Do dogs lose their teeth? is a complicated question with multiple answers that every caring dog parent should know all of them
Do you remember losing a tooth when you were young?
How that made you feel?
I bet it was an exciting time for you then, Wasn’t it?
I guess You rushed to put the fallen tooth under your pillow,
So when the tooth fairy comes, she takes it and leaves some extra spending money instead.
You wake and you always find the money, This worked like a charm
These were good times, weren’t they?
Back then, losing a tooth actually reflected good feelings and meant something good is gonna happen
The question here is, Can we say it is the same case with your canine companions? Read on and find out for yourself
As a dog parent, caring for a puppy is a handful, there are a lot of things to think about and keep track of like feeding, walking, training, housebreaking, and let’s not forget their playtime!)
All this can result in you NOT giving their teeth a whole lot of thought.
During the first eight months or so of your puppy’s life, he will develop two sets of teeth, and Believe me, there’s more to caring for those chompers than just making sure they don’t leave marks on your furniture legs!!
Someday you may find one of your puppy’s teeth during your casual dog hair cleaning sessions of your couch or your carpet.
You won’t know what is this fallen tooth indicates!
And your head will suddenly erupt with a million questions;
Do dogs lose their teeth?
When it is normal for your puppy to lose teeth?
Is it a baby tooth or an adult one?
Do dogs teeth grow back?
Does my furry pal have a dental problem?
and so more…
In this article, We will try to answer most of your questions and give you all the information you need to know about those cute (and sharp!) little puppy teeth.
So without further ado, let’s start with our first piece of the puzzle!
Shall we?
Table of Contents
Do Dogs Lose Their Teeth?
Of Course, They Do,
Puppies develop and lose a set of “baby” teeth just like humans do. These teeth, sometimes known as “milk teeth” and referred to as “deciduous teeth” by vets, eventually give way to permanent “adult” teeth.
The question here should be Whether it is normal for dogs to lose their teeth or not??
When It Is Normal for Dogs to Lose Their Teeth?
Here is a timeline of the teething stages that your puppy goes through. This would help you define what exactly the type of the lost tooth here, a Baby one or an Adult one and whether you should be worried or not!!
The Timeline of Dog Teeth
Puppies have baby teeth just like humans babies, here is a comprehensive timeline of the teething process so you will know what to expect and prepare while your furry four-legged friend goes into adulthood
Weeks 2 to 4:
During this period your puppy’s baby teeth will gradually start to show.
Weeks 5 to 6:
By the start of this period, all his baby teeth should have come in.
They should be about 28 baby teeth in total.
This is the stage when you will likely try to wean your puppy in the litter as they learn to eat hard soft moist puppy food.
Weeks 12 to 16:
losing the baby teeth. During this period, you may start to find little crumb or rice sized teeth around your puppy’s playing areas. This is an indication that your puppy is shedding his baby teeth and permanent adult teeth are emerging.
The transition from baby teeth to permanent teeth is a painful process for your puppy so he will need your help to ease it out a little bit.
You should offer your puppy safe chew toys, also check with your vet periodically to make sure everything is moving along as it should.
Tip.
This is also the period when your pup is highly adaptable to new experiences around him.
So take advantage of that and familiarize him with you touching his mouth outside and in.
That will help you a lot in the long run as you’ll be setting your puppy up to be able to enjoy or at least tolerate getting his teeth brushed.
Keep in mind that the remaining baby teeth are still razor sharp. Beware, or he will nip you.
6 Months and Older:
By the end of the first six months of your puppy’s age, he would have lost all his baby teeth and his adult teeth should have grown in. In general, there should be a set of 42 teeth in adult dogs that’s about 10 more than adult people.
If there are still baby teeth remaining, make sure to check with your veterinarian as they may need to be removed
Well, Now after you can figure out if the lost tooth you encountered is a baby tooth or an adult one, it’s time for our next question
When It Is Not Normal for Dogs to Lose Their Teeth?
Sometimes, a dog losing his teeth is NOT something normal. There are several reasons behind your puppy’s teeth Falling
Hard Trauma to The Mouth
When your puppy’s clashes with an immovable object, a tooth or two may be knocked out. For example, if your dog is struck in the face with an object, if he falls from a high place or if he is hit by a car.
Chewing Hard Stuff
Your puppy may seem to be able to chew everything, your shoes, your clothes or even your couch but sometimes he may face an unchewable object.
Teeth can fall out if your dog chews on something too hard such as a deer antler or hard chew bone resulting in breaking the tooth.
Tip.
Broken teeth that don’t fall out on their own either need to be pulled out
(called an extraction)
or repaired with a root canal.
Both of these procedures are usually performed by a veterinary dental specialist.
Periodontal Disease (Gum Disease)
This is the most common reason for dogs losing teeth. Tooth loss can be caused by bacteria that develops into plaque and tartar. When tartar builds up near the gum line, it allows bacteria to enter beneath the gum line, damaging the support structures of the teeth. This leads to loss of bone and mobility of the tooth
Periodontal disease is highly likely to develop in dogs when you don’t regularly brush the teeth at home and receive annual or bi-annual professional dental cleanings. When this happens, infections may set in. Periodontal disease is a very common cause of tooth loss and can also affect your dog’s overall health.
How to Keep Your Dog’s Teeth Healthy?
Now after you knew what reasons causing your puppy’s teeth falling, you should know that It’s your job now to keep them healthy
Dogs don’t have the sense to use their tongue to dislodge chewed food
from their teeth.
They don’t care if they have a stinking breath or if they have a bad smile.
It’s on you to give them the dental care they need!
That’s why you need to establish regular teeth brushing regimen and STICK to it.
For the first brushing sessions, you can gently scrub the teeth with a finger brush or gauze pad.
Toothbrushes should be soft, and toothpaste must be convenient for a dog’s system.
You can check this GENTLEBRUSH™. I personally recommend it as it did wonders for me and my puppy.
The GENTLEBRUSH™ is Easy to use, comfortable, effective, and Gentle
Beware,
Don’t use human Toothpaste as it contains ingredients such as fluoride
that can cause serious problems to your pup if he swallows it.
Tip.
Baking soda and water can also make for a good toothpaste.
Check this out for tips on How to clean dog teeth in 9 easy steps
Another thing that you can do during this crucial part of your puppy’s life is to set him up for later success in life by teaching him good mouth manners
Tip.
While your puppy’s teeth are growing at this age, It’s a good time to include Bite Inhibition in his training and use certain commands such as “leave it” and “take it”.
That’s it.
I hope this has helped and answered all the questions you might have.
If you enjoyed this post, share it with a friend, he might have the same questions in mind
Good luck on caring for your puppy teeth
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And as always if you liked what you read here and want to read more check out my other articles on Dog Grooming or How to remove dog hair from your couch
If you have any tips or questions, Feel free to tell me in the comment section, We are all here to learn
Have a nice day and Read you next time.