Author(s):

M Zakariah, YM Bukar-Kolo, KU Ezema, M Mustapha and BG Gambo

Abstract: Dental disorders of dog is one of the challenges faced by veterinarians. It is an important area of interest from the economic point of view as these dogs are primarily used for hunting and guarding purposes. Although many studies on dental diseases in other mammals like cow and camels have been documented, but information on frequency of these alterations in populations of hunting dogs, especially in north eastern Nigeria, is grossly lacking. The present study was designed to evaluate the prevalence of dental disorders in hunting dogs in Maiduguri, Nigeria. A total of 142 hunting dogs of both sexes were examined between the ages of 2 and 10 years. Out of the total number, 91 (64%) were positive for at least one form of dental disorders. Out of the positive results, 73(80.2%) were males while 18(19.8%) were females. The dental abnormalities observed during the study include gingivitis (40.6%), dental calculus (36.3%), dental attrition (18.7%) and missing teeth (4.4%). The prevalence of calculus formation did not differ between left and right side. However, the upper jaw showed a higher degree of affection than the mandible. On the labial or buccal side of the teeth, a thicker calculus layer could be observed than on the lingual side. Interestingly, the degree of calculus formation, gingivitis and the missing teeth did not correlate in all cases. Dental attrition was detected only in older dogs and affected mostly canines and premolars of old dogs.

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