The Skull Flashcards
Most important, complex, and specialized part of the skeleton
Lodges the brain, and houses the sense organs for hearing, equilibrium, sight, smell, and taste.
Provides attachment for the teeth, tongue, larynx, and a host of muscles
Skull/Cranium
the skull Contains _____ (the master endocrine gland)
Hypothalamus
◦ Sight hounds
◦ Wolf’s cranium elongated
◦ Narrow, long snout
Dolichocephalic
◦ Scent hounds and pointers
◦ Wolf’s skull shortened with broader snouts to accommodate larger nasal chambers
Mesocephalic
- Boxers, “bully breeds”, Cavalier, Pug
- Short, compact skulls that often lead to health problems
Brachycephalic
*brachycephalic skull health problems
with shorter skulls, the ___ folds over itself around the eyes and nose which trap moisture and lead to bacteria growth
Skin
*brachycephalic skull health problems
a flat skull causes the ___ sockets to become shallow, which leads to the ___ protruding. The cornea is more exposed, causing it to become dry and more likely to become damaged
Eyes
*brachycephalic skull health problems
◦ Brachycephalic Upper Airway Obstructive Syndrome (BUAOS)
Respiratory
*brachycephalic skull health problems
◦ fluid-filled cavities develop within the spinal cord near the brain
Syringomyelia (SM) / “neck scratcher’s
disease”
- the pressure created by the abnormal flow of CSF is believed to create the SM cavities (syrinx) in the spinal cord
- Incredibly painful disease
- Up to 95% of all Cavalier King Charles Spaniels affected by the mutation; over 50% have SM
Syringomyelia
- “underbite” or “undershot jaw”
- lower jaw, normal length but upper jaw is too short
looses self cleaning ability and trap plaque and debris - maxilliary incisors can traumatize the mandible
- normally seen in brachycephalic breeds
Mandibular prognathism
- “overshot”, “overbite”, “parrot mouth”
- not common
- mandible is shorter than normal
- lacks self cleaning ability, creates painful hard palate abrasion holes
- not accepted standard in dog breeds
- often seen in german shpehard dogs
Mandibular brachygnathism
Skull (3)
Braincase / Calvaria
Facial
Mandible
◦ Parietal Bone
◦ Frontal Bone
◦ Sagittal crest
◦ Temporal lines
◦ Nuchal crest
◦ Temporal fossa
Braincase
median ridge formed by the parietal
and interparietal bones
Sagittal crest
in brachycephalic breeds, as
replacement of sagittal crest
Temporal lines
