New research suggests your Chihuahua or other toy breed dog may have 'shark teeth'. Here's what it means

Small "toy" breeds, as per new research, often have doubled-up teeth similar to sharks' mouths. New research published in the journal 'Research in Veterinary Science' shows that seven per cent of pet dogs, mostly smaller breeds, exhibit the condition known as persistent deciduous teeth.

Shark teeth

This occurs when a dog's baby teeth remain in the jaw, close to the adult teeth, instead of falling out, creating rows of teeth resembling those of sharks.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

To explore this weird phenomenon, Corrin Wallis and her team at the Waltham Petcare Science Institute in Leicestershire, UK, analysed records from 2.8 million pure-bred dogs in the US from veterinary visits between January 2010 and December 2014.

Upon categorising 60 breeds into six size groups, ranging from extra-small (less than 6.5 kg) to extra-large (over 40 kg), they found that around 15 per cent of extra-small dogs had shark teeth, compared to less than one per cent of dogs in categories heavier than 15 kg.

Among toy breeds, Yorkshire terriers, toy poodles, Malteses, and chihuahuas showed the highest prevalence of these "shark teeth" — Yorkshire terriers had the highest at 25 per cent.

In comparison, Greyhounds had the lowest incidence across all breeds at just 0.1 per cent.

Why do dogs have 'shark teeth'?

According to the team of researchers, the higher prevalence of shark teeth in smaller breeds could be due to their smaller mouths.

Dan O'Neill at the Royal Veterinary College in London suggested that very short-nosed dogs were nearly three times as likely to have shark teeth as those with average nose lengths.

Deciduous teeth "is a disorder that's heavily related to breed, and that's key, because that means we can change that if we wish," he said.

Wallis and her team also found a connection between obesity and shark teeth, which were 11 per cent more common in overweight dogs. However, as per O'Neill, the reason for this link is unclear.

Further research in dogs is necessary to understand this new finding. Wallis and her colleagues, as per New Scientist, stress that it is important to get your petregular veterinary care to check for persistent deciduous teeth. They recommend the removal of "shark teeth" to prevent complications.

(With inputs from agencies)