How to determine the age of a puppy by eye color. How to correctly determine the age of a puppy or adult dog

Instruction

The easiest way to start determining age is by examining your teeth. If it came to you, then you should know that the incisors and canines on the upper jaw begin to erupt on the 20-25th day of life. By one month, the baby should have a full set of milk teeth. Then the milk incisors begin to change at the age of 4-5 months, the fangs erupt at 5-6 months. By the year, the entire dairy row should be replaced. By the age of one and a half years, the hooks of the lower jaw begin to gradually wear off. By the age of 2.5, the middle incisors of the lower jaw are worn. Teeth begin to lose their luster and whiteness. At the age of three, the hooks of the upper jaw begin to wear off. At four years old, the middle incisors of the upper jaw are erased. At the age of five, fangs are also subject to erasure. On examination, they look dull. From the age of six, the dog's teeth begin to turn yellow, tartar appears. At an older age, tooth loss is possible. It should be borne in mind that the condition of the dog's oral cavity largely depends on the conditions of its life. Therefore, if you doubt the correctness of your calculations, seek the advice of a veterinarian.

Also, the age of the dog will help determine the condition of the coat. With age, the coat of dogs coarsens, loses its luster. At six or seven years of age, gray hair appears on the lips and chin. Gradually, it spreads to the entire muzzle and forehead of the dog.

After 7 years, the dog's eyes seem to be more deeply set. There may be pupil dilation, clouding of the eye (due to senile eye diseases).

You should know what breeds. So, large dogs live, on average, 10-12 years, medium and small 15-18. Some individuals can live up to 20 years.

Common methods for determining the age of dogs

Specialists in cases where the animal ended up in a shelter, and there is no information about its origin, determine the age of the dog by the teeth. In order to get an idea of how much your little shaggy friend tramples the ground, it is enough to know only some patterns of appearance and change of milk teeth.

Dog Age Table

Most dogs live for twelve to fifteen years, but there are also individuals at the age of twenty. The real record holder was nicknamed Puske - she lived for twenty-six years and eight months. According to the Russian system of reckoning (one dog year is equal to seven human years), her age was estimated at 182 years. But Japanese specialists work according to a slightly different scheme - officially the dog was "drawn" one hundred and twenty-five years old. An interesting fact: until her very last days, Puske felt just fine, the only health problems for the dog happened when she got hit by a car a few years before her death.

Experts distinguish several age groups in dogs:

puppies (under eight weeks old);
young dogs (under eighteen months old);
adult dogs (over one and a half years).

Features of the dentition of dogs

To know how to determine the age of a dog by teeth, you need to have a basic understanding of the location of the teeth. Dogs have forty-two teeth: twelve incisors, four canines, a pair in the lower jaw, and twenty-four molars in both jaws. However, nowadays anomalies are becoming more and more common, when the number of teeth can vary up or down. dogs is expressed by the following figures:

Note: the first number indicates the number of incisors, the second - canines, the third - molars, the so-called premolars (milk predecessors), and the fourth number is the number of molars - permanent teeth.

Basic principles

The principle of determining the age of a puppy or dog is based on the basic patterns of eruption of milk teeth, their erasure, and then the appearance of permanent teeth and their erasure. Newborn puppies, of course, do not have any teeth. In older individuals, teeth are erased in different ways, it all depends on the nutrition and health of the animal. In determining the age of a dog, the incisors play the most prominent role - each such tooth (more precisely, its crown) acts as three points (fields, teeth, points). It is important to remember that in most cases, both lateral incisors eventually wear out so much that they simply disappear.

Determining the age of a puppy by teeth

As mentioned earlier, puppies are born toothless. The first milk teeth and fangs appear in them on the twentieth or even twenty-fifth day of life. erupt in a small animal right between the first and second month of life.

A young dog, like a person, acquires permanent teeth gradually. First, the incisors are replaced, and then the so-called false-rooted teeth. When a dog is eleven months old, it is guaranteed that it will not have a single milk tooth left. When the dog turns one year old, it sparkles with a straight Hollywood smile for all forty-two. It is this period that we will consider as a turning point - so from now on it is possible only by the intensity of erasing the tubercles on the incisors, as well as by grinding the fangs.

Is it possible to determine the age of a dog by other principles?

Of course yes! But the trouble with all these methods is that they are all too approximate.

