The dog’s health and well-being largely depend on the condition of its teeth. Many pet owners do not pay attention to this, believing that the main thing is to properly feed and walk the pet. Some do not even know when dogs' milk teeth change. Usually only breeders who exhibit their animals are interested in the condition of the dental apparatus. The rest of the change of milk teeth is noticed only by the fact that the puppy began to bite everything. But this is wrong: inattention to the condition of the teeth can lead not only to the inability to expose the dog, but also to problems in the functioning of the digestive apparatus.
Dog teeth
Beautiful and strong teeth in dogs is not only a gift of nature. A lot depends on the proper care of them. But not all pet owners know how to do this. A healthy adult dog should have 42 teeth. They are divided into incisors, indigenous, pseudo-root and premolar. Some breeds lack a pair of teeth, and large dogs may have extra incisors. This condition can lead to the appearance of a malocclusion.
Each tooth consists of dentin, cement and enamel. Dog teeth are constantly exposed to aggressive effects and mechanical damage. Therefore, they are also susceptible to various diseases.
When canine teeth change in dogs
In order for the pet to have healthy teeth, it is also important to know everything about caring for them in puppies. Babies are born without teeth. Milky teeth appear in puppies only in the second week of life. At first they are small, bluish in color. All of them grow by the end of the first month. In total there should be 28 - 14 on the lower and upper jaws. When closing the mouth, they should not touch - the dog’s bite is scissor-like. Many pet owners know what milk teeth look like in dogs, but not everyone can tell how they should change.
It is very important that the puppy’s baby teeth grow correctly. Their condition of the dental apparatus in an adult dog depends on this. Therefore, owners need to know how much their teeth change in dogs. After all, what will happen next depends on the correct course of this process. This usually occurs in 3-6 months. In large breeds earlier, small breed dogs go through this later. In decorative dogs, the change of teeth can take up to 9 months.
If you know when milk teeth in dogs change, you can roughly determine the age of the puppy. Specialists often do this.
- At 1 month, the puppy has all the baby teeth - 28 pieces. They are arranged in a row. The teeth are all sharp, very small.
- Then the jaw grows, so by 2 months the incisors are more widely spaced.
- At 3 months, the incisors are located very low, some of them are gone.
- By 4 months, many dogs have 2-3 new incisors.
- By 5-6 months, the puppy has all the permanent incisors, there are first premolars, sometimes some fangs are missing.
- At 6-7 months, most dogs have all of their permanent teeth.
How teeth change
The puppy’s teeth change in turn: some fall out, others are already starting to grow. First milk incisors fall out, then premolars. Fangs change last and permanent molars begin to grow. Often, pet owners do not even notice a puppy tooth change. They are small, and many dogs simply swallow them. A change of teeth can occur imperceptibly, but not always. The correctness of this process depends on the breed, the nutrition of the puppy, its individual characteristics.
Dogs often change their behavior during tooth changes. The puppy becomes restless, begins to bite everything. Indeed, as in young children, during this process, the baby feels itching in the gums. Many puppies begin to bite to reduce these discomforts.
Tooth change problems
During tooth changes, they fall out because the root dissolves, but all the material remains in the gum and is used for the growth of molars. Sometimes a tooth cannot break through the gum. In this case, you can feel it. To help him, you need to contact a veterinarian who will make a gum resection. Sometimes milk teeth do not have time to fall out, and molars already begin to grow. It turns out two rows, especially often it happens on the incisors. This happens if the owner does not know when the milk teeth in dogs change. In this case, the puppy needs help. It is recommended that the loose milk tooth be loosened for several minutes. If you do this regularly, it will soon fall out painlessly during the game.
Dental changes may be delayed due to puppy disease, ear stopping, or vaccine complications. Therefore, all interventions should be tried up to 3 months. Otherwise, permanent teeth can grow incorrectly in the wrong place. This will disrupt the dog’s bite and become an obstacle to its participation in breeding. The change of teeth is especially often disturbed in dogs of dwarf or decorative breeds, as well as in long-necked animals. This is due to weak chewing muscles. In addition, feeding the animal only with soft food can also lead to problems when milk teeth cannot fall out.
How to help a puppy
The teeth of puppies are especially itchy at 3-4 months. The owner must help the pet. you need to wean him to bite, which is horrible, as this not only leads to damage to things, but can be unsafe for a pet. It is necessary to give him special dog toys, balls, carrots, crackers. Large breeds are advised to give large raw beef bones. Some owners are frightened when they notice on the toys or other objects that the puppy was eating, blood. This is not scary, so the tooth fell out.
Worse, if milk teeth do not have time to fall out, and the molars are already growing. This often happens in small dogs. In this case, the bite of the animal is broken, so he needs help. You can contact your veterinarian who will tell you what to do or will remove the deciduous teeth in dogs that interfere with indigenous growth. You can also help your tooth fall out, often loosening it. In order not to form the wrong bite, you can’t allow the puppy to pull toys, you don’t need to pull something from his mouth by force.
Dog teeth care
It is recommended that the dog’s permanent teeth be cleaned with special toothpaste every week. This will protect your pet from plaque, tartar and gum disease. If you do not care for your teeth, an unpleasant smell from the mouth may appear.
Veterinarians do not recommend giving bones to an adult dog after changing all teeth. It is believed that this grinds them off and can lead to damage to the enamel. To pet something nibbled, you can give him an apple or carrots. It is recommended to regularly examine the dog’s mouth in order to start treating emerging diseases in time.
Dog teeth problems
With improper care or a lack of minerals in the diet of a pet, various problems can arise. This can be a breakdown or loss of a permanent tooth, caries, tartar, inflammation. Sometimes dogs even develop periodontal disease. To avoid this, you need to remove plaque from the dog’s teeth in time. It often forms on fangs and molars due to malnutrition. It is also recommended to regularly visit a veterinarian who will examine the animal’s dentition and give recommendations on caring for it.