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.
Later, the wear of the teeth gives no good idea of the age, because so
much depends upon the kind of food the animal eats, whether it is hard
or soft. When a dog is fed on bread and gravy or meat, the teeth will
show little or no signs of wear when he is two or three years old, while
the incisor teeth of another dog of the same age will commence to become
blunted if biscuits form the staple food. The teeth become still more
worn if a large number of bones are given as a part of the diet. And
again, dogs who are always playing with and carrying stones often wear
the incisor teeth right down to the gums, and the tusks become worn in
the course of a few years.
As a rule, if a dog is fed on a mixed diet, as bread and vegetables,
soaked biscuits, etc., and not given many bones, and is not allowed to
carry stones, then the teeth (incisors and tusks) preserve their shape
and position until the fourth year. But by this time the teeth have lost
their _very_ white colour, and have become of a palish yellow colour. As
the dog advances in years the teeth become still more yellow, besides
becoming coated with tartar just above the neck of the tooth, if they
have not been occasionally scaled. The tusks, too, now become blunted,
and to some degree are altered in position, being inclined to take a
more outward direction. It is, therefore, an easy matter to distinguish
between an old and a young dog.
The teeth of dogs that are pig-jawed, and those that are undershot like
bulldogs, do not, of course, wear to the same extent as when the incisors
meet, forming an even mouth.
When the permanent teeth come up crooked, it is a most difficult thing
to redirect them, especially when the tusks are at fault, and they are
generally the offenders; for these teeth are so firmly and deeply fixed
in the jaw-bone that it is impossible, without employing great force, to
move them, and from their conical shape it is almost impossible to fix a
rubber band or wire to them unless a small niche is made in the enamel,
and this damages the teeth and renders them liable to decay. When the
tusks grow inwards so as to injure the palate, I have, after a great
deal of trouble, fixed a wedge made of hard wood between the two tusks
of the lower jaw, but it always comes out within a few hours. Again,
when the incisors, or front teeth, come up twisted or crooked, and one
tries to turn them with forceps, the operation is seldom successful; the
tooth is almost sure to break, as dogs’ teeth are so brittle. More good
is to be done by pressing the erring teeth in the right direction with
the fingers; and when they are not very badly misplaced, a good deal of
benefit may be derived by this simple treatment. It should be done two
or three times a day for ten minutes at a time. Pressure of this kind
is very useful to the upper or lower incisor teeth in slight cases of
undershot—that is, when the lower incisor teeth project in front of the
upper ones; or when the upper incisor teeth project in front of the lower
ones—called “pig-jaw.” Either of these conditions is a great drawback to
a terrier; and some judges, who are particular, and examine the mouth,
will often put a dog back for this defect. In bad cases I think he is
right to do so; but it is rather hard on the dog when there is only a
slight unevenness, because I think he can hold just as well as one with
an even mouth.
There is no doubt a pig-jaw is a much more serious malformation than one
that is underhung, as it is absolutely impossible for a dog with a mouth
like this to bite or seize his prey firmly and hold it. This is a very
common deformity with collies and greyhounds, and very ugly it looks—the
former are not required to bite, but at the same time the condition, when
very marked, should disqualify a dog on the show bench, for there is no
doubt that it is hereditary. Another condition of the teeth, and one
which judges often put a terrier back for, is canker. It is a diseased
condition of the enamel, which gives the teeth a speckled appearance.
In my opinion, canker of the teeth is not hereditary; and it is in nine
cases out of ten the result of a dog having distemper in early life—I
mean before the eruption or cutting of the permanent teeth. The high
fever which accompanies distemper seems to eat away the enamel. Teeth
when badly affected in this way are soft, and wear away quicker than
sound ones; besides, they look bad. There is nothing to be done in these
cases, except brushing them occasionally; to scrape them does harm.
Toy dogs’ teeth go wrong much quicker than bigger ones, more especially
Yorkshire terriers, spaniels, and pugs. I have seen many a Yorkshire
terrier three years old with half the teeth gone, and the remaining ones
covered thick with tartar. The condition, in a great measure, is due to
feeding, but some bad teeth are no doubt also hereditary. All dogs should
have something hard to gnaw every day, either a hard dog-biscuit or
bone—not game or poultry bones, of course, or cutlet or chop-bones, for
these are more dangerous than game bones, but a good big bone; for small
dogs a leg-of-mutton bone, and for large ones a marrow or some other such
bone. Puppies, from the time they are weaned, should be given bones, as
this often prevents their eating stones and other indigestible articles.
