52 The Management and Diseases of the Dog, 



pleasurable companionship of the dog as they are to man- 

 kind. Unfortunately, however, in our canine friends these 

 useful agents are liable to become decayed, and the once 

 nursed pet is, by the foetor of his breath, rendered offensive 

 and ordered to a distance. 



Decayed teeth are the cause of many diseases, especially 

 of the mouth and digestive organs. Painful swellings, 

 abscesses and sinuses of the cheek, structural changes in the 

 jaw-bone — leading to tumour, laceration of the. tongue, 

 canker, constitutional irritation, indigestion, and intestinal 

 disease. 



There can be no doubt that the dog at times is a martyr 

 to toothache, the slobbering manner in which he partakes 

 of his food, and often his refusal to do so, with the head 

 held on one side, denote this to the observant eye. 



Decayed teeth are dependent, to a great extent, upon the 

 system of feeding (see "Feeding"). They should at all 

 times be removed. Occasionally haemorrhage will follow . 

 extraction. In such a case a little cotton wool steeped in 

 tincture of myrrh, iron, or solution of alum, and packed in 

 the cavity, will have the desired effect of arresting it. 



TARTAR. 



The deposit of tartar on the teeth is likewise prejudicial 

 to health, and is usually the result of injudicious feeding and 

 gastric derangement. 



The accumulation, especially in aged dogs, is often very 

 considerable. In consequence of the irritation produced on 

 the gums, they become congested, swollen, and spongy/the 

 teeth loosen and decay, the breath is disgustingly fcetid, and 

 constitutional disease follows such a condition if long main-^ 

 tained. Teeth so affected should be " scaled," and after- 

 wards brushed with soap and water and a little charcoal, 

 or a few drops of simple tincture of myrrh. 



The reception of deposit may frequently be prevented, by 

 allowing the animal occasionally large bones to gnaw. 