So, for a dog of twelve years is typical:

Gray hair on the muzzle. The older the dog, the more gray hair. Moreover, this gray hair can appear as early as six or seven years. From six to twelve - wow spread of indicators, isn't it?
Deep-set, dull eyes.
Cloudy pupils. Vision problems may occur.
Soft back, drooping belly.
Calluses on elbows and hock.
Dull, tousled fur.

Now you know how to determine the age of a dog. As you can see, there are no difficulties in this process; even a person without special training can easily cope with this. The only thing you should always take into account is the fact that up to a year, many indicators can vary greatly.

How to determine the age of a puppy and an adult dog. In cases where the animal does not have any documentation of its origin, the age of the dog is determined by some external signs. The most common is to determine the age of the dog by the teeth.

In the same way, you can determine the age of a puppy - by the pattern of change and the appearance of milk teeth. This article details how to find out the age of a puppy and dog by teeth.

So, to begin with, it should be clarified that in dogs the following are distinguished age groups:

puppies (up to 8 weeks);
young dogs (up to 18 months);
adult dogs (over 18 months old).

Dogs live 12-15, and sometimes up to 20 years.

Dogs have 42 teeth: 12 incisors, 4 canines (lateral canines, or canine teeth), 2 false teeth in the lower jaw and 24 molars (6 each in the lower and upper jaws). Recently, however, there are more and more cases with a large and, conversely, with a smaller number of teeth. The dental formula of a dog is expressed by the following numbers:

6 - 2 - 8 - 4 (upper jaw),

6 - 2 - 8 - 6 (lower jaw),

where the first digit is the number of incisors; the second - fangs; the third - and premolars (molars in milk predecessors); the fourth - molars (permanent molars) on the upper and lower jaws.

Dog age by teeth

To determine the age of a dog or puppy, the following indicators are taken as a basis: the time of eruption of milk teeth, their erasure, the appearance of permanent teeth and their erasure.

Newborn puppies do not have teeth. The speed at which teeth wear out depends on the dog's diet and health.

The incisors play an important role in determining the age of the dog. The crown of each such tooth acts as three points (blades, teeth, margins). Both lateral incisors eventually wear out and disappear.

Below is a diagram of the process of age-related change of milk incisors to permanent ones in a healthy dog with normal tooth development and a correct bite.

Table 1. Dental condition and age of the dog

How to determine the age of a puppy by teeth

Puppies are born without teeth, and the first milk and fangs appear on the 20-25th day, milk incisors. As mentioned above, on the 30-35th day, but the puppy's molars grow between the first and second month.

Change to permanent teeth occurs in a puppy, as in humans, gradually. The incisors are replaced first (the dates are indicated in the table above), then the false-rooted teeth. In general, by 10-11 months, a healthy dog will lose all its milk teeth. When a dog is 1 year old, her teeth are white and strong, her fangs are sharp, and there are tubercles on her incisors. From this period, the age of the dog is already beginning to be determined by erasing the tubercles on the incisors, as well as grinding the fangs.

Deviations from the norm

However, there are deviations and anomalies. In some cases, the permanent teeth erupt out of place, in others, the milk teeth continue to remain, most often above the canines, and sometimes even a double row of teeth is formed. The latter can be eliminated only by the removal of milk teeth.

In dwarf and old dogs of all breeds, calcareous (mineral) deposits often appear in the form of dental, tartar, etc. This phenomenon leads to inflammatory processes and contributes to the loosening and chipping of the teeth.

Numerous environmental factors influence the development and growth of a dog. Air, sun and water have a great influence. Therefore, animals need constant active walks in the fresh air, as well as cleaning, washing, periodic bathing, etc.

The age of the dog in other ways

In addition, a few more signs will help you know the age of the dog. So, for a dog 10-12 years old is typical:

gray hair in the muzzle (may appear as early as 6-7 years old), spreads over the entire muzzle, depending on the aging process;
eyes deep set, dull;
the pupils are unclear and dilated (cataracts or clouding of the lens of the eye may appear);
the back is soft, the stomach is lowered;
on the hocks and elbows - corns;
the coat is dull, disheveled;
the appearance of eczema-like diseases.

Thus, not only a veterinarian, but also any person can quite easily and quickly determine the age of a dog by the teeth and taking into account other age signs. It is important enough to know how to determine the age of a puppy, because up to a year many indicators change rapidly.