Tartar should never be allowed to remain and accumulate; it irritates
the gums, and causes them to recede, and then the teeth soon get loose.
Therefore, in all cases where there is a disposition for tartar to
collect, it should be scraped off from time to time. As a rule, if it is
done about three times a year, the teeth may be kept fairly clean. Once
the teeth are cleaned, they may be kept white if people will take the
trouble to brush them daily, using some powder. The best kind I know of
is carbolated eucalyptus powder, as prepared by Messrs. Hucklebridge, of
116 Ebury Street, London, S.W. I mention the name and address, as I do
not know of anyone else who makes it, and carbolic powder is not suitable
for dogs. The scaling or scraping of the teeth may be done with the point
of a penknife or an ordinary steel nail-cleaner, but one must be careful
in using these instruments or the gums may be injured. To lessen the risk
of doing so, it is much better to buy a proper instrument, which can be
bought for half-a-crown at a place like Krohne & Sesemann’s, Duke Street,
Manchester Square, London, W.
Loose teeth should be removed, as they only do harm when left, besides
causing inconvenience to the dog whilst eating. Sometimes it becomes
necessary in very old dogs to remove all the teeth; and when the food is
given soft, and cut up small, they appear to do very well without them,
and their breath is certainly a good deal sweeter.
Occasionally an abscess forms at the root of the large upper molar
tooth; the face swells just under the eye. The abscess, after a few
days, generally breaks. The swelling should be fomented with hot
boracic lotion, but to effect a cure, the tooth must be removed. It is
a difficult one to extract unless it is loose, and no amateur should
attempt to do it. An anæsthetic ought always to be given.
=Teeth, Cutting the Tusks=:
It is sometimes necessary with sheep dogs, dogs used for catching deer,
and dogs in the habit of biting and fighting, to cut the tusks level with
the incisor teeth. This is best done with a pair of strong bone or wire
nippers. The operation apparently causes very little inconvenience or
pain, for the dog is always ready to eat immediately afterwards.
=Teeth, Tartar on the=:
_Symptoms_: Dogs always fed on soft food and never having anything hard
to eat, get their teeth covered with brown-coloured tartar early in life,
even sometimes before two years old. If this is not from time to time
removed, it continues to increase, until at last the whole tooth becomes
thickly encrusted, and to such an extent, in old pet dogs particularly,
that the mouth is unable to be closed. As the result of the tartar, the
gums become swollen, inflamed, and tender; they recede from the neck
of the teeth, which become loose. A dog with teeth in this state is
always dribbling, and eats with difficulty, and the breath is often most
offensive.
_Treatment_: Dogs should always be encouraged to eat something hard
daily—a piece of dog-biscuit does very well; if this is refused, a hard
bone, one that cannot be eaten, should be given to gnaw. This, of course,
is only a preventative, and when regularly attended to, the teeth and
gums remain good and sound for years. When once tartar has accumulated,
nothing will remove it but scraping; which should be done regularly two
or three times a year, and if this is done, and the teeth daily cleaned
with an ordinary tooth-brush, moistened with warm water and a little of
the following powder sprinkled on it, they will keep clean and white, and
the breath sweet so long as the dog lives:—
_Recipe: Tooth Powder_:
Powdered Boracic Acid, 10 grains.
Camphorated Chalk, 1 ounce.
Well mix.
Removing the tartar from a tooth that is somewhat loose does not tighten
it, though it preserves the tooth, and for a time often prevents it
becoming looser. It is impossible to remove tartar from a very loose
tooth, and for the dog’s comfort, it should be extracted at once.
=Temperature=:
To know the temperature of the body is very important in treating
disease, more especially in cases of distemper; for it is a fact that so
long as a dog does not have a high temperature when suffering from this
complaint, the attack is not a severe one, and the dog, bar accident or
relapse, has a good chance of recovery. When the temperature is high,
say, 104 or 105, and continues so for some days, the case is always a
serious one, and if it continues, complications, especially those of the
nervous system, are almost sure to ensue. These remarks not only refer
to distemper, but to all other diseases in which a high temperature is
one of the symptoms; as, for instance, inflammation of the womb, blood
poisoning, pneumonia, peritonitis, diseases of the brain, formation of
abscesses, etc.
