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.

Dogs fed on canned or home-cooked diets, or even on raw meat which has been well cut up into tiny pieces, have no need to use their teeth at all. As a result of this lack of wear, tartar accumulates on the teeth initiating a dental disorder which may end in the teeth loosening and dropping out, or having to be removed. It is not unusual for Yorkshire or Maltese Terriers to have their teeth loosen or fall out before five years old. But of course if the dog needs only to swallow the same precooked, soft food, it will certainly not require its teeth, and indeed there are some old dogs who have lost all their teeth and yet eat normally and remain quite healthy. So the presence of teeth is not essential and digestion will proceed normally with or without them, although of course a dog without teeth is not so well-equipped to defend itself.

Obviously, it is preferable to prevent the dog from losing its teeth. This may be achieved by cleaning the teeth and by feeding it dry foods, or by giving some large, hard biscuits or a hide chew (available at pet shops in various shapes). All of these will provide good dental exercise and reduce the possibility of dental disorders developing later.

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