Also called · 이빨 개수 · 열육치 · 완전육식 · 잡식 · 쥐 조성
What it looks like
- Swallows with barely any chewing
- Carries kibble out of the bowl and drops it
- Leaves the larger pieces
Why it happens
The tooth counts differ
A dog has 42 permanent teeth, a cat 30. Almost all of the difference is in the molars. The dog retains crushing surfaces; in the cat that part has shrunk until only the cutting function remains.
Teeth that pass like scissors
In both dogs and cats the upper fourth premolar and the lower first molar are unusually large. These are the carnassials, and upper and lower pass each other like scissor blades, shearing through meat and hide. They do not meet and grind the way human molars do.
Dogs leaned toward omnivory
As dogs diverged from wolves they lived alongside people and ate what was left over. Their ability to digest starch is more developed than a wolf’s, which is why they are not classified as obligate carnivores. Their saliva contains no digestive enzyme, though, so starch is not broken down in the mouth — that happens in the small intestine.
What to do
Match the kibble size
Dropping or leaving food often means the pieces do not suit the mouth. Small dogs in particular sometimes have fewer teeth than standard, which makes large kibble hard to handle.
Watch out for
Quite the opposite. Less chewing stimulus leaves plaque in place more easily. The claim that hard kibble cleans the teeth is overstated, and the gum margin is not cleaned by food at all.
See a vet if
Chews on one side only, or flinches while eating
A broken tooth, or red gums
Common questions
It is normal. With few molars, cutting and swallowing is the original method. If the pieces are far too large, though, they may be dropped or brought back up.
We would not suggest it. The carnassials fracture readily, and a fracture leads to pain and infection.
Related behaviors
Was this useful?
General behaviour and nutrition information. It does not replace diagnosis or prescription. Similar behaviour does not always have the same cause, and the cause is not necessarily diet or environment — have a vet rule out illness first, and consult a behaviour specialist where needed.