Honors Theses, Ohio Dominican University, 2018, Honors Theses
The domesticated dog (Canis familiaris) is the most popular household pet in America. There are approximately 42.5 million dogs kept as pets in the United States. Despite dogs being the most popular pet, methods for dogs' age determination are limited and lack precision. After eruption of the final permanent teeth at about 7 months of age there is no quality method for determining age. Characteristics such as development of cataracts, tooth wear, and acquisition of grey hair become the leading factors in age determination; however, the aforementioned factors are variable in all dogs. The use of a pulp cavity/tooth width ratio, measured using dental radiographs, was applied to Canis familiaris to determine a more reliable method for determining age in dogs. This, more accurate method for determining age in dogs, will allow a reduction in shelter euthanasia and allow veterinarians and pet owners to more easily determine treatment plans.
Committee: William Chastain D.V.M. (Advisor); Blake Mathys Ph.D. (Committee Chair); John Marazita Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Subjects: Veterinary Services