CHti<PTER V. 

 AFFECTIONS 



OF 



THE MOUTH &JY<D TONGUE. 



The Eruption of the Teeth. 



The first or milk teeth of a puppy "begin to appear soon after birth, and 

 within a month the first process of dentition is completed. The perma- 

 nent about the fourth month, begin to replace the temporary teeth, and 

 are usually through the gums before the eighth month. They are forty two 

 in number and the following is the recognized formula. — 



Upper jaw — Incisors 6 ; Canines 1 — 1; Molars 6 — 6=20 



42 



Lower jaw— „ 6; ,, 1—1 ; „ 7 — 7 = 5 



Occasionally supernumerary teeth appear and are irregularly placed. 



It has been supposed that \>y the teeth of the dog his age could be deter- 

 mined ; a mistake in many instances as is very evident. Disease will cause 

 them to decay, certain medicines promote their early destruction, the too 

 frequent feeding of bones wear them away, and a young dog may have 

 poor teeth, and those of an old one be well preserved. 



It will be observed by the arrangement of the teeth that their purpose is 

 to bite, tear, and crush. Nature makes no provision for grinding or mastica- 

 tion. In this the construction is identical with that of all carnivorous or 

 flesh eating animals. The food is bolted, and passes into the stomach 

 without meeting with either a mechanical change from the teeth, or a 

 chemical influence from salivary secretions of the mouth. 



