The milk teeth of the dog
At birth, puppies are completely toothless. After a few weeks the young dogs grow their milk teeth, which are replaced by permanent teeth a short time later during the tooth change.
The milk teeth of the dog at a glance
The milk teeth of a dog consist of 28 milk teeth in total. The milk teeth break through in the third week after birth. Compared to the teeth of the permanent teeth, the milk teeth of the dog are very pointed.
The complete milk teeth consist of six molars, six incisors and two canines in the upper and lower jaw.
Loss of the milk teeth during the change of teeth in the dog
Between the fourth and seventh month dogs lose their milk teeth and get their permanent teeth during the tooth change. It can take about three months for a dog's milk teeth to fall out and be replaced.
In large dogs, the loss of milk teeth and the associated tooth replacement usually begins a little earlier than in smaller breeds. The permanent dog teeth consist of 42 teeth.
Since dogs often swallow their lost milk teeth or lose them when out walking, you may not notice the change of teeth in your dog at first.
The change of teeth can lead to problems
With a little luck, you will hardly notice the loss of milk teeth and the regrowth of permanent teeth in your dog. However, this is not always the case. Because in some dogs, the change of teeth can also lead to problems. In addition to toothache, diarrhoea, loss of appetite and fever can also occur.
In addition, dogs that have just lost their milk teeth and are undergoing the change of teeth often chew on furniture and other furnishings.
In addition, individual milk teeth in dogs occasionally do not fall out even though the permanent tooth underneath has already broken through. To avoid pain and malocclusion, it is usually necessary in this case for the veterinarian to remove the affected milk tooth.
Support for dogs during tooth replacement
Even without noticeable symptoms, the loss of milk teeth and the regrowth of permanent teeth can be unpleasant for your dog. There are a number of things you can do to make the change of teeth as pleasant as possible and to counteract problems with permanent teeth.
If your pet normally eats dry food, it may help to soak the food during the time of the change of teeth or instead resort to a wet food such as Bellfor Favourite Food.
You should also avoid pulling and retrieving games. As long as your dog is changing teeth, these can be painful and sometimes even cause damage to the permanent teeth that are currently growing back.
To satisfy your dog's chewing instinct and to avoid nibbling on objects such as furniture, you can offer him chewing snacks and chewing toys.
During the change of teeth it can also be helpful to cool the chewing toy in advance. In this way, the stressed gums of your young quadruped will be pleasantly cooled and thus somewhat calmed.
If you want to give your dog chewing toys as well as chewing snacks, make sure you only use high-quality products made from natural ingredients. In addition, take the calories contained in the chewing snack into account in the amount of food you give your dog to avoid obesity.
Gentle dental care with Bellfor
Healthy teeth are crucial for the well-being of your four-legged friend. This applies not only to the dog's milk teeth, but especially to the permanent dentition, which he will need for the rest of his life.
Regular dental care is therefore very important and helps to prevent tartar and other problems in your dog.
To this end, we recommend that you use the following dental care products from Bellfor:
- Bellfor Dental Powder as a natural food additive
- Bellfor Dental Sticks as a healthy snack for in between
Thanks to their special composition of selected ingredients, such as algae, our dental care products can make a valuable contribution to gentle dental care and help prevent dental diseases in your dog.
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