DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORG Am. i«y 



SUPERNUMKUARY TEETH. 



In the case of nippers or grinding teeth these should be 

 extracted or pinched out, as they are liable to injure the gums, 

 palate, cheek, or tongue 



Wolf-teeth cannot be looked on as superfluous, being natural 

 and harmless. They are insignificant teeth situated directly in 

 front of the upper, and less frequently of the lower grinders. 

 Being present during the shedding and cutting of the teeth, 

 when recurring inflammation of the eyes is most frequent, they 

 are in very bad odour with people who cannot see the distinction 

 between the mere coincidence and the cause and effect. They 

 are useless, however, and may be extracted without injury, 

 though if broken they may irritate the gums. 



PARROT MOUTH. 



Abnormal length of the upper jaw may lead to inordinate 

 length of the upper front teeth, which project over the lower 

 like a parrot's bill. If this interferes with grazing the extra 

 length should be removed with a saw or with tooth-shears. But 

 parrot-mouthed horses usually do well fed in-doors. 



CRin-niTiNG. 

 This is a distortion rather tlian a disease of the teeth, these 

 being worn away on their anterior edge so as to show more or 

 less of the yellow dentine in place of the clear pearly enamel. 

 It is associated with the serious vice of wind-sucking (swallow- 

 ing) and eructation, which leads to tympany, digestive disorder, 

 and rapid loss of condition. The horse seizes the manger or 

 other solid object with his teeth, arches and shortens the neck, 

 and makes a grunting noise. The wind-sucking may, however, 

 exist without crib-biting. It may be learned by standing idle 

 near a crib-biter, and always goes on to disease and loss of 

 condition. 



