You can sink your teeth into this

Watson here, I was just gnawing on a dental bone that is designed to keep my teeth tartar free and I realized that I have no idea how many teeth I have. It is time for me to do a little investigating.

Puppies are actually born without teeth and it is not until they are three to four weeks old that their puppy teeth (deciduous) start to erupt. By three to five months old, they usually have 28 of their puppy teeth. This includes incisors, canines, and premolars. By six months, all permanent teeth have erupted.

Adult dogs have 42 teeth. There are 12 incisors, four canines, 16 premolars, and 10 molars. The teeth in the front of my mouth are incisors. Unfortunately, I have had two pulled, because I broke them chewing on a hard bone.

My canine teeth are the four long fangs in the front of my mouth; I use them to grip things. Behind my canines are premolars and there are 16 of them. These are great for shredding food. The four big teeth in the back are my molars that I grind my food with before I swallow. Teeth are important components in my overall health and keeping them healthy is paramount.

Why do dogs lose teeth? Advanced dental disease is the most common reason.

Without proper brushing and dental cleaning dogs develop periodontal disease which can lead to diseased gums and decaying teeth. Dental disease is associated with systemic effects on organs like the heart, liver, and kidneys. The bacteria in dogs’ mouths can result in infections elsewhere in the body.

Another reason for loss is trauma. Trauma is a sustained injury to the mouth. Fractures caused by chewing on beef or pork bones are common and easily avoided. Now I know how fragile my teeth are, and I will let mom brush them.

XOXO

Watson

IN NEED OF
Sponsors, vendors, food trucks, and raffle items for Bark in the Park. Call 432-7500 for details.
Friskies wet cat food and any dry cat food except Meow Mix.
Folks to donate to the Rotarians fundraiser. You can contribute by contacting Withers at proudpony@cccomm.net or Young at junethebookie@gmail.com.
Funds to spay/neuter puppies. Our funds are depleted. Any contribution will help.
Aluminum cans. If you have cans to pick up, give us a call (775-423-7500) and we will come get them. You can also drop them off at CAPS.
Folks to sign up for AmazonSmile the details are below.
 
SHOUT OUT TO
Walmart for allowing CAPS to be at the front of the store. All tails are wagging for you!
All the folks who donated to CAPS at Walmart. A big Bow-Wow to you!
 
COME SEE US

CAPS is now open. We suggest appointments for adoptions, SNAPS, and food pantry. We need volunteers. Call 775-423-7500.

 

DON’T FORGET
Bark in the Park is coming on May 7.
Due to rising costs in shelter and veterinary care, we have adjusted our adoption fees. Dog adoptions are $100. Cat adoptions are $60. All adoptees are healthy, spayed/neutered, and have all necessary shots.
Register in the AmazonSmile program, a website operated by Amazon. Customers enjoy the same selection of products, low prices, and shopping features as on Amazon.com. The only difference is that when you shop on AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com), the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to the charitable organization selected by you.
CAPS’ mailing address is P.O. Box 5128, Fallon, NV 89407. CAPS’ phone number is 775-423-7500. CAPS’ email address is caps@cccomm.net. Please visit the CAPS website (www.capsnevada.com) and Facebook page (Churchill Animal Protection Society). Be sure to “Like” CAPS on Facebook because we are likeable.
CAPS is open to the public on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.                                                                  
Kathleen Williams-Miller is a CAPS volunteer. Contact me at jkwmil@outlook.com.