Timely article in my inbox today (below) from the WDJ considering I got this "cute" photo of BB/Beatrix today commenting about her losing her puppy teeth. YES(!) they are going to start falling out, but please do not be hasty to have a vet remove a retained tooth (particularly a canine tooth). Contact me if this occurs so we can keep an eye on it, I have seen Vizslas lose a canine late as 7 months (no surgery needed).
Whole Dog Journal "How to Properly Care for Your Dog's Teeth" (link to full article)
Soon enough (although perhaps not soon enough for most puppy owners), the pin-sharp puppy teeth begin to fall out – or, rather, are pushed out by the eruption of the adult teeth. The puppy teeth are generally lost in the order in which they arrived; and the adult teeth erupt in the same order: first the incisors, then the canines, and then the premolars. There is more variation in the timing of the eruption of the adult teeth, a wider window through which they may first be glimpsed. The adult incisors generally erupt between 3 to 5 months; the canines usually appear between 4 to 6 months; and the premolars between 4 to 5 months. The molars emerge between 5 and 7 months.
Sometimes a single tooth or a few deciduous teeth fail to shed even as the adult teeth erupt, resulting in a crowded-looking mouth. When this happens, it’s best to have your veterinarian extract the unshed puppy teeth, to prevent them from allowing the adult teeth to develop in an improper position.
This entire process of tooth eruption, loss, and eruption, lasting for many months, keeps the puppy’s mouth in constant torment, and he has to chew on things to relieve the sensation – hard things, soft things, chewy things, gummy things, crunchy things, anything, and everything! Knowing this, the wise puppy owner makes certain that the pup has lots of “legal” chew toys, and toys in every category (hard, soft, gummy, chewy, crunchy, and everything in between). If you fail to be thorough in providing chew toys of all textures, he’ll be sure to explore anything that you don’t want him to have that provides that missing, novel chewing experience.