Matching the age of the dog and the person

. (RU) Elliott is a veterinarian with over thirty years of experience. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987, and worked as a veterinary surgeon for 7 years. afterward, Dr. Elliott worked as a veterinarian at an animal clinic for over a decade.

Did you know that you can determine the approximate age of a dog by its teeth? In adult dogs, examination of the teeth can give a rough estimate of their age, while the age of puppies can be more accurately determined due to the timing of the change of milk teeth. While a dog's teeth can only give you a rough idea of its age, it's a good starting point in determining its age.

Steps

Part 1

Introduction to canine teeth

Understand the structure and arrangement of a dog's teeth. All dogs have four types of teeth: incisors, canines, premolars and molars. They are located on the upper and lower jaws on the right and left sides.

Incisors are small teeth located at the front of the jaw. Adult dogs have 6 incisors in the upper and 6 incisors in the lower jaw. The extreme incisors (which are located next to the canines) are somewhat larger than those located in the middle; on the upper jaw they also tend to have a slightly greater slope to the sides.
The fangs are located behind the incisors, one on each side, for a total of four. These are long pointed teeth.
Next to the canines are the premolars. The upper and lower jaws have four premolars on each side. The fourth premolars of the upper jaw are very large.
Finally, the premolars are followed by the molars. The upper jaw has two molars on each side. The lower jaw has three molars on both sides. The first of them is larger than the next two.

Familiarize yourself with the order in which a dog's teeth appear. Puppies usually have 28 milk teeth. In the first 2-4 weeks, teeth are not visible. Fangs begin to sprout at about 3-4 weeks. Milk incisors and premolars appear after 4-6 weeks. By 8 weeks, the puppy will have all its milk teeth. In the next three months, there will be no obvious changes with them.
- After 5 months, the puppy will begin to develop molars, usually first they replace the milk canines and molars. By 7 months, the puppy erupted all the molars. If your puppy has all of its permanent teeth, it is most likely over 7 months old. Adult dogs usually have about 42 teeth.
- Since the end of the puppy period, the age of the dog is characterized by the degree of wear of its teeth. At the age of one year, the pet's teeth will be white and clean. By the end of the second year, the white color of the teeth will not be as bright, and tartar will begin to appear on the teeth. For this reason, the most deeply located teeth will begin to turn yellow. After 3-5 years the yellowing will intensify and be present on all teeth. In this case, the teeth will be noticeably worn.
Understand how and why a dog's teeth wear and decay. Tooth wear is a natural process, but it can be accelerated by the presence of certain habits in the pet, for example, the habit of actively chewing on hard objects (bones, stones, sticks) or in the absence of proper dental care in small dogs. On the other hand, some items, if chewed, have a positive effect on the condition of the dog's teeth. For example, rawhide or special “toothbrush” chews can help your dog get rid of plaque and other debris on his teeth.
- Also understand the causes of oral problems. By age 3, approximately 80% of dogs begin to show signs of gum disease. This can be expressed in the formation of yellow and brown tartar, inflammation of the gums and the appearance of an unpleasant smell from the mouth. Small breed dogs are more prone to gum disease.
- The food it eats has a significant impact on the condition of a dog's teeth. Eating dry food for a dog that prefers this type of food can help it get rid of some of its plaque, slowing down tooth decay. There are even special dry foods designed to maintain healthy teeth. If you're worried about your dog's dental health, your veterinarian will be able to recommend a suitable diet for your dog. Special water additives can also be used to combat tooth decaying and aging bacteria.
- Worn teeth may look worn, but normal tooth wear does not pose any significant health risk to the dog. If the teeth are worn excessively, their roots can be damaged, which will require endodontic root canal treatment.
Part 2
Dog Age Estimation
1. Determine the puppy's age by assessing the growth of his teeth. In early puppyhood, teeth grow quite quickly. Since the process of changing teeth is so fleeting, during this period the age of the puppy can be determined most accurately. To estimate the approximate age of a puppy, determine the type and location of the teeth he has.
  - Newborn puppies have no teeth at all. They begin to appear at certain intervals. The first milk teeth (canines) in a puppy erupt at about 3-4 weeks. At 4-5 weeks, the first and second anterior incisors appear. At 4-6 weeks, 2 molars erupt on each side. At 5-6 weeks, the third incisors appear. At 6-8 weeks, third molars appear. The premolars erupt much later.
  - At the age of 8 weeks, puppies have 28 milk teeth. At about 4 months old, a puppy's milk teeth will begin to be replaced by permanent molars. In most cases, lost milk teeth are swallowed by a pet, but sometimes the owner may accidentally find a fallen tooth on the floor or pay attention to the bleeding gum from which it fell out. Like normal children, puppies of this age will tend to chew on objects at this stage in their lives.
  - At 4-5 months, molars, first premolars and first molars will appear. At 5-6 months, the molars, premolars (second to fourth) and second molars will erupt. Finally, at 6-7 months, the third molars will appear. In total, the dog will have 42 molars.
2. To determine the age of an adult dog, assess the condition of its teeth. In the first two years of a dog's adult life, its teeth usually remain white and experience little wear and tear. By the end of the second year of life, the whiteness of the teeth fades and tartar begins to form on the teeth. This leads to yellowing of the teeth located deep in the mouth. Ultimately, the wear and tear of teeth and the accumulation of plaque and bacteria on them lead to the beginning of the aging process of teeth. It is by the degree of aging of the teeth that the age of an adult dog is determined.
  - By the age of 3, most dogs show signs of certain oral diseases: formation of yellow and brown tartar, gum inflammation, and bad breath. However, dogs whose owners brush their teeth daily and take their pet to the dental veterinarian regularly will not show these signs of tooth wear and oral disease.
  - At the age of 3-5 years, yellowing of the teeth will increase and will be noticeable on all teeth. Teeth wear will also be noticeable. As a dog ages, the wear and tear of its teeth increases. Gingival recession can occur when the gums recede and expose the roots of the teeth, causing them to fall out. The yellow spots on the teeth will become more pronounced and turn brown.
  - At 5-10 years of age, tooth wear will increase. It is very likely that certain diseases of the oral cavity will appear. By the age of 10-15, some of the dog's teeth may be missing, and the rest will be severely destroyed.
3. If you want to be more specific about your dog's age, contact your veterinarian. In general, it is difficult to determine the age of a dog solely by the condition of its teeth. The food used, the pet's habits and dental care (or lack of it) can speed up or slow down the wear of a dog's teeth.
- Determining a dog's age by teeth is only a rough estimate. The condition of the teeth largely depends on the habits of the dog, its diet, and even on the toys that it gnaws.
Warnings
- A responsible dog owner will never allow a dog to take poor care of their teeth and cause their teeth to fall out (which is usually due to cavities in the teeth and gum flux) or bleeding gums. This is painful for the dog and very careless on the part of its owner.
- Not all dogs enjoy having their teeth checked. Always be careful when placing your hands in your dog's mouth, and never put your hands in the mouth of unfamiliar dogs.

