Teething pains!

Why Puppies Chew Everything in Sight

By the time they are eight weeks old, most puppies have grown 28 puppy teeth, then over the next year – in an extremely unpleasant process – puppies loves those teeth as larger teeth arrive.

Yes, this is why your puppy chews everything in sight, from socks to shoes and from furniture to the occasional appropriate dog toy. Chewing not only helps relieve discomfort; it apparently also helps push the adult teeth through the gums more quickly.

The teething period can be as frustrating for your puppy as it is for you, since not only are you the chew toy from time-to-time, but so are some of your valuable possessions. Be sure to hide the expensive sneakers and fancy high heels – shoes seem to be most puppies’ favorite chew toys!

Teething can be accompanied by drooling, irritability, and fluctuations in appetite.

The order of tooth replacement is incisors first, canines (fangs), then premolars. Most adult dogs have 42 teeth, with the molars coming last, at about six or seven months.
The roots of baby teeth should be absorbed as adult teeth erupt, but if this absorption is delayed, the baby tooth does not give way to the new tooth.

Retained baby teeth can cause a bad bite, called a malocclusion. This can lead to tooth decay and other problems later on. If a baby tooth does not fall out when the adult tooth grows in, your vet will likely recommend you have it removed. This procedure is not considered very painful, and it is relatively inexpensive.