Content
- Canine teething for puppies and adults
- Baby teeth in the dog
- How many months does the dog lose its baby teeth?
- Dog with toothache: what to do
- How to tell a dog's age by teeth
Puppies, like babies, are born toothless, although it is rarely possible to find newborn puppies with one or two half-developed milk. During the breastfeeding, the little ones must feed exclusively on the breast milk they suck from their mother's breasts.
During the first few weeks of life, puppies experience the development of a first denture that will be temporary, which is when they appear "the baby teeth". Subsequently, these temporary teeth fall out and permanent teeth are born. The definitive teeth will accompany the dog throughout its life.
The exchange of teeth in dogs is similar to that of human beings in infancy. However, the organism of dogs is different and, therefore, so is time.
In this article by Animal Expert we will explain to you when the first teeth of dogs are born, indicating the approximate age of denture development, but we also offer you some tips to let you know how to alleviate dog toothache, among others. Keep reading and discover the canine teething: all about the process.
Canine teething for puppies and adults
The dog's provisional dentition can be considered complete when it presents 28 teeth, popularly known as "milk teeth". This first set has 4 canines (2 upper and 2 lower), 12 molars (6 lower and 6 upper) and 12 premolars (6 lower and 6 upper).
Temporary teeth differ from permanent teeth not only in composition, but also in appearance, as they are thinner and squared.
This first exchange of the dogs' teeth is a fundamental part of the food transition and the physiological adaptations of puppies during the weaning period, when their organism prepares to stop consuming breast milk and start eating on its own.
Baby teeth are needed for the puppy to start tasting some solid food and progressively adapt to the diet you will have in adulthood. However, they need wear out and/or fall to allow the correct development of permanent teeth, which are suitable for the animal's eating habits and digestive needs.
The permanent dentition of the adult dog presents 42 teeth at the moment it is fully developed.
Baby teeth in the dog
Each dog's organism is unique and shows a unique metabolism, so there is no predetermined date or age for the baby's milk teeth to start growing. However, usually the provisional teeth start to develop between 15 and 21 days of life. At this point, the puppies also begin to open their eyes, ears, walk and explore the environment.
During this period, we observed the appearance of milk upper canines and incisors. A few days later, between the 21st and 30th day of the puppy's life, it is possible to see the growth of the lower incisors and molars. It will be essential that, during this phase, the tutors review the puppy's mouth to ensure tooth development and identify complications early.
In addition, veterinary consultations will be essential not only to certify the puppy's tooth exchange, but also to follow the vaccination schedule and carry out the first deworming, which are essential care to prevent the development of common diseases in dogs and fight infestations internal or external parasites.
How many months does the dog lose its baby teeth?
Starting from 3 months of life of the puppy, wear of the baby teeth begins to occur, a phenomenon known as "airshallow". Again, it is important to point out that each dog's organism requires its own time to begin to develop this process. A few weeks later, when the dog is approximately 4 months old, we will be able to observe the birth of the upper and lower central incisors.
But at how many months does the dog lose its baby teeth? It's in the eight month of life that the puppy will experience the permanent change of canines and incisors. Usually, this second change in the puppy's teeth can extend from 3 to 9 months of age, depending on the breed or size. However, it is possible that permanent teeth keep developing until the dog's first year of life.
Dog with toothache: what to do
Changing teeth in dogs is a natural process. Generally, the only symptom that a puppy is changing teeth is a urge to bite caused by discomfort generated during the eruption of the tooth pieces in the gums. In some cases, the puppy may also have mild pain or show slightly inflamed gums as the teeth grow.
Do you want to know how to relieve dog teeth pain? The ideal is to offer teethers or soft toys suitable for his age. Don't forget that hard toys and bones are not recommended for puppies less than 10 months old because they can damage the gums and compromise proper tooth development. You can also cool the toys to decrease inflammation.
In addition, it will be essential that you check your dog's mouth daily to check for any problems during this process. The most common complication in changing a dog's teeth occurs when the temporary tooth piece is not able to separate properly from the gum, which prevents the permanent tooth from developing correctly.
When this happens, the puppy usually has a more intense toothache and there may be a dislocation in the dog's dentures, which implies difficulties in chewing food and, as a result, digestive problems. Wounds and inflammation of the gums (gingivitis) can also be produced due to inadequate growth of the teeth.
So, if you notice that your dog's teeth don't come out or if you notice that he has a lot of pain or sores during this process, don't hesitate to consult a doctor vet. In some cases, minor surgery may be necessary to detach the temporary piece and favor the full development of the permanent tooth.
How to tell a dog's age by teeth
Did you know that you can estimate the age of a dog by looking at its teeth? As already mentioned, furry teething goes through a series of changes as the animal grows and develops. Therefore, if we pay attention to a dog's teething, we can calculate its age in an approximate way.
For example, if a puppy has less than 15 days old, it is very likely that you still don't have any teeth. But if it's been about 3 weeks since birth, we'll look at the milk upper canines and incisors, which will be thinner and squarer than the permanent ones. When the puppy is about to complete its first month of life, it will also have some incisors and milk canines in its lower jaw.
On the other hand, if the puppy is about to complete the 4 months of life, we will observe the eruption of the central incisors in both jaws, which indicates that the permanent dentition has already started to appear. In case he already has 9 or 10 months of life, he should already have all the permanent dental pieces, although they continue to develop.
around the first year old, the permanent dentition must be complete, with very white teeth, without the presence of tartar.At this age, the incisors will no longer be as square as the baby teeth and will have rounded edges, known as "fleur-de-lis".
