Teeth] 2 97 [Teeth 



a dog with a mouth like this to bite or seize 

 his prey firmly and hold it. This is a very 

 common deformity with collies and greyhounds, 

 and very ugly it looks — the former are not 

 required to bite, but at the same time the con- 

 dition, when very marked, should disqualify a 

 dog on the show bench, for there is no doubt 

 that it is hereditary. Another condition of the 

 teeth, and one which judges often put a terrier 

 back for, is canker. It is a diseased condition 

 of the enamel, which gives the teeth a speckled 

 appearance. In my opinion, canker of the teeth 

 is not hereditary ; and it is in nine cases out 

 of ten the result of a dog having distemper in 

 early life — I mean before the eruption or cutting 

 of the permanent teeth. The high fever which 

 accompanies distemper seems to eat away the 

 enamel. Teeth when badly affected in this way 

 are soft, and wear away quicker than sound ones ; 

 besides, they look bad. There is nothing to 

 be done in these cases, except brushing them 

 occasionally ; to scrape them does harm. 



Toy dogs' teeth go wrong much quicker than 

 bigger ones, more especially Yorkshire terriers, 

 spaniels, and pugs. I have seen many a York- 

 shire terrier three years old with half the teeth 

 gone, and the remaining ones covered thick with 

 tartar. The condition, in a great measure, is due 

 to feeding, but some bad teeth are no doubt also 

 hereditary. All dogs should have something hard 

 to gnaw every day, either a hard dog-biscuit or 

 bone — not game or poultry bones, of course, or 

 cutlet or chop-bones, for these are more dangerous 



