Clinical Examination of Farm Animals - CYF MEDICAL DISTRIBUTION

Clinical Examination of the Head and Neck
Cleft palate
Calf diphtheria
Figure 5.14 Mouth of calf showing (a) lesions of calf
diphtheria (necrotic stomatitis) and also (b) a cleft palate.
The hard palate is checked for congenital abnormality
of the cleft palate. Milk may run from the nose
when a calf with this defect tries to swallow (Fig.
5.14). The defect may be narrow and small or involve
most of the roof of the mouth.
Teeth
The teeth may be temporary or permanent and inspection
of the incisors will enable the age of the patient to
be estimated (Fig. 5.13). Problems with the teeth are
unusual but occasionally an incisor tooth is loosened
by injury. Abnormal growth, wear and discolouration
of the teeth may be seen in fluorosis. The cheek
Table 5.1 Bovine dentition
Incisors Premolars Molars Total teeth
Deciduous teeth 20
Upper jaw 0 3 0
Lower jaw 4 3 0
Permanent teeth 32
Upper jaw 0 3 3
Lower jaw 4 3 3
teeth can be inspected visually and tapped with a
long pair of forceps. The clinician’s hands must never
be inserted into the bovine mouth beyond the diastema in
ungagged animals. The risk of injury to the clinician by the
sharp premolar and molar teeth is very high.
Bovine dentition
The arrangement of teeth in cattle is given in Table
5.1.
Age of eruption of the teeth in cattle
The first and second pair of temporary incisors are
usually present at birth, with the third and fourth
pair erupting either before birth or in the first 2 weeks
of life.
The permanent incisors erupt as follows:
1st (central) pair
2nd (medial) pair
3rd (lateral) pair
4th (corner) pair
Tongue
21 months
27 months
33 months
39 months
The tongue is mobile and very muscular in cattle, and
attempting to hold it still for examination can be
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