In many cases it is not necessary to take much notice of the temperature
beyond watching it carefully, and keeping a daily record of its rising
and falling, but when it keeps persistently high, say, such as over 104,
then special medicine must be given to try and reduce it. There are many
medicines which have the power of reducing the temperature, and when
they are going to have a good effect they generally work quickly, and if
they do not succeed in reducing the temperature, say, within forty-eight
hours, they should not be persevered in, as then they only do harm.
Antipyrin, in doses from two[1] to ten grains, given in a cachet, is one
of the best antipyretics. Phenacetin, given in doses varying from half
a grain[1] to five grains; salicylate of soda, aspirin and salicine, in
doses from two to fifteen grains[1] in a cachet, tablet, or dissolved in
water, and repeated three or four times a day.
In some cases when these fail, salicylate of quinine will have the
desired effect, in doses from one[1] to five grains, given in a cachet.
If this fails to reduce the temperature, then an ice-bag may be tried,
applied to the top of the head for an hour at a time, and then all
medicines discontinued. A little brandy, say, from five drops[1] to a
teaspoonful, given in water or milk every two, three, or four hours is
advisable.
A very low temperature, say, when the thermometer will not rise above
95 degs. F., is much more dangerous than a very high temperature. In
such cases, prompt measures must be taken to try and warm the animal.
Hot sponges should be applied to the head; also hot-water bottles
applied to the back and to the feet. From five[1] to twenty drops of
sulphuric ether may be given every hour or so, in from a teaspoonful[1]
to a tablespoonful of water. Strong coffee may also be given, from a
teaspoonful[1] to a tablespoonful, repeated every half hour. If the dog
is very much collapsed, and unable to swallow, strong coffee may be given
as an enema, say, from a dessertspoonful[1] to two ounces, and repeated
every half hour. Brandy may also be given, injected under the skin, say,
from ten drops[1] to a teaspoonful, or very minute doses of strychnine
may be given, from the four hundredth part of a grain[1] for a small dog
to the one hundred and fiftieth part of a grain for a large one. This
medicine may be given dissolved in from two[1] to ten drops of tincture
digitalis.
In such cases as these the dog must be given, if he will swallow, small
doses of some strong beef essence, as from ten drops[1] to a teaspoonful
of Valentine’s beef juice, in from a teaspoonful[1] to a tablespoonful of
milk, and repeated every half hour or so.
=Testicle (Inflammation of)=:
_Symptoms_: The gland is swollen and very painful to the touch, the
scrotum is generally inflamed, red, and thickened. The dog walks with
stiffness in the hind legs, and there is generally a rise of two or three
degrees of the temperature.
_Treatment_: Frequent hot poppy-head tea fomentations, made by boiling
for ten minutes two crushed poppy-heads in a quart of boiling water
and then straining the solid matter out through fine muslin. Aperient
medicine should be given and the dog kept on a light diet for a few days.
=Testicles (Enlargement of)=:
_Symptoms_: The gland or glands are more or less enlarged, and they have
become so as the result, in most cases, of some injury; but occasionally
the causes cannot be traced: this is especially so with old dogs. The
condition is not of an uncommon occurrence. It is not often that both
glands are affected.
_Treatment_: Medicinal treatment in these cases is useless. If the gland
is much enlarged and continues to increase in size, it should be removed
by operation; but very often after getting to a certain size it ceases
to increase, and if it does not cause any discomfort by hanging very low
and interfering with the dog’s walking, or looks very unsightly, it may
be left alone, especially if the patient is an aged one, and it is an old
dog’s complaint.
=Tetanus=:
_Symptoms_: A rare disease in dogs, but does sometimes follow a bad
wound, particularly to the eye. Often it is difficult to account for
the cause. The disease, when it attacks dogs, generally only affects
the muscles of the jaw (_see_ LOCK-JAW), but when the whole body is
affected, it commences with stiffness of the muscles of the limbs and
neck, followed shortly afterwards by violent spasms of the whole body,
including the muscles of the jaw, which cannot be forced open, and the
throat is also affected, making it impossible to swallow. The pain during
the spasms is acute and the temperature very high, often over 107. The
disease generally terminates fatally.
