Teething in dogs – how to help your four-legged friend
If your floor is suddenly decorated with rice-grain-sized white pieces, one thing is certain: your puppy’s teething phase is about to begin. Where there were once 28 teeth, soon there will be 42 brand new chompers in all their glory – and ideally, your furry friend will keep them for a lifetime. Before your puppy grabs your favorite leather shoe and uses it as their chosen chew toy, you can get perfectly prepared with our tips for teething.
Symptoms: How can you tell your dog is teething?
When your puppy’s first teeth start to fall out and make room for new ones, it’s often accompanied by pain and a feeling of pressure for your puppy. This can lead to the following symptoms that can indicate teething:
frequent and intense chewing
sleep disturbances
Avoidance of hard treats and dry food
fever
restlessness
weight loss
→diarrhea (rare)
If your puppy suddenly starts chewing on everything and doesn’t stop at clothes or furniture, that’s a common sign of teething. For the itchy and sore spots in their mouth, dogs especially like to choose cool objects to help relieve the pain.
When does teething start in puppies and when is it finished?
As your puppy goes through the different →developmental stages of a dog, around the 16th week teething begins. In the so-called juvenile phase, which transitions between the 6th and 12th month with the onset of sexual maturity into the adolescent phase, your four-legged friend will also start testing boundaries. As they begin to chew and bite more during teething, you should start →training to stop biting hands early on.
Teething is complete when all 42 new teeth have come in and are fully grown, which is usually the case at around 6 months. If your dog still has baby teeth by then, you can check with your vet to see if that’s normal for your dog’s development.
From the 16th week, most puppies start chewing on everything they can find. By around 6 months, teething is complete.
Supporting teething with 5 simple tips
Tooth pain as →a common complaint in puppyhood is unpleasant – and unlike us humans, your puppy can’t just go to the dentist, but instead tries to help themselves by chewing and gnawing. This can lead to destroyed objects and the occasional injured finger. If you respond with appropriate training measures, remember that your puppy doesn’t want to hurt you or be naughty and you shouldn’t scold them. With these 5 tips, you can help your dog through teething:
1. Soak dry food or feed wet food
In the first 12 months, your puppy relies on a suitable junior food. As part of a →healthy puppy diet, you should choose food that optimally supports your puppy’s growth with a higher content of minerals and proteins. Soft wet food makes it easier for your dog to eat, since especially hard food is difficult to chew during the short teething phase. For treats, you can opt for soft snacks such as our →Softies for juniors. With our junior food, you’re on the healthy and safe side: top taste combined with a special and tailored recipe.
Healthy from Day One: Our Junior Food for Your Puppy
2. Offer opportunities for chewing
You can’t and shouldn’t forbid your puppy from chewing during this phase. To avoid having to completely renovate your home after teething, you can offer your puppy suitable chew toys to help. Whether it’s a →flexible chew bone for filling with soft treats or other chew toys – this way your puppy can safely and appropriately find relief. Avoid tug-of-war games as this can accidentally pull out loose teeth and cause pain. If your dog has no trouble with harder treats, you can also offer them delicious chew sticks or crunchy dental bones:
Crunchy Chew Snacks for Teething
3. Cool toys or food
Before you offer your dog →toys or treats, you can chill them for maximum soothing effect. Special cooling rings, similar to those for babies, can be purchased and stay cold extra long. The cold can help reduce swelling and pain effectively.
Bones or balls made of rubber offer a great way to relieve itching during teething thanks to their elasticity.
4. Calcium is essential
→Calcium is a must in a tooth-healthy diet and is important for growth and →maintaining healthy teeth. Since your young dog gets their daily requirement from their junior food, everything your puppy needs is usually included. If you’re unsure about adequate mineral supply, you can ask your trusted vet. Never give your puppy supplements – the dosages for dogs are very different from ours and can cause harm!
5. Have retained teeth removed
Teething doesn’t always go smoothly. So what if a few teeth just won’t come out of the jaw? In this case, the baby teeth can be removed at the vet’s office. Again: don’t try this yourself. Please don’t try to remove loose teeth from your dog’s mouth, as wounds can become infected and your dog may experience even more pain than they already have.
After teething: Dental health for life
Once teething is finished at 6 months, →your dog’s dental care is in your hands. In addition to giving →dental snacks you can also regularly brush your dog’s teeth. Ideally, you teach them this from an early age so the process isn’t new to your furry friend. By regularly checking their mouth you can also look out for things like →gum inflammation and more. With a special toothbrush and toothpaste for dogs, you’ll keep their teeth as clean of →tartar.Another bonus:
When brushing teeth, plaque can be removed using finger cots or small toothbrushes.
fresh breath! So your dog can not only enjoy life with healthy teeth but also greet you from the other side of the bed in the morning with an extra fresh breath. Win win!