When a pet enters the house as an adult or a grown puppy, many dog owners want to know how old their four-legged friend is. This need does not arise out of idle interest.

The diet of dogs largely depends on their age category. And if treatment is necessary, age is also of no small importance. How to determine the age of a puppy by teeth and other signs?

Experts point out a number of reasons why dog owners should know how old their pet is:

Timely vaccination.
It's no secret that there is a certain schedule according to which the dog must receive this or that vaccination. The vast majority of vaccines are administered precisely by age. Young growth is vaccinated once a year. But at the onset of adulthood, vaccination is carried out much less frequently. This is due to the fact that immunity at this age begins to weaken and viral infections introduced with vaccination can cause considerable harm to the health of a four-legged friend.
Knowing how to determine the age of a puppy, you can understand whether the pet is ready for mating or not.
This is especially important for owners of bitches to calculate the start of estrus.
Knowing the age of your four-legged pet will help determine the time for castration or spaying.
Not all pet owners want to deal with offspring, so they prefer to solve the problem in such a radical, but at the same time effective way. Having data on the age category of the animal, you can avoid problems with its health. The fact is that too early, as well as too late sterilization (castration), is dangerous for the dog. Most veterinarians advise to perform such surgery at the age of 6-7 years, regardless of whether the dog had a birth or not. Some dog owners subject them to such a procedure in order to extend the life cycle or eliminate all kinds of health problems - oncology, prostatitis, uterine prolapse, sexual infections, etc.

In addition, the ability to determine the age category of dogs is also necessary for those who are engaged in volunteer activities and attach homeless dogs, work in animal shelters or in veterinary clinics. After all, giving the dog to new owners, you need to provide all the information about him.