_Treatment_: Keep patient quiet in a dark place, and relieve spasms
by giving from one-twelfth[1] to one-fourth of a grain of acetate of
morphia, with from ⅟₂₅₀th[1] to ⅟₁₀₀th of a grain of sulphate of
atropine in a few minims of water, injected under the skin. The dose may
be repeated every six or eight hours.
To keep up the strength, try and get the patient to swallow white of egg
and milk; also Sanatogen mixed with milk or water. When unable to swallow
the strength must be maintained by nutritive enemas, as peptonised milk,
from one[1] to six tablespoonfuls given every three hours alternately
with one or two peptonised beef suppositories. Brandy, if necessary, may
be given with the milk.
=Thermometer=:
The little instrument for taking the temperature, or for ascertaining
whether there is fever or not, is called a clinical thermometer. The kind
used for animals is the same as used for people. Those that register the
heat of the body in half a minute are certainly the best for dogs.
The temperature is best taken in the rectum—bowel, for here there is less
danger of breaking the instrument, but it may also be taken in the mouth,
as well as under the arm or inside the thigh. The normal temperature in
the mouth is 99·6, under the arm 100·4 to 101, in the bowel 101·4.
When it is intended to take the temperature in the bowel the point of
the thermometer should be greased, and inserted into the bowel for an
inch and a half, so as to be sure the mercury is quite covered. When the
temperature is taken under the arm or inside the thigh, care must be
taken that the point of the instrument is well buried in the skin, or
a wrong temperature may be taken. At least a minute and a half should
be allowed when taking the temperature in these parts, even when a
half-minute registering thermometer is used.
=Thirst=:
_Symptoms_: Excessive drinking of water in large quantities when it can
be obtained. A dog, when he is suffering from catarrh of the stomach or
diabetes, which induces great thirst, will drink anything, the craving
for fluid being so great, even soapy or muddy water, and he will even
lick up his own urine when other fluid cannot be found. There is loss of
condition, the appetite is poor, the muscles waste, particularly about
the neck and limbs, whilst the stomach often becomes full and pendulous.
_Treatment_: The quantity of water allowed in these cases must be
regulated. Dogs in health drink very little except in hot weather, or
when taking hard exercise, but under the abnormal circumstances in
question, much more than what is taken in health may be allowed. Small
dogs may be given half a pint a day, divided into four or five lots, and
big dogs two quarts a day, similarly divided into small quantities. For
medicine give half a drop[1] to two drops of liquor arsenicalis (P.B.)
three times a day, mixed with the drinking water. If after a week the
thirst continues, give from the eighth[1] to a grain of powdered opium
two or three times a day made into a pill.
_Diet_: Avoid meat, but you may offer stewed rabbit with rice, also fish,
tripe, milk, pudding, etc.
=Throat (Sore)=:
_Symptoms_: The back of the throat (fauces) is inflamed and slightly
swollen, causing some difficulty in swallowing; the lips are moist from
excessive secretion of saliva, and the glands about the outside of the
throat are enlarged. The dog is often off his food, dull and listless.
_Treatment_: Give a teaspoonful of following medicine frequently:—
_Recipe_:
Chlorate of Potash, 1 drachm.
Water to 6 ounces.
Mix.
A light diet should be given for a few days, and the external enlarged
glands rubbed gently, night and morning, with spirits of camphor. If
the fauces remain inflamed after a few days, paint the parts night and
morning for two or three days with a two-per-cent. solution of nitrate of
silver.
=Ticks=:
_Symptoms_: These parasites are generally obtained from sheep in England.
They are small, blue-coloured little creatures with pointed heads, with
which they dig into the dog’s skin and suck the blood, and as they do so
they gradually increase in size to a tick bean. They naturally cause a
good deal of irritation, and make the dog bite and scratch.
_Treatment_: They should be carefully picked off the dog with forceps,
avoiding breaking them if possible. The little spot caused by the bite
of the tick soon heals, and does not require any special treatment.
=Tongue (Chorea in the)=:
_Symptoms_: The tongue is continually being popped in and out of the
front of the mouth for an inch or more. This is a rare disease, and I
have only seen one case, and that was in a collie. As in ordinary chorea,
it is the result of distemper.
