by We answer the question – how many teeth does a cow have: An adult has a total of 32 teeth: 24 molars, and the remaining 8 are ordinary incisors located on the lower jaw.
One pair is located in the middle of the upper part and is called the hook. Then there are two pairs surrounding the middle incisors, which are called the middle internal ones.
Behind them, there are only two middle outer teeth and the other two are edges. There is not a single incisor on the upper jaw, but only a dense and large bone plate so that the cow can constantly chew food.
Changing teeth with age
The formation of the first incisors begins in the calf even before birth. At birth, the first four are already visible in the mouth. When the cow changes teeth, they are no longer present on the upper jaw.
Instead, there is a thickened gum formed by hard connective tissue. Calves only grow 20 milk teeth that need to be replaced.
They begin to change only after the calf is one and a half years old. At four years old, the molars are already fully formed.
Structure of the jaw
It is directly related to the way the individual eats and how its digestive system works. Since this is a ruminant animal and spends most of its time chewing, or rather grinding, its food, its jaw muscles are strong and developed.
The jaw is elongated to make it easy to grab food, and it does this with the help of its tongue and lips.
The incisors of animals have the following structure:
- A dental cavity containing blood vessels.
- Then all this is under a special tissue called dentin, which is the basis. It looks like a dense yellowish bone covered with enamel.
- The crown is the upper plane that smoothly grows into the root. It contains a special channel.
- It all ends with the root and nerve endings.
The structure of the molars of a cow is slightly different:
- Dentin is not located above the blood vessels. A special cavity is created in it where they are located.
- The root starts immediately from the crown, there is no pulp.
- In addition to enamel, there is a special compacted coating called bone cement. This is necessary to give the enamel strength, since it is they who bear the entire load during the process of grinding food.
Are there any upper teeth?
An adult does not have one, but a calf at birth has two middle milk incisors on its upper jaw. Over time, they fall out, and new upper ones do not grow.
Instead of molars on the upper jaw, they form a special “cushion”. This is gum, formed by hard tissue. Such a “cushion” has a solid, homogeneous structure, it does not wear down, but becomes stronger over time.
This thickened gum helps individuals grind rough food before it is sent for further digestion by the body.
Purpose
The individual has two types that perform different functions:
- The front incisors on the lower jaw help grasp and tear food.
- Molars, or 24 molars. They serve for thorough grinding.
And the gum cushion facilitates the process of grinding food and serves as a kind of press.
How to determine age by teeth?
When buying an animal, there are often cases when you need to determine its age. This can be done by examining the oral cavity, but you need to understand that calculating the age of a cow by its teeth cannot be absolutely correct.
The condition of the tooth enamel depends on the type of food the animal was fed and on individual developmental characteristics.
Important! When calculating the approximate age of an animal by its teeth, you need to very carefully and gently open the cow’s mouth. After all, if it feels pain, it can suddenly clamp its massive jaw and bite a person’s hand.
| Age | Oral health |
| 1 Week | 8 milk teeth. |
| 3 week | There are 3 teeth on the left and right sides of the lower jaw. |
| 3–4 months | The edges are fully formed. |
| 6 months | The 4th molar appears. |
| 1 year | The enamel disappears on the outer surface of the hooks. |
| 14 months | The enamel disappears on the inner surface of the hooks. |
| 2 years | The internal baby incisors are falling out. |
| 3 years | The permanent baby incisors appear. |
| 4 years | A complete replacement of teeth occurs. |
| 5 years | Erase the top edges. |
| 6 years | The hooks and inner middle teeth are worn down. |
| 7 years | The enamel on the surface of the hooks disappears. |
| 10 years | The enamel of the edges disappears. |
| 11 – 12 years | The incisors are set sparsely, the hooks are trimmed. |
| 13 – 14 years | The enamel disappears completely. |
| 15 – 18 years | Only stumps remain in the mouth. |
Disturbing symptoms
When certain health problems occur in animals, the following alarming symptoms occur.
Grinding of teeth
This is a symptom that should never be ignored.
There may be several reasons why cows grind their teeth:
- Hostile absence of chewing reflexes in a calf. Even if there is no food in his mouth, he will still continue to operate his jaw. This is what will cause the characteristic grinding sound. This is the most harmless thing that can happen to an animal. “No chewing gum” does not affect the health of the ungulate.
- Sand getting into food.
- Worm infestation. Cows definitely need frequent prevention from these parasites, as it can be fatal. The worms penetrate the body, begin to multiply and grow there, consuming all the nutrients. The cow becomes lifeless and thin.
- A serious intestinal disorder called gastroenteritis. It is accompanied by pain, high body temperature, diarrhea and even blood in the animal’s feces. If the disease is not treated in time, the ungulate may die. Gastroenteritis occurs due to improper nutrition, dirty food or unsanitary conditions. Poor health is caused by a fungus that gets into the intestinal tract.
Dropping out
This is due to serious jaw diseases or the change of milk teeth. They can also crumble due to high loads placed on them.
Jaw diseases
Jaw diseases in ungulates are fraught with loss of appetite, exhaustion, and, as a consequence, death.
Zuboron
This is the process of losing the upper milk incisors in calves that have reached two years of age. They must be replaced by a special hard gum plate.
Symptoms of tooth decay in cows are as follows:
- Loosening and falling out.
- Refusal of solid food.
- Decreased activity.
- Decrease in milk yield.
- Eating soft foods such as bread in large quantities.
During the period of tooth-crowing, the calf should be closely monitored. If this process does not cause discomfort to it, then there is no need to worry. But in the opposite situation, you should immediately go to the vet and improve the diet: give vitamins, soft ground food.
Fluorosis
This is a disease that requires the owner of cattle to immediately contact a specialist. In fluorosis, the main causative agent of the disease is improper food with a high phosphorus content.
The symptoms of this disease can be seen independently: thinning of the enamel, yellow plaque, and the appearance of dark spots.
Initially, this does not cause any discomfort or pain to the animal, but over time, the teeth begin to decay. If no measures are taken, the cow will have nothing to grind its food with.
Interesting! As a treatment, veterinarians prescribe proper nutrition: avoiding phosphorus, increasing calcium intake, vitamin D, potassium iodide and other important substances.
Help with dental restoration
To restore their condition, it will be necessary to follow a proper diet, as well as introduce special supplements containing calcium, which will perform a strengthening function.
Before calving (pregnant cow), the diet should include easily digestible feeds:
- Silage 15 kg.
- Meadow grass or hay 6 kg.
- Spring straw about 2 kg.
- Complementary food and supplements about 3 kg.
After calving, the cow needs energy, so root crops and various compound feeds are gradually introduced into the diet.