Title: Dental Development of Dogs - Dog Owners - Merck Veterinary Manual
Headings: Dental Development of Dogs
Dental Development of Dogs
Estimation of Age by Examination of the Teeth
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Content: Dental Development of Dogs - Dog Owners - Merck Veterinary Manual
Dental Development of Dogs
By
Sofie Muylle
, DVM, PhD, Department of Morphology, Ghent University
Last full review/revision May 2018 | Content last modified May 2018
Each species of animal has its own unique type of teeth, depending on what type of food the animal normally eats. For example, a meat-eating animal, such as a cat, has quite different teeth than a grass-eating animal, such as a horse. However, all domestic animals have 2 sets of teeth during their lives, as humans do: a set of deciduous (“baby”) teeth that fall out, and a set of permanent teeth that develop later. Most dogs have 28 deciduous teeth and 42 permanent teeth. The deciduous teeth begin to erupt at 3 to 5 weeks of age, while permanent teeth usually begin to appear at around 4 to 5 months. All permanent teeth are present by the time the dog reaches 7 months of age (See table: Canine Adult Dentition ). Estimation of Age by Examination of the Teeth
In species with relatively short incisors, such as dogs, age determination of young animals using the teeth is only somewhat accurate and is mostly based on the time at which each tooth erupts. For the majority of large adult dogs with normal teeth and jaws, veterinarians can examine wear patterns on the teeth and give an estimate of age.