Teething Puppy Survival Guide 101

A teething puppy is like a hurricane – bit by bit it consumes the entire contents of your household. Each standalone item comes out the other end with tell-tale tooth marks.

Of course, you feel sorry for fluffy teething puppy, who’s going through a sore gums phase. Very sorry. But you invariably also feel very sorry for your sneakers, magazines, furniture… and if you have kids, their toys.

So how can you help your puppy survive the teething, how long will it last and will you still have a house afterwards? Read this puppy teething survival guide to get you through.

How old are puppies when they get teeth?

Just like us peeps, puppies get two sets of teeth. One big difference is that puppy’s first set doesn’t include molars and only has pointy teeth.

As a dog mum or dad reading this, you probably know those pointy teeth intimately. They’re mighty cute and man do they pack a sharp little punch when they bite.

Baby teeth

Pup’s first set of 28 baby teeth – sometimes called needle teeth – begin to cut through the gums at around two weeks of age. And by about 10 weeks their whole set of milk teeth will be poking through.

Here’s the order your pup’s baby teeth (there are fewer of these than adult teeth) are most likely to emerge in. However, there’s lots of room for variation from one puppy to the next:

1. Incisors
2. Canines
3. Premolars

Puppy will have this set of baby teeth for an average of six months, after which time they’ll start to fall out and their big teeth will start erupting. Their canines will be the last set of milk teeth to fall out on this bumpy road of teething.

Adult teeth

By roughly eight months or so all your puppy’s adult teeth will be fully showing through their gums. Remember, every dog is different, so this is a guideline rather than a rule.

These adult teeth will emerge in the same order the baby teeth did but following them will be puppy’s first ever molars.

Here’s the order and approximate age for adult teeth to emerge:

• Incisors: between two and five months
• Canines: between five and six months
• Premolars: from four to six months
• And molars: from four to seven months.

How many teeth do puppies have?

In total your puppy will have 42 adult teeth. And growing all these little calcium busting biters will be a rollercoaster ride for puppy, you, and your household.

What age do puppies stop teething?

Teething will stop once all the adult teeth are fully erupted at about eight months (we know, right). The whole teething process is very itchy, scratchy and at times painful for puppy.

And the only solution available to them is to chew and chew and chew some more. Oh yes, and lest we forget, to bite, bite and bite again!   

Although this may be exasperating for you and puppy both, your furry baby really has no choice. You however do – you can choose what they chew by giving them access to only the right things to chew at the right time.

By doing this you could potentially be saving hundreds of dollars in potential loss of damaged furniture, clothes and, and, and etc. But! The most important thing is that you are giving your furkid the right support they need in this treacherous teething time.

Read on for more…

What to give a teething puppy (and take away)?

Approach teething like you’re a secret detective; your method should be multi-pronged. This includes giving key items to puppy, removing key items and taking key actions to support them in this journey.

Here’s the breakdown for you:

• Kibble: dry kibble is better than wet food for growing teeth and is good for gnashing on.
• Chew toys: there are such great chew toys available from pet stores and vets. Get some of these as an alternative to shoes.
• Valuables: remove valuables from your pup’s easy access. If it means redecorating your shoes to the top shelf, it may be worthwhile.
• Puppy pen: consider a puppy pen to contain puppy for brief sessions when their chew reflex is most active. And be sure to provide them with lots of chew toy options at these times.
• Dental hygiene: maintain excellent hygiene while these new biters are popping through. Find out how with our dog teeth cleaning and dental hygiene article and, more broadly, these pet care focusses for your new puppy.

Keep your eyes on and hands off

In addition to the above giveth and taketh away, you’ll need to monitor the puppy teething process fairly closely. And only with your eyes – resist the temptation to fiddle around while checking out the progress.

Do:

• Inspect: try doing regular mouth inspections to check pup’s teeth and gums. This helps them get used to having their mouth inspected so vet dental check-ups can run more smoothly.
• Keep watch: it’s normal for teething to cause a little, but not a lot, of blood. If there’s lots and/or pup’s not drinking, eating, playing or grooming as usual, they may need professional help. If they’re in too much pain, let a vet step in to make sure everything’s fine and potentially prescribe medication (note we have dental cover in our Deluxe dog insurance plan).

Don’t:

• Tug: baby teeth have long roots that can get damaged if you tug or fiddle around with them. Let them fall out naturally so you don’t cause problems now or down the line.

On that last point, if an adult tooth starts to come through and the baby tooth stays in, it can cause an incorrect bite or periodontal disease. If you think that might be happening, check in with your vet to see what they think.

Now that you know all about teething, be sure to check out these other puppy health care milestones.

Protecting your teething puppy

If the cost of medical treatment and non-routine vet visits is one you’d rather not think about, why not get a Deluxe pet insurance plan? It can save you money by reducing your bills for pup’s prescription medicine, medically required tooth removal and gum abscesses.

Or, go for our Accident or Classic plans, which don’t cover dental but still provide solid cover with great annual benefit limits. The developmental stages in a puppy’s life are so important to a well-balanced happy dog down the line – the right medical care at the right time is a great way to make this happen.

Signing up for pet insurance when your pet’s still a baby (before pre-existing conditions develop, which aren’t covered) means you’ll get a wider range of cover over time. Is it time to jump in, paws outstretched?!