Having a puppy is such a fun and exciting time! They're just starting to explore the world. One way they do this is with their mouth. You may notice that they are chewing everything with their sharp little teeth. These are called deciduous teeth. Their sharpness allows them to erupt through the gums, which happens around 3 weeks. Around 3 months of age, puppies start to lose their deciduous teeth and gain their adult teeth. The incisors (front teeth) are often the first teeth they lose. You may find teeth on the floor or your puppy will often swallow them.
How can you help your puppy during this time?
Ensuring puppies have plenty of safe items to chew on is going to help them understand what can be chewed. You never want to give them something you wouldn’t want to hit your knee with. Rubber toys and soft toys are great to offer. Teething can be sore and painful for puppies. Frozen snacks will help soothe their pain.
What if my puppy has baby teeth and adult teeth?
Normally, when your puppy is teething, the deciduous tooth will fall out as the adult tooth comes in, but you may notice your puppy has two teeth in the same spot. The sharper tooth is the deciduous tooth, and the other is the adult tooth. The deciduous tooth would be called a retained deciduous tooth, meaning it did not fall out when the adult tooth erupted. The deciduous tooth (or teeth) needs to be removed, or they can cause dental issues. Often, we will remove these teeth at the time of spay or neuter. Smaller breeds are more prone to having retained deciduous teeth.
Brushing teeth
Now is a great time to start brushing your puppy's teeth. Start by pairing the toothbrush with a yummy treat. You can use dog toothpaste to make it better, but it is the scrubbing action that is going to help clean those teeth. Start with short times and slowly increase, always making it a positive experience. This will help prevent dental disease and get them used to their mouth being handled. The better look a veterinarian can have, the better they are able to detect any issues.
Comments