Puppies will loose their puppy teeth and
develop
their adult ones. Teething usually begins at about 16 weeks and
continues
to six or seven months. You will notice increased and more agressive
chewing,
possibly the puppy pawing its mouth or running its face and possibly
spots
of blood on chew toys. You may find teeth on the floor or in toys it
chews.
This is all normal. The chewing is helping to loosen the first teeth
and
help them come out, while helping the permanent teeth to come in
straight
and strong.
While teething be sure that
your puppy has lots of good chew toys. You may also find that ice cubes
or cold carrots help - the cold will help ease the discomfort, as will
a frozen damp washcloth - all used with supervision. Be extra sure to
keep
other thigns away from its reach. And - you will survive it even if you
think your puppy is going to chew the house down.
Dog and Puppy teeth info:
puppies have 28 deciduous teeth I = incisor C = canine P = premolar M = molar deciduous teeth designated as Di, Dc and Dp so a puppy is 2 ( Di 3/3 - Dc 1/1 - Dp 3/3 ) = 28 teeth in total
and permanent teeth 2 ( I 3/3 - C 1/1 - P4/4 - M2/3 ) = 42 thus dogs have 42 permanent teeth
to further explain the time frame: Di 1, 2 appear at 4 to 5 weeks Di 3 at 5 to 6 weeks Dc at 3 to 4 weeks Dp 2 and 3 at 4 to 6 weeks Dp 4 at 6 to 8 weeks
on to the permanent teeth: I1and I2 at 2 to 5 months I3 at 4 to 5 months C at 5 to 6 months P1 and P4 at 4 to 5 months P2 and P3 at 5 to 6 months M1 at 5 to 6 months and finally M2 and M3at 6 to 7 months
the following data was found reliable in ~90% of large dogs
with
more variation in small breeds especially toybreeds.
level bites usually produce excessive wear.
1 1/2 years cusps worn off lower I1
2 1/2 yrs cusps worn off lower I2
3 1/2 yrs cusps worn off upper I1
4 1/2 yrs cusps worn off upper I2
5 yrs. cusps of lower I3 slightly worn. Occlusal surface of
lower
I1 and I2
rectangular. slight wear of canines.
6 yrs cusps worn off lower I3. canines worn blunt. lower
canine
shows
impression of upper I3
7 yrs. Occlusal surface of lower I1 elliptical with the long axis sagittal
8 yrs. Occlusal surface of lower I1 inclined forward.
10 yrs. Lower I2 and upper I1 have elliptical occlusal surfaces.
12 yrs. Incisors begin to fall out ( unless care has been
taken
to maintain
healthy gingival and periodental tissues )