonnie to have the surgery, but once we realised it would have been purely cosmetic and would have made no positive impact on her life then we decided against it.
‘We thought putting Bonnie through an operation to try to make her look more “normal” would have been cruel.
‘Our Bonnie is perfectly imperfect, we love her just how she is and if anyone is offended by how she looks, then that is their problem – not ours.’
Despite some negative comments towards Bonnie, she boasts 14,000 followers on Instagram where she goes by the name of Bonnie the Brave, with her pictures receiving thousands of likes.
Kate added: ‘I originally created an Instagram page for her when we were trying to raise money for her to have surgery but, even though the surgery never took place, her followers have grown and grown and we have been overcome by how much impact Bonnie’s life is having on people.
It’s not certain what happened to Bonnie’s face with all of her nose and front part of her mouth missing
Despite some negative comments towards Bonnie, she boasts 14,000 followers on Instagram
‘She is an advocate for unique dogs and we have had so much kindness and positivity, it’s just incredible.
‘In person, most people are amazed by her but again, we have had some negative responses.
‘There have been people who have actively shouted and screamed at Bonnie with one person even trying to kick her.
‘People have referred to her as “it” or a “thing” which hurts my feelings as she deserves the same amount of love as any other dog.
It’s not certain what happened to Bonnie’s face with all of her nose and front part of her mouth missing, but they suspect it was done by a human when she was living on the streets.
Kate said: ‘Bonnie is one of the best things to happen to us and I’m so glad we gave her the home and family she deserves’
Kate said: ‘We aren’t totally sure what happened to Bonnie, the girl and her mum who found Bonnie thought it was a train because they had seen her there previously.
‘The other suggestion is that an animal did it, perhaps a fox or a wolf or even a human but we simply do not know.
‘Despite this, Bonnie isn’t wary of people, so if it was a human, she is very forgiving.
‘But then again, animals are forgiving creatures – they never fail to amaze me with how tolerant and forgiving they are when subjected to cruelty and abuse.
‘I prefer animals to humans, I wish we were more like them, which is maybe why I surround myself with animals, rather than people.
‘Bonnie is one of the best things to happen to us and I’m so glad we gave her the home and family she deserves.’
To keep up with Bonnie’s adventures follow her at @bravebonbon on Instagram.
What White Tongue Is, and What to Do About It
There are many possible causes for white tongue, and in some cases, it comes with an unpleasant odor and mouth dryness. To get rid of it, sometimes you just need to brush your teeth. But what should you do if that doesn’t help?
❗ This article is for informative purposes only and can’t replace the advice of a specialist.
What white tongue is
The white film may cover the entire tongue, part of it, or appear as spots. At the same time, an unpleasant odor and taste in the mouth may appear. It looks as if there are small white hairs on the tongue’s surface. In fact, they are buds covered with organic particles, bacteria, and dead cells.
White plaque on the tongue (which can also be yellow) may appear for different reasons, like due to irritation or because of an infection. It usually disappears after several days. If the situation doesn’t change for several weeks, and it’s painful to eat and talk, it’s best to see a doctor.
It’s important to note that the plaque may not only be white. While a pink tongue is normal, a brown tongue means the person drinks too much coffee or tea. A yellow tongue means there’s something wrong with the liver, and a red tongue is a sign that the person lacks vitamin B.
Why the tongue becomes white
Usually, the tongue becomes white due to bacteria, leftover bits of food, or dead cells that get stuck in between the buds. Because of this, the buds may increase in size or become inflamed. This is how white spots on the tongue’s surface appear.
Sometimes, the plaque appears due to an illness. For example, the geographic tongue is also a condition where white spots appear on the tongue. It’s quite rare, and the causes are unknown, but the condition itself is often connected to eating foods that irritate the tongue. It may also be a reaction to stress, an illness, or hormonal changes.
Why white plaque appears on the tongue
There are some things that make the appearance of white plaque on the tongue more probable:
- Age
- Taking antibiotics (white-yellow plaque appearing when there’s a fungal infection in the mouth)
- A diet that’s lacking enough fruits, vegetables, vitamin B12, and iron
- A weak immune system
- Bad mouth hygiene
- Dental prosthetics or other objects that can damage the tongue
- Dehydration and mouth dryness
What piercings have to do with white tongue
Right after piercing the tongue, there might be some white film present. This happens because the number of bacteria on the tongue increases, and it’s normal. Antibacterial mouthwash will help you get rid of it. Plus, there might be a ring around the piercings, which is normal too, and it means the tissue is healing.
If the plaque appears due to an injury (including piercings), the healing should take around 1.5 weeks. You should avoid irritants, such as hot, spicy, or sour foods and drinks.
How to get rid of white tongue at home
- Practice good mouth hygiene.
- Drink enough water.
- Brush your teeth using a soft toothbrush.
- Use a mild fluoride toothpaste — one that doesn’t contain sodium lauryl sulfate.
- Use fluoride mouthwash.
- Brush your tongue or use a tongue scraper to remove the white coating.
- Drink cold drinks through a straw.
- Avoid food and drinks that are spicy, salty, acidic, or very hot in temperature.
Who to talk to if you’re worried about your white tongue
- Your dentist can help you remove the white film from the tongue and prescribe medications if needed.
- Your GP can diagnose the tongue, prescribe you certain medications and determine if the white tongue is an indicator of a more serious issue.
What do you do about white tongue?
Preview photo credit Genusfotografen (genusfotografen.se) & Wikimedia Sverige (wikimedia.se) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, Martanopue / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Leave a Reply