A six-month-old puppy has been fitted with braces after he was found to be struggling to eat his food and started to lose weight.

Golden Retriever Wesley was fitted with the braces at the Harborfront Hospital for Animals in Spring Lake, Michigan, after his owner noticed he had trouble chewing and stopped playing with his toys.

Owner Molly Moore told ABC News: "He wasn't able to fully close his mouth and chew well and he stopped playing with his toys because of the pain and started losing weight because he couldn't eat."

Her father Dr James Moore, who owns Harborfront Hospital for Animals, decided to fit Wesley with braces.

Posting pictures of Wesley on the vets Facebook page, Dr Moore said: "Orthodontia in pets is normally not for aesthetic purposes, but because of health concerns.

"This is Wesley and he needed tooth alignment because he could not close his mouth completely, otherwise.

"The good news is, the correction he needed will be brief, perhaps only a few weeks."

Since having them fitted, Wesley is said to be "eating well and playing" again.