When Do Mini Pinschers Lose Their Baby Teeth?

Miniature pinschers are, as their name implies, very small dogs: they grow to be no more than about a foot tall. Like all humans and dogs, mini pinschers have two sets of teeth over their lifetime -- a deciduous set and a permanent, adult set. The baby set will fall out during puppy-hood and the adult set will grow in at about the same time.

  1. Exfoliation

    • When a dog's baby teeth fall out depends on factors such as its breed, genetics and diet.

      The larger the breed of dog, the younger it will be when its puppy teeth fall out; the smaller the breed, the older it will be. However, the specific time when a puppy's deciduous teeth fall out, or exfoliate, depends on factors -- such as genetics and diet -- specific to the individual dog. Generally, deciduous teeth exfoliate between 3 and 6 months of age.

    Teething

    • There is no way to know for certain whether dogs are in pain during teething since dogs cannot tell their owners if they are in pain. There are, however, several signs that a dog is uncomfortable due to teething; the most common signs are excessive licking or chewing, picky eating habits and lethargy. Veterinarians recommend that teething puppies be given plenty of chew toys, soft food instead of pellets and, in severe cases, prescribed pain medicine.

    Oral Health

    • By 6 months of age, a miniature pinscher should have received an oral examination by a veterinarian. The vet can tell whether there are any teeth growing in wrong, any retained deciduous teeth and any collection of plaque or debris in the mouth. Many veterinarians recommend that owners brush their miniature pinschers' teeth at least once a week using a toothbrush and toothpaste designed specifically for small dogs.

    Problems

    • Miniature pinschers are prone to a condition called retained deciduous teeth, in which their puppy teeth do not fall out when their adult teeth grow in (by 6 months old), resulting in extra teeth. This can lead to excess tartar and plaque buildup between the deciduous and permanent teeth, blockages of the mouth, infection and tooth loss.