The Dog's Medical Dictionary: An encyclopædia of the diseases, their diagnosis & treatment, and the physical development of the dogSewell, Alfred Joseph
Science
The Dog's Medical Dictionary: An encyclopædia of the diseases, their diagnosis & treatment, and the physical development of the dog
Sewell, Alfred Joseph
Dogs -- Diseases -- Dictionaries
When a puppy is about three and a half to four months old, the upper
incisor nippers are loose, and sometimes have fallen out, and the
permanent ones are just coming through the gums at this part. At the
same time, the fourth upper molar, which is the fourth from the tusk,
makes its appearance. (It will be noticed that though the lower temporary
molars are cut before the upper ones, the reverse is the case with the
permanent teeth.) In the course of another few days, or a week, the
other upper deciduous incisors are shed, and the permanent ones appearing
in their place, then the lower milk incisors commence to fall out, and
the new ones to make their appearance. About the same time the tusks are
showing themselves through the gums. In some cases, the tusks do not
appear until all the other teeth are up. This is about the general order
in which the teeth are cut, but of course there are exceptions, and in
some instances, the permanent tusks appear just after the eruption of the
upper centre incisors.
It does not always happen that the temporary teeth are shed before the
permanent ones appear, and the latter shoot up either beside, in front,
or behind the milk teeth. Then the latter teeth should always be drawn,
or the permanent ones may not come straight and regular.
With regard to the permanent molars, the first to appear, as previously
stated, is the fourth one. It makes its appearance just behind the last
temporary molar. Before it is fully up, the fifth upper molar has passed
through the gum. At about this same time the fifth, or large permanent
lower molar, is appearing; this is quickly followed by the sixth, and
again by the seventh. About the same time as these two latter teeth are
erupting, the temporary molars in the same jaw are falling out, and their
places are being filled by permanent ones. About a week later, the first
lower milk molar is shed and the permanent one cut; this is followed by
the second and third ones. The corresponding teeth on each side of the
jaw, as, for instance, the fourth molar on the left and right sides,
are erupted simultaneously. By the time puppies, such as St. Bernards,
mastiffs, retrievers, and others of similar size, are about four months
old, the process of dentition is complete. Fox-terriers, and other dogs
of this size, are in some cases a fortnight later, and small toy dogs are
often from six to eight months of age, or even later, before the mouth is
fully furnished.
It is impossible to tell the age of a dog with any certainty after
dentition is finished, but up to then one can judge the age to within
a fortnight, if it is borne in mind how the teeth are erupted. After
this time, and up to a year or eighteen months, if, together with the
condition of the incisor teeth, whose middle prominences at this time
show signs of wear, one takes into consideration the general appearances
of a dog, a fair judgment as to age may be formed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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