Monday, April 22, 2013

Raising a Puppy: When it's Time to Pull Puppy Teeth

One of the "joys" of having a new puppy is going through the teething stage.

Rocco, who's generally pretty good about not chewing stuff, destroyed a whole list of items between the ages of about three and five months simply because his sharp baby teeth, especially the canines, seemed to get caught on everything.

So once Rocco's adult teeth started coming in I was looking forward to those needle, sharp teeth falling out.

Only they didn't.

You can see one of Rocco's extra canine's on the bottom right, outside the adult canine
It turns out it's pretty common for some pups, especially small breed dogs, to wind up with double sets of teeth. And if the baby teeth haven't fallen out by the time the pup is six months old,  many vets will recommend pulling the baby teeth when the pup is in for spay or neuter. Otherwise tartar can build up between the adult and baby teeth, causing all sorts of nasty problems, like decay and gum disease.

Rocco's extra canine on his left, your right. 
We watched Rocco's teeth for the past month, and by the time he turned seven months old last week, it was clear he had two baby canines -- the upper and lower on his left side -- that were there to stay for the long haul.

So last Friday Rocco went in for oral surgery, both baby teeth were removed and he was microchipped too.  He's got dissolving stitches and strict orders to stay away from chews, tug toys and hard food for a week!

I've been keeping him busy with walks and teaching him tricks that don't involve his mouth! This morning, he finally perfected the jumping up in my arms trick!

The surgery was a piece of cake for Rocco -- he was in by 8 a.m. and out by 2 p.m. -- and by the next day he was back to zooming around the backyard.

I'm happy to get rid of those baby teeth, but our tailor will certainly miss seeing me every week.

The list of clothing Rocco hung a tooth on, requiring repair:

  • Two pairs of jeans
  • One cashmere sweater
  • Three t-shirts
  • One pair pajamas
  • One pair sweat pants
  • One down jacket
After a while, I just wore the same thing everyday to minimize the number of damaged goods! 

Rocco's perfect, new smile!
Speaking of hanging teeth and other mischievous deeds, let's see what everyone else is up to at the Monday Mischief Blog Hop, hosted by our pals at Snoopy's Dog Blog, My Brown Newfies and Alfie's Blog.



15 comments:

  1. I learned something new today...i didn't know that sometimes the baby teeth don't fall out on their own...From the last photo it looks like the surgery was a success and Rocco's happy smile is beautiful

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    1. I didn't know about the baby teeth either, and I've never had to have them pulled before. He does have a lovely set of chompers now!

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  2. Rocco's smile is perfect!! I didn't know about the baby teeth either, guess I am always getting older pups that didn't have that issue but it's sure nice to know about! Rocco is just so darn cute I always smile when I see Rocco!

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    1. I've had two other small dogs and this was the first time I've had to have baby teeth pulled. But when I started asking around, both vets and small breed folks I know said it's pretty common. Thanks for stopping by!
      Diane and Rocco

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  3. mom just let our fall out. Then we spit them, BOL
    Benny & Lily
    good stuff to know

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  4. Ive never had to deal with puppy teeth not falling out before. The process of pulling doesn't sound fun, but im sure they feel better once they are gone.

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  5. Hey Rocco,

    Those baby teeth sure were up to lots of mischief with your Mom's clothes buddy! My Mum had a few shredded items too! She also stepped on a few of my baby teeth when they fell out - ouch!

    Glad you're doing well,

    Have fun,

    Your pal Snoopy :)

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  6. Mom says she doesn't miss those puppy teeth at all! One of my first blog posts was a list of all the things I destroyed in the first 6 months! She didn't even keep track of the clothes! Glad Rocco is doing great! Love Dolly

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  7. Wow, never heard of that, my sister and I both lost our baby teeth no problem.

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  8. I once met a pup who had a deciduous tooth for every adult tooth! Never heard of anyone putting stitches in for baby teeth though. Glad you got rid of them!

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