February is Dental Health Month so let's talk teeth! Did you know that all dogs have 42 permanent teeth and cats have 30? From the smallest Chihuahua to the biggest Mastiff they all have the same number. All of their permanent teeth should erupt by 6 months and should push out the deciduous (baby) teeth. Sometimes this does not happen and the baby teeth need to be extracted. The best time to do this is during a spay or neuter procedure. Deciduous teeth that are retained can cause overcrowding and tartar buildup between the baby teeth and the permanent teeth so this is a good reason to remove them when possible. Most puppies and kittens end up swallowing their baby teeth so unfortunately they do not get to leave them under the pillow for the tooth fairy!
Stay tuned for more dental health information throughout the month.
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