YOUR POM'S TEETH
As with people, dogs have both baby and adult teeth. The dog has 28 puppy teeth.
These teeth are usually in place by about 6 to 8 weeks of age. The puppy teeth are replaced by the adult teeth at about
16 to 24 weeks of age. The 42 adult teeth are made up of: 4 canines; 12 incisors; 16 premolars;
and 10 molars. The canines are designed for catching, holding, and tearing food. They are anchored
firmly in place by long, strong roots. The small incisors are used to cut and nibble food and for grooming.
The premoalrs shear, cut, and hold. The molars, which have a relatively flat surface, are used
for chewing and grinding grass and other nonmeat foods.
When you examine your POMS teeth, you will probably see some tartar buildup, a
yellow or brownish crust where the teeth meet the gums. Signs of periodontal disease include chronic bad breath,
drooling, pawing at the mouth, inflamed or bleeding gums, and loose teeth. It is preventable if you
brush your POM'S teeth and if he gets regular oral health checkups from the vet.
If yours is an adult POM, it's best to start with a professional cleaning. The
vet usually does this with the dog under anesthesia. If yours is a puppy, start brushing his teeth at an early
age, about 6 months of age. Use toothpaste designated for dogs, as we might like the taste of cool mint
in our toothpaste, your POM prefers the taste of beef or chicken. Also, this is better for him, as
they can swallow this without getting an upset tummy or getting sick.
To ensure good dental health, a dog's teeth need to be brushed daily using a special
toothbrush and toothpaste made for dogs. DO NOT USE HUMAN TOOTHPASTE ON YOUR POM'S TEETH. This regimen should
start when your puppy is 6 to 8 months old, once the adult teeth are in. For dogs who aren't willing to have their
teeth brushed, but have a problem with rapid tartar build-up, veterinarians recommend feeding a special dental
diet that is designated to have a rough texture and have a scrubbing effect on the teeth, cleaning them all the way
to the gum line.
If your dog's teeth are not cared for, the result is sure to be periodontal disease,
the most common dental condition affecting dogs.
Dogs rarely get cavities, but they still require regular dental care. Like humans,
dogs develop gum dissease brought on by tartar buildup on the teeth that have not been cleaned on a regular
basis. A chronic gum infection can spread to other organs and could cause heart or kidney damage.
During your puppy's first year, he should be seen by a veterinarian at regular
intervals. At each visit, your vet should inspect the lips, teeth, and mouth as part of a complete
physical examination. You should take some part in the maintenance of your POM'S oral care. You should examine
your POM'S mouth weekly throughout his first year to make sure there are no sores, foreign objects or tooth problems.
By the time your POM is 6 months old, all the permanent teeth are in and plaque can begin to accumulate on the tooth
surface. This is when your POM needs to develop good dental care habits to prevent calculus buildup on its teeth;
brushing is best. However, some dogs do not like to have their teeth brushed regularly. If this is
the case with your POM. consider other ways of keeping plaque and calculus buildup to a minimum. Giving
him chew toys, and feeding him a good, complete, balanced, dry food are a couple of good
ways to accomplish this.
Other preventative measures include providing your POM with toys and treats that have a tartar
removing effect. These include hard rubber chew toys with hollow interiors that can be stuffed with treats, as
well as rope, or nylon toys, which have fibers that can help keep teeth clean.
REMOVING PUPPY TEETH
Puppies have 28 temporary teeth that start to erupt at 3 to 5 weeks of age in the toy breeds.
By the time they are 6 to 8 months old, they should have 42 permanent teeth. The puppy teeth should fall out before
the adult teeth emerge, but POMERANIANS are well known for retaining some or all of their puppy teeth and sometimes
have what is referred to as a "double row of teeth."
At about 5 months of age, you should begin checking at least once a week to see
how the new adult teeth are lining up and if they have any retained teeth. Time is of great importance that puppy teeth
be pulled at the right time or you could have a puppy that has teeth out of line at maturity.
Now to explain how to resolve the issue of a double row of teeth. This will not
control an overbite or underbite (when the jaw itself outgrows the length of the opposite jaw.) This is a major fault
if you plan to show your POMERANIAN in Conformation Shows. This is a genetic problem and will keep coming up from generation
to generation if you don't do something to stop this condition. The only way to stop this condition is to spay the female
and neuter the male whose litters tend to have this condition. A genetic overshot or undershot dog will produce the
same in its offspring as this is a recessive gene and both parents have to have this gene for the offspring to exhibit
this condition. There is no cure to this condition.
Now to explain the process of removing puppy teeth easily and safely. First, the
puppy teeth are like braces and the adult teeth grow in behind them. The 6 puppy teeth between the canines (top
and bottom) have THREE points on them. This is important to remember to make sure that you do not pull a permanent
tooth. If your puppy has an overbite, pull the TOP 6 puppy teeth as soon as the permanent ones show through
the gums. Leave the bottom row of puppy teeth alone. If your puppy has bottom teeth protruding over the top
ones, pull the BOTTOM 6 teeth and leave the top ones alone.
Usually, when the adult teeth start protruding, the puppy teeth will be easier
to remove. Just take a washcloth and push the tooth up and out; they will just pop out. DO NOT WIGGLE A
TOOTH as this will cause the puppy pain and you will create a mouth shy dog that will not allow a judge to examine his bite
while showing in the ring.
Now, if your puppy has both the puppy and adult teeth showing, here is the trick
to removing these.
Using regular toe nail clippers, clip the tip off of the puppy K-9's (there will be
no bleeding or pain to the puppy) and wait a couple of weeks. Now you will be able to just flick these canine
teeth out with just your fingers. You can also give your puppy something hard to chew on and these canines may drop
out on their own. This practice has been used by many breeders for many years and none have reported having any infections
or problems of any kind. Just follow these simple instructions and you will be able to remove your own puppy's teeth
safely and painlessly.
