Have a puppy? Learn about puppy teething to know how to relieve your new family member’s growing pains.
So you’ve got a new puppy. Congratulations! Getting a small, four-legged, new family member makes for an exciting time! You want the best for your new dog at every stage of life. The puppy stage will give you your first task: understanding and dealing with puppy teething. Before your pup runs around chewing on the household items, read this info about what puppy teething is and how to take care of your dog through the process.
Timeline
Puppies shed baby teeth and grow adult ones, just like humans! It is during this transition from baby to adult teeth that teething occurs. While teeth are shedding and growing, the puppy’s gums grow sore. To ease the pain, they try to chew on whatever they might. The timeline of teething is, in general:
First several weeks: Puppies are toothless during the first few weeks of life and feed from their mother.
3 to 6 weeks: The baby teeth, the canines, the incisors, and the premolars, come in. Keep in mind that puppies’ baby teeth are very sharp! Puppies usually have about 28 baby teeth.
12 to 16 weeks: Typically when you first take your new dog home, this is also around the time when adult teeth begin to emerge and baby teeth shed out. Dogs have about 42 adult teeth.
By the end of around 6 months, your dog will have all his or her new adult teeth.
What to Do about Teething
Understanding what is going on with your dog’s mouth is the first step in giving good and proper care. The next step is knowing what to do to ease your puppy’s pain and make sure the transition goes smoothly.
Offer chew toys: At the teething stage, offering a hard rubber toy such as a Kong is a good solution for easing the pain and protecting your furniture. Giving your dog a toy soaked with cool or frozen water will also be a welcome relief to your dog’s gums. Be sure that your puppy cannot tear off any chunks of the toy so that there will be no choking hazard.
Take care of their teeth: Provide soft food geared toward teething puppies. Also, check to see if any baby teeth remain after the puppy is 6 months old. Any remaining baby teeth may need to be removed by a veterinarian. Also, once the adult teeth have grown in, then is a good time to start training your dog to have its teeth brushed. Removing plaque and food between the teeth is important in keeping your dog healthy.
Trust the Care of Your Pet to the Professionals at Everhart Veterinary Medicine!
At Everhart Veterinary Medicine, our veterinary professionals strive to provide your pet with the very best of veterinary care. We believe that the best care for your pet should be provided by experienced, compassionate, and knowledgeable veterinary professionals. With two Maryland locations in both Baltimore and Pasadena, we are always ready to welcome your pet as a new patient! Give us a call today at 410-355-3131 or 410-793-7670! For more information, as well as updates on veterinary news and topics, visit us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Pinterest!