Greyhounds, it seems, like to sleep with their mouths open. And their owners like to take photos of their hounds showing off their ‘teefs’ – photos that are shared on Facebook groups involving greyhounds (I follow several)…
A sleeping greyhound shows off their front teefs (Photo by Elizabeth Anne Dodd)
So I’ve used these photos as an inspiration. How much do you know about your dog’s teeth?
An upside down sleeping Greyhound, again showing off the front teefs (Photo by Gill Vernon)
Let’s look at a diagram of an adult dog’s teeth:
An adult dog’s teeth (diagram courtesy of the Merck Vet Manual)
The dog has 6 incisors on the upper and lower jaws that are used for grasping.
Of the famous “canine teeth” there are only 2 each on the upper and lower jaws. Their main function is tearing.
There are 8 premolars on the upper and lower jaw and their main function is grinding. There are 4 molars in the upper jaw and 6 on the lower jaw. These teeth also have a grinding function.
The best way to keep your dog’s teeth healthy is to feed a nutritious diet.
I am a big support of regular teeth brushing, too. (see my blog post on Brushing your dog’s teeth)
Kathleen Crisley, specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, The Balanced Dog, Christchurch, New Zealand
DoggyMom.com 