If you’ve ever wondered why your dog chases his tail or if he can see in the dark, Dr. Jaimie Ronchetto of Cinema Veterinary Centre is giving six fun facts about your canine companion.

#1 – Puppies have about 28 baby teeth, and normal adult dogs have 42 teeth.

“Puppies have a set of baby teeth, just like us humans had a set of baby teeth, (and) they fall out as they mature, and then they get their adult teeth in,” Ronchetto explained. “When you have puppies, sometimes you don’t even realize that they’re falling out because you’re not necessarily going to find them — sometimes they accidentally swallow them, and that’s okay.”

#2 – Puppies often chase their tails out of curiosity and play, and adult dogs tend to chase their tails because of anxiety or stress.

“For puppies, when they’re still just discovering their world I think they start to chase their tail because they just see it out of the corner of their eye, and it’s something to go after,” Ronchetto said. “I think in the beginning they really don’t (realize it’s part of their body) until that first time that they might actually catch it, and they’re like, ‘Oh, that’s attached and that hurt a little bit.’ So they will chase it for play.”

Ronchetto continued, “Adult dogs, if they have some other issues going on, may chase for anxiety or stress-related reasons, so not healthy reasons. In those situations, you want to try to give them something else to kind of redirect that behavior … so you want to give them a toy, you want to take them out on a walk, you want to do something to get their mind off of it.”

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#3 – Dalmatian puppies are born pure white and get their spots as they grow.

“It’s while they’re still puppies, but it’s as they develop,” Ronchetto said. “It’s interesting, a lot of different breeds, they look one way when they’re babies and as they grow and develop, their fur will just completely change — they’ll just grow in new colors.”

#4 – Like humans, dogs can dream while they sleep.

“As far as I know, we definitely do share that trait, so they definitely can dream,” Ronchetto said. “Any of that little movement that you see, or if they kind of bark or whimper in their sleep, they’re dreaming.”

#5 – Dogs can see in the dark.

“They can see better than us because they have a special membrane in their retina that allows them to see in the light or dark situations,” Ronchetto said. “That’s the same membrane that you see eyes that ‘glow’ in the dark, that glowy look.”

#6 – The only place dogs sweat is through their paw pads.

“That’s why they overheat so easily, because that’s the only place they do truly sweat is through their pads,” Ronchetto said. “They have heat exchange there just like we would through our pores, and that’s why they pant. That’s another way for them to release heat and cool down is by panting. So when dogs are overheating, if their temperature is raising to a dangerous level, you can potentially use ice packs, cool water, or even a little bit of rubbing alcohol, put it on their pads to cool them down quicker.”

Dr. Jaimie Ronchetto, DVM, is a Santa Clarita veterinarian who opened her own veterinary hospital in Valencia after spending several years in private practice as an associate veterinarian at other SCV hospitals. Ronchetto and the staff at Cinema Veterinary Centre strive to give every dog, cat and pocket pet outstanding quality care in the areas of medicine and surgery. A Hart High School graduate, Ronchetto earned her BS degree from UC Davis and graduated with Honors from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine.

Cinema Veterinary Centre

23460 Cinema Drive

Valencia, CA 91355

(661) 253-9300

Cinema Veterinary Centre – Valencia

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Santa Clarita Veterinarian / Veterinarian in Santa Clarita / Cinema Vet / Cinema Veterinary Centre / Dr. Jaimie Ronchetto