Diseased Teeth 249 



Ing the food, which is shown by holding the head on 

 one side; "quidding" the food, that is, chewing up 

 quids and spitting them out; and "driving on one line." 

 Frequently an animal will stop eating 

 suddenly ; or, when drinking cold 

 water, will stop and slobber the water, 

 evincing pain. In many cases of dis- 

 eased molars, the saliva has a disagree- 

 able, fetid odor. 



When there is much difficulty and 

 pain in eating, the animal falls away 

 in flesh. In horses that are subject ^'^■'^'^- Parrot-mouth. 

 to attacks of colic or indigestion the teeth should 

 always be examined, as the trouble may be due to 

 improper mastication of the food. When the roots 

 of molars are ulcerated, the swelling often breaks 

 and discharges pus from an opening on the side of 

 the face or the bottom of the lower jaw; these open- 

 ings rarely heal permanently until the ulcerated tooth 

 is removed. 



Ulcerated, decayed, split and badly broken teeth 

 should be extracted with forceps, never punched out, 

 as the latter method is likely to break the tooth, leaving 

 pieces of the roots in the jaw, where they cannot be 

 removed and are a source of much trouble. It is 

 sometimes necessary, however, to trephine or cut a 

 hole through the jaw-bone, and then punch the 

 tooth out. After such an operation, only milk and 

 gruels should be allowed for ten days, as solid food is 

 liable to get into the wound and keep it from healing. 

 In all cases of removal of a tcoth, the opposite tooth 



