Puppy Teething Stages
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Newborns
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Puppies are born without teeth. Their first days are spent in a dark and silent world, where they do little besides nurse and sleep. As the days pass, they began to see, hear and smell. Senses more acute than any human will ever know begin to develop, and puppies' bodies begin to prepare themselves to eat other foods besides their mothers' milk.
Milk Teeth
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Puppies begin to cut their milk teeth, or baby teeth, between the ages of three and six weeks. From this point forward, puppies will be in some stage of teething for several months. Puppies cut 28 milk teeth. They do not develop molars in their baby set because they will do little grinding of food at this age. The milk teeth are small and sharp. As the puppies continue to nurse, the milk teeth will cause discomfort to the mother dog, and she will begin to wean them.
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Teething
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Puppies begin to lose their milk teeth between the ages of four and five months. It's unlikely you will find any of your dog's baby teeth as it sheds them, as most puppies swallow their milk teeth when they fall out. As the baby teeth fall out, adult teeth begin to emerge through the gums. The cutting of the adult teeth is as painful for puppies as it is for humans who are teething. This is the time when puppies chew on just about everything in an effort to massage their gums and ease the pain. You may even notice your puppy's gums bleeding during this time.
To help your puppy during this painful stage, try these methods: pour chicken soup into an ice cube tray and freeze it. Give the puppy the cubes to eat and suck on to ease its discomfort. Soak a rag in water, wring it out and put it in the freezer. Give it to the puppy to chew on. Soften your puppy's dry food with a bit of water or chicken broth to make it easier to chew.
Adult Teeth
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As your puppy's adult teeth emerge, it will cut its small front teeth first. The premolars will then break through the skin. These are just behind the area where the canines will eventually be. Following the premolars, the puppy will get molars in the back of the mouth. Finally, the puppy will cut its canine teeth. By the time the teething process is completed, the puppy will have 42 teeth--21 on its upper jaw and 21 on its lower jaw.
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References
- Photo Credit Bethney Foster