Determining the age of a dog is possible by several methods.

The main method for determining the age of a dog

It is worth starting with the fact that experts divide dogs into three age categories:

puppies - dogs from birth to 2 months;
young individuals - from 2 to 18 months;
adult dogs - over one and a half years.

Specialists often resort to a method for assessing the condition of a pet's teeth. This principle is based on the regularity of the appearance of the dentition, their abrasion, the period of change and abrasion of the permanent dentition.

Like humans, dogs change their teeth once, and if he lived in suitable conditions, had good nutrition and the right bite, then his teeth can be used to determine his age with maximum accuracy.

Correspondence of the condition of the teeth to the age of the puppy.

Regardless of the breed of dog (determine the age of a toy terrier or a mongrel in front of you), experts highlight the following features:

in the absence of teeth in the oral cavity, we can say that you have a newborn baby in front of you, whose age is not more than two weeks;
at three weeks, the baby's fangs begin to erupt;
at the age of one month, the puppy has front incisors;
35 days after birth, the dog's molars begin to erupt;
puppy age from one to two months can be determined by the presence of the entire dentition (subject to the full development of the pet).

In the event that a puppy at the age of two months does not have a complete dentition, this means that he has health problems. In this case, you should seek the advice of a veterinarian.

Another age sign in dogs is the change of the dentition:

At the age of two to six months, the puppy's front incisors change, including the toes. Such a big difference in the age category is due to the specifics of a single breed. For example, in a toy terrier, the front incisors begin to change at six months.
From three to seven months, there is a change in the lateral and middle teeth.
By six months, puppies lose their milk fangs, in return for which new ones begin to grow.
Complete replacement of the dentition is completed by eight months, in some dogs this happens a little earlier.

In the future, it is precisely by these tubercles, which have an unusual trident shape, that one can determine how old the dog is. According to the level of abrasion, specialists (dog handlers or veterinarians) can calculate the age category of the animal.

Their condition is divided into several stages:

Two years.
During this period, the bumpy part of the lower hooks is erased from the dog. Further significant changes are not observed.
Four years.
At this age, the dog shows abrasion of the hooks on the upper jaw. In addition, in a four-year-old dog, the teeth lose their original luster and become dull.
At the age of five years, with good nutrition and a normal lifestyle, the pet wears out tubercles on all incisors.
Often at this age, you can also notice blunting of the fangs. As for the enamel, it becomes more yellow.
After six years, significant changes occur in the dog's oral cavity.
The incisors begin to change their shape (become more concave). Therefore, at this age, it becomes very difficult for experts to determine the correct bite. In addition, the enamel becomes more yellow.
From 8 to 10 years, pronounced abrasion of the teeth is observed.
The fangs begin to wear down and, in addition to yellowness, a plaque appears on them. At the same age, tartar can form in dogs (for lack of proper pet dental care).
After 10 years, the teeth of a four-legged pet become loose, some of them fall out.
Caries may also occur. It is on this basis that experts can determine that they have an elderly animal in front of them.

Additional ways to determine the age of a dog

There is a correspondence between the age of a dog and a human, but it is much more complicated than the formula “1 year = 7 years”.

In the absence of the possibility of determining the age by the dentition, other, indirect methods can be used, which are based on the external characteristics of the animal and its behavioral characteristics:

Young individuals are distinguished by well-developed muscles, which can be felt when stroking a pet. In addition, young animals move more than sleep.
The dog that has a flabby muscular corset is considered old. In addition, in old age, dogs are often diagnosed with obesity. The physical activity of old animals is extremely low - they sleep a lot and get tired quickly during a walk. Calluses are observed in the area of elbows and joints.

You can also determine how old a dog is by the condition of the coat. Dull, matte, worn in places, with gray hair indicates that you have an old dog in front of you. However, you should not rely entirely on this technique, because the coat is affected not only by age, but also by many other factors. And besides, some dogs do not have hair at all.

Whereas, in combination with other qualities, the silkiness of the coat can be a sign of a young animal.

Some experts determine the age category of pets by the eyes. Juveniles have clear eyes, often cheerful, mischievous with a certain sparkle. The old dog looks at you with cloudy eyes. His gaze is distinguished by indifference and lack of playfulness. Many older four-legged dogs have deep-set eyes and often have vision problems. However, often turbidity of the eyeballs can also indicate the presence of a disease of the visual organs.