_Treatment_: _See_ CHOREA.
=Tongue (Inflammation of)=:
_Symptoms_: Swelling and redness of the tongue; it often hangs out of the
mouth, the result of temporary paralysis, and the dog is unable to lap.
The condition is generally caused by injury from the teeth, as a bite
during a fit, or a sharp tooth. Wasps’ stings will also induce the same
condition.
_Treatment_: Wash the mouth and tongue thoroughly several times a day
with a solution of borax, one teaspoonful to half a pint of water. To
any wounds or ulcers apply sparingly night and morning a two-per-cent.
solution of nitrate of silver. When the tongue is very swollen and
protruding beyond the mouth, apply ice.
=Tongue (Paralysis of)=:
_Symptoms_: The tongue hangs out of the mouth generally, to one side
sometimes, but not often, in front, and there is inability to retract
it. The protruding part has a dead and cracked appearance, and loses its
natural pink colour. There is a difficulty in eating and drinking. This
condition may follow injury to the head; it is sometimes present in cases
of general paralysis, the sequel of distemper or from other causes, and
it is often seen in old dogs, especially those with a short face, as pugs
and Japanese spaniels, due to loss of teeth.
_Treatment_: Medicine has little effect in these cases. When the result
of injury or distemper, as the dog improves in general health the tongue
regains strength. A course of Nux Vomica as recommended for general
paralysis assists.
=Tongue (Warts on)=:
_Symptoms_: Small greyish-coloured excrescences appear all over the
tongue, as well as on the cheeks and lips. Warts on the tongue and mouth
are only seen in puppies. I do not remember seeing them in an adult dog.
Sometimes they appear in such numbers as to inconvenience a puppy when
feeding. Thick, dirty-looking saliva dribbles from the mouth; the breath
is offensive. They are contagious from one puppy to another.
_Treatment_: Wash the mouth out two or three times a day with a
teaspoonful[1] or a drachm of common washing-soda dissolved in half a
pint of warm water. Do not cut the warts to make them bleed, as that only
increases the number. When the solution of soda does not take them away
dress the warts (only a few each day) with a five-per-cent. solution of
chromic acid applied sparingly on the end of a wooden match.
In obstinate cases a course of Donovan’s solution of arsenic does good;
give twice a day after food from one to five drops[1] in a little water,
or it may be mixed with the food.
=Tongue (Wounds and Ulcers of the)=:
_Symptoms_: The wound may be a simple, punctured one induced by one of
the tusks during a fit, or the tip of the tongue may be bitten off, the
result of an accident. Abrasions and ulcers occur along the sides of the
tongue, due to friction against the molar teeth when thickly encrusted
with tartar. Very severe and dangerous ulcers appear on the sides
and point of the tongue in cases of acute gastro-enteritis or German
distemper, and occasionally in this disease the point of the tongue
sloughs off.
_Treatment_: In ordinary wounds of the tongue, when there is no
suppuration, simply washing the mouth often with borax and water—one
teaspoonful to half a pint—several times a day is sufficient, but when
there is suppuration and ulceration of the parts, besides keeping
clean with the borax, the ulcers should be painted twice a day with a
five-per-cent. solution of chromic acid. The teeth should be thoroughly
cleaned by scraping, especially on the inside. When the point of the
tongue dies—in which case it turns to a greyish-white colour—it should be
clipped off with scissors and the wound caused by the operation dressed
two or three times a day with the chromic acid lotion.
=Tonsilitis=:
_See_ THROAT (SORE).
=Toothache=:
_Symptoms_: Dogs’ teeth, as the result of their formation, do not often
decay, but as the result of the accumulation of tartar the gums recede,
the fangs become exposed, and suppuration takes place around the neck
of the tooth, which extends into the socket or alveolar cavity. The
adjoining gum becomes swollen and tender.
_Treatment_: As a rule, in these cases it is best to extract the tooth at
once, which quickly gives relief, but this is sometimes objected to by
the owner. In these circumstances the tooth should be thoroughly cleaned
by scraping, and strong carbolic acid applied very sparingly around the
neck of the tooth on a piece of sharp wood or a pointed wooden match.
The mouth should be kept clean by being sponged night and morning with a
saturated solution of boracic acid.
The offending tooth has to be extracted sooner or later.
=Tumours=: