| Your pet dog is made up of various
parts that make him whole. Dog anatomy differs from breed
to breed. However there are basic physical characteristics
that are identical among all breeds of dogs. As a dog owner
it is advisable to have some basic knowledge of dog anatomy
as it will help you in dog care and if ever your dog has an
injury or a problem.
Dogs are quadruped which means they stand on all four legs.
The skeleton of a dog is a strong framework and provides good
protection to its vital organs. Dogs have many bones, but
the important ones to know are the skull, ribs, spinal column,
and of course the leg bones.
The shape of any dog is determined by three major structures--the
head, the body and the legs but the size and form of these
structures will vary greatly. Given below is basic information
on the anatomy of dog.
Dog Anatomy- The Head: The two basic head
shapes found in dogs are -- a narrow skull with a long face
and a wide skull with a short face. All dogs have 42 teeth.
The front of the mouth has six pairs of incisor teeth flanked
by two pairs of large canine teeth. The incisors and the canines
help the dog to bite and tear its food. The other teeth are
molars and premolars.
Just like in humans, air breathed in through the dog's nose
passes to the lungs through the two nasal cavities behind
the nose. Smell is the dog's most acute sense. This is due
to the mucous membrane containing many nerve endings that
line the nasal cavities.
A dogs’ tongue is fairly thin and is used to guide
food to the throat or to clean its coat and most importantly
for perspiration. All dogs cool off by hanging their tongue
out and panting. The dog also sweats through the pads on its
paws and lightly through its skin.
Dogs have a fine sense of hearing. They can hear sounds at
frequencies too high for people to hear. The ears of a dog
either stick up or hang down. However they do perk up at even
the softest of sounds.
A dog has three eyelids in each eye namely the main upper
and lower lids and a third lid which is hidden between them
in the inner corner of the eye.
The head of the dog is connected to its body by the neck.
The size of the seven bones that support the neck, determines
the length of a dogs neck. The pitch and loudness of a dog's
voice is determined by the length of the vocal cords.
Dog Anatomy- The Body: The next important
part of dog anatomy is its body. Vital organs like the heart,
lungs, stomach, and intestines as well as a dog’s sex
organs, kidneys, and bladder are located in this part of the
dog’s anatomy. A dog’s chest has 13 ribs which
cover the heart and lungs. All dogs have 27 bones starting
from the skull and ending at the point where the tail begins.
The number of tailbones, however, varies from breed to breed.
Dog Anatomy- The Skin: Just like humans,
dogs also posses a wide variety of skin colors. The skin of
a dog is covered with hair. All dogs have some hair cover,
including the so-called hairless ones. This hair plays a vital
role in the dogs over all well being by acting as an insulator
against both heat and cold. Dogs shed their hair twice a year,
generally in the spring and fall and their old hair is replaced
with new. The dog's skin has an amazing ability to heal very
quickly.
Under the dogs skin is its skeleton which is covered with
muscles. Dogs have very strong and well coordinated muscles.
Just like in humans, dogs also get sprains and injury to their
muscles when they are pushed to their limit.
Dogs have a very complex nervous system. Diseases like distemper
and rabies can severely damage a dog's nervous system. It
is therefore important to get your dog vaccinated against
these deadly diseases.
Dog Anatomy- Legs: Another important part
of the anatomy of dog is its legs. The front legs are called
the fore limbs while the back legs are called the hind limbs.
The foot, or paw as it is called, has five toes. A toenail,
or claw, emerges from the end of each toe. There are soft
pads for each toe and two larger pads on the paw. As mentioned
earlier, dogs perspire through their pads.
The anatomy of dog is very comprehensive and much more detailed
than what is described here. However the above general information
on dog anatomy will be of great use should a need arise.
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