Is It Bad That My Kitten Has Two Sets of Canines?

Your kitten's canine teeth are the four long "fangs" he uses to kill prey. If he playfully bites your hand, you'll find out how sharp those teeth are. Like human babies, kittens have an initial set of baby, or deciduous, teeth, followed by the permanent chompers. Sometimes, a kitten's baby tooth doesn't fall out, and it's usually a canine tooth. It's a situation that eventually requires correction.

  1. Deciduous Teeth

    • Between the ages of 3 weeks and 8 weeks, a kitten's baby teeth erupt. By the age of 12 weeks, the permanent teeth begin coming in. By the age of 7 months, a cat should have all of his permanent teeth -- so there's a four-month span when the permanent teeth are coming in, the baby teeth are shed and the tooth root is reabsorbed. When the process is completed, a cat should have 30 permanent teeth, compared with 26 baby teeth.

    Canine Teeth

    • A kitten's baby canine teeth emerge between the ages of 3 weeks and 4 weeks. They're the second set of deciduous teeth to come in, following the incisors, the tiny front teeth that erupted at 2 weeks. After the canines, the bicuspids or deciduous premolars, erupt, between the ages of 4 and 6 weeks. All deciduous teeth should be in place by 8 weeks. The incisors are the first permanent teeth to arrive, appearing between the ages of 3 months and 4 months. By the sixth month, the permanent premolars, molars and canines are in; all teeth are in at 7 months. When the canines arrive during that two-month period depends on the individual cat.

    Retained Teeth

    • Sometimes, the baby tooth doesn't fall out, but the permanent tooth has come in. That's why your kitten has two sets of canine teeth. The permanent teeth aren't properly aligned, which results in malocclusion or uneven bite. Untreated, cats with malocclusion can't properly grasp or chew their food and might continually bite the insides of their mouths. They are also prone to periodontal disease, since food gets stuck between the teeth.

    Treatment

    • When you take your kitten to the vet for his shots and checkups, you'll notice that your vet always examines his teeth. She's looking for abnormalities, especially as the permanent teeth start erupting. If your kitten has two canine teeth, your vet will probably wait until your pet reaches the age of 5 or 6 months to remove the baby canine tooth, which requires anesthesia. It's possible that your vet can combine this oral surgery with spaying or neutering so your cat doesn't have to undergo an extra round of anesthesia.