Surely you have ever wondered, at what age do dogs change their teeth? Or how can you know if it is already happening and if it needs some special care during this stage?

Stay with us because in this article we will help you answer some questions about this and many more questions, so keep reading!

At what age do they change and in what order do the teeth come in?

When we talk about at what age dogs change their teeth, we are referring to the age at which milk teeth change into permanent teeth. However, dogs, like other mammals, are not born with teeth, since they are not needed during the suckling stage.

The age at which the milk teeth appear can vary, either due to the breed, its size, etc., but here we share only an estimate of the times when this can happen.

During the first three weeks of life, the first milk teeth begin to appear; although it will not be until three months of life when the puppies begin to change their teeth and their permanent teeth appear. In general, it can be established that a dog already has all its adult teeth by seven or eight months of life.

Puppies have 28 to 32 milk teeth: incisors, canines, and premolars. The molars will appear until they have their final teeth. The order of the first teeth will be as follows:

• Incisors. They are the first to appear.

• Canines. After a few weeks the milk canines come out.

• Premolars. Premolars can take up to 8 weeks to appear.

When the time comes for our pet to change its teeth, it will go from the initial 28 milk teeth to 42 permanent teeth. In general, although there are exceptions in some breeds, adult teeth will be divided into 22 teeth in the lower jaw and 20 in the upper jaw.

• 12 incisors, 6 incisors in the mandible and 6 in the maxilla.

• 4 canines. 2 up and 2 down.

• 16 premolars, 8 in the mandible and 8 in the maxilla.

• 10 molars, 6 in the mandible and 4 in the maxilla.

How to know when your teeth are changing and symptoms of change?

The process of changing teeth is something very annoying for our puppies, and it almost always coincides with an exploration stage. Let's get to know some of the most common symptoms that you can detect to know that our pet has started or is changing teeth.

• Finding a tooth on the ground or in one of their toys. This does not always happen like this, since the most common thing is that they are swallowed, but do not worry about this, since being so small they do not cause any problem.

• Detect small traces of blood either in his mouth or on the toys he has chewed.

• Mild moans, apathy and a less active state, it is normal that at times he is calmer than normal, this due to the discomfort caused by the fall and birth of new teeth.

• Pain in the gums, they can be a little inflamed and red, and they also have excessive salivation.

• Noticing gaps between the teeth and seeing the new teeth.

It is important to know that at this stage puppies have the need to nibble on everything within their reach, such as furniture, shoes, among other objects. Do not punish or scold him, this behavior is completely natural and he does it to try to ease his pain. So you can offer him a toy that he can bite and reward him with a Waggy's cookie, which will also help him to be more relaxed and less anxious in these episodes.

How long does the change of teeth in a dog last?

The change of teeth in dogs is a process, just as it happens in babies and children, there are no exact dates but we can say that the duration of the milk teeth of puppies is between 3 to 7 months and the process of fall and that are replaced lasts several weeks.

How can I help my puppy relieve pain?

During all this natural process, you can help your puppy to have a little better time in the process, here are our recommendations:

• Give him a soft toy or a rubber ball to chew on, this will help reduce pain, anxiety and soothe his gums, plus he will spend hours entertained with his new toy and will solve the problem of biting all the furniture and objects in the house . Extra tip: a good idea is to leave the toy in the refrigerator to cool down. In this way, the cool and cold of the toys will help reduce gum inflammation.

• Maintain a dental hygiene routine from when he is a puppy, it is true that milk teeth are going to fall out, but the sooner we accustom our puppies to maintaining a dental routine, the better for him, because we will create a habit from an early age.

• Give him a suitable food, you can choose a type of kibble with a softer and semi-moist texture for this stage of his development and offer him foods that help him keep his teeth healthy.

• Ice cubes, giving them ice is a good alternative for the game, because they are crunchy and they can chase them while they are slipping on the floor, they will try to bite it and soothe their itchy gums.

• Support him with a relaxing Waggy's, without a doubt the cbd for dogs or relaxing treats for dogs with CBD will help your puppy to reduce his anxiety and be calmer in his day to day in the process. Learn more about dosage, the uses of cbd for dogs and benefits .

How do a dog's teeth wear down?

The permanent teeth tend to wear out from use, as in the rest of the species. The first teeth to wear will be the lower central incisors and, later, the upper ones.

• lower central incisors. They are the first to wear, it begins at seven and a half months and a different incisor wears every year. At about three and a half years, the fleur-de-lis disappears from the incisor that is right next to the canine.
• Upper central incisors. From the age of three and a half, wear begins, like the lower ones, one a year.

From the age of three, the teeth of dogs begin to yellow and tartar appear. It is recommended that at this age products be used to help fight tartar on the teeth. In addition, in some cases the accumulation of tartar may be prior to this age. And over the years it is normal for some teeth to move, become loose and end up falling out , especially in smaller breeds. It is good for the vet to periodically check our puppy's muzzle, to ensure that everything is in order and give you guidelines to keep your dog's dental hygiene in good condition.

Conclusion

In conclusion, now that you know more about the change of teeth in dogs and what to do to favor this process, as well as so that no problem arises, it is important to check and control their teeth, and if you suspect that something is not right or notice any abnormal changes, do not hesitate to go to the vet. Only in this way can we prevent major complications.