ON THE DISORDERS OF THE DIGESTIVE APPARATUS. 101 



tion, and secondly, the want of the natural means by which 

 a dog's teeth are cleaned, namely, meals of meat large 

 enough to require biting, and bone picking. If we throw 

 parts out of use by our artificial methods of treatment 

 they degenerate at once, and generally by that acute 

 process known as disease. Of course old animals are 

 most frequently affected in this way ; it also seems 

 that carious teeth are most liable to the deposit. The 

 amount of fetid matter on these teeth should render us 

 specially cautious in handling these animals, as a bite 

 from them would be liable to take on unhealthy action. 



Treatment comprises attention to the general health, 

 removal of the tartar thoroughly with the instruments 

 made use of ordinarily for scaling human teeth, wash- 

 ing the mouth out regularly and frequently with chloride 

 of zinc lotion, made by mixing half an ounce of Burnetts 

 fluid in a pint of water. Attention to any co-existing 

 disorder of the teeth, and giving the dog a dish of bones to 

 play with occasionally. 



Broken Teeth are frequent in animals which learn to 

 fetch and carry ; excessive wear results from . the same 

 cause. When these defects are not extensive they cause 

 little inconvenience, but in the case of old dogs allowance 

 must be made and their food be duly prepared for them . 

 Meat food requires but little mastication provided it be 

 given in portions not too large for passage down the oeso- 

 phagus. Sometimes what at first sight seems excessive 

 wear is on closer examination found to be advanced 

 caries. 



Displacement oe the Teeth is the result either of accu- 

 mulations of tartar or of persistence of the temporary teeth. 

 The latter condition is most often seen in short faced, 

 fancy breeds, which require some attention during the 

 cutting of the second teeth. This trouble is seen especi- 

 ally with the tushes or fangs, which, after persisting for a 

 time, become fixed to the bone and permanently retained, 

 and filth accumulates between them and the permanent 

 fangs, causing disease of the gum and bone and looseness 

 of the permanent tooth. " To extract a temporary tush 



