Puppy teething: Timeline, symptoms and relief.
Teething timeline
A puppy’s first teeth start to emerge at just three weeks old, and by five weeks have all erupted. These are temporary teeth, known as deciduous or baby teeth. Adult dogs have 42 teeth, but puppies only have 28. These are mostly at the front of the mouth.
At 4 months of age the permanent, adult teeth start to appear, replacing the baby teeth. The roots of the baby teeth gradually dissolve allowing them to fall out; this can happen before or after the adult tooth emerges. The incisors (small teeth at the front of the mouth) are replaced first, followed by the molars appearing at the back of the mouth where there aren’t baby teeth to replace. The canine (fang) teeth usually emerge around 5 months of age, and the full set of adult teeth should be present by 6 months.
Common signs that your puppy has started teething
As the adult teeth start to emerge, the gums often feel itchy and sore. Chewing can alleviate some of the itch so often one of the first signs that your puppy is teething is a new passion for chewing things. You may occasionally notice a bit of blood on a chewed item if a baby tooth has been knocked out, but this is generally only very mild and stops on its own.
Most puppies will be happy to keep eating as normal while they are teething and aren’t usually unwell in themselves. If they let you look in their mouth (a good skill to practice!) you may notice a gap in the gums or see the tip of an adult tooth poking through.
How to help your puppy
The most important way to help your puppy during teething is to make sure they aren’t able to chew anything harmful. Once you know they are likely to chew whatever they find, make sure wires and cables are out of reach, medications are securely stored, and houseplants are not toxic to dogs.
While your puppy is teething, do:
- Offer a variety of chew toys so they can choose a texture they like
- Offer ice cubes, frozen snacks or specially designed freezable toys to soothe the gums
- Play tug games (if they want) to help rub itchy gums
Don’t:
- Give hard substances such as bone or antler, as these can break the teeth
- Punish them for chewing the wrong thing; instead remove them and offer a suitable toy instead
- Leave them unattended around anything valuable or harmful if chewed
Teething is a normal part of puppy development but can be uncomfortable for your dog. Offering chew toys and directing them away from chewing things they shouldn’t can make the process less painful for everyone. Most puppies don’t need veterinary attention during teething, and the process will finish naturally between 5-6 months of age. Occasionally teething isn’t straightforward, so see your vet if your puppy seems particularly uncomfortable, has ongoing bleeding from the gums, or you think the baby teeth haven’t fallen out when they were supposed to.