Teething in Dogs

Time Frame

• All dogs are born without teeth. Between the ages of 3 and 6 weeks, however, a dog will get its milk, or deciduous, teeth. On emerging, these 28 teeth are sharp enough to help the animal transition to eating solid foods. Deciduous teeth last between four months and a year, during which time the dog's permanent teeth gradually replace them, absorbing the roots of the milk teeth as they do.
  This replacement process is known as teething. When it's completed, the dog will have 42 adult teeth.
  Although dogs experience the discomfort of teething most intensely between the ages of 2 and 7 months, minor discomfort may occur for as long as a year until the adult teeth have fully emerged.
  Dogs get their permanent incisors between the ages of 2 and 5 months. Their premolars will erupt at between 4 and 6 months, while their canine teeth and molars appear between 5 and 7 months.

Considerations

• The "UC Davis Book of Dogs" states that a dog's breed, gender and date of birth will all influence the teething process. Large breeds teethe earlier than small ones; females teethe earlier than males; and dogs whelped in the summer months teethe earlier than those born at other times. Poorly nourished puppies will teethe later than well-nourished ones.

Effects

• Teething will make a dog's gums very tender and itchy. When attempting to relieve their discomfort, puppies will chew whatever is available.
  Dogs of the Herding Group, like Australian shepherds, may also engage in instinctive nipping behavior when bothered by teething.
  These effects of teething are driven only by discomfort, not bad behavior.

Prevention/Solution

• There are several simple solutions to the chewing and nipping that result from teething. Letting the animal chew either on ice cubes or a washcloth that has been dipped in water, twisted, and frozen will numb the inflamed gums. Prepare the washcloths in batches and give one to the puppy every two or three hours.
  Hard rubber chew toys, in addition to their pain-relieving properties, have a pacifying effect on dogs.
  For a tasty teething remedy, try boiling marrow bones in chicken or beef broth for about twenty minutes and letting the dog chew them. Make a game of it by inserting peanut butter into the bones. The animal will be entertained for hours trying to extract all of it.
  Give your pet a gum massage. Sitting behind the dog, use one hand to support its chin while softly stroking the outside of the mouth. When your dog is relaxed, gently raise its upper lip and massage the upper and lower gums in a circular motion. The light pressure will ease the discomfort.

Warnings

• A dog may have some deciduous teeth that don't fall out as its adult teeth erupt. Unless removed, the deciduous teeth will crowd the permanent ones, encouraging plaque accumulation and improper jaw alignment, or malocclusion.
  Use caution when choosing chew toys to help your dog cope with the pain of teething. Never give your pet a chew toy that will shred or break, because swallowed fragments could mean serious digestive problems. Hard leather, rawhide, and hard rubber are the best materials for chew toys.
  Avoid toys that look like other objects in your home. Your pet can't distinguish between a toy shoe and a real one.
  If you choose to give your puppy a bone, make sure it is of a type that doesn't splinter easily. Veterinarians generally discourage chicken bones and other small bones.