Do dogs chew their food? Can my dog survive without his teeth when he is old?

Dogs do not chew their food as we do. The natural function of their teeth is to serve as a means of killing their prey and of cutting it up into pieces small enough to swallow.

The large canine teeth (’fangs’) are used to kill the prey. Then the premolar and molar teeth along the sides of the jaw are used to cut up the prey into pieces or strips which can be swallowed. Especially important are the largest of these teeth (the carnassials) which have a scissor-like action as the jaws close. The small incisor teeth at the front of the jaws can be used for pulling flesh off bones as well as for carrying objects. And, of course, all the teeth, but especially the canine teeth, are used for attack and defense.

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Is it possible to tell a dog’s age from its teeth?

Like other mammals the dog has two consecutive sets of teeth; first the twenty-eight deciduous or milk teeth, followed by the permanent teeth of which there are forty-two. The number of teeth is almost always the same regardless of the breed, though in dogs with short noses the teeth may be rather crowded. These flat-faced (brachycephalic) breeds are the ones most likely to have fewer teeth and if some are absent they are usually molars or premolars of the lower jaw.

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