How and when do they lose their teeth?
Like humans, puppies tend to lose their baby teeth as well. While this process is normal, it is always good to know the time period in which this happens to avoid any scares. French bulldog puppies usually start to lose their baby teeth at around 12 weeks or 3 months.
All 28 teeth will fall-out to be replaced by a set of 42. The whole process will take a while, much like in a human. By the time your precious pup is 8 months old, they should have a whole new set of gnashers!
What is the process of teething?
The losing of baby teeth is the second step in the process of teething. But knowing the whole process of teething can help you judge the dental health of your little furball. Since french bulldogs are notorious for their dental health issues, it only wise to keep this in mind.
Step 1: Baby teeth start coming through (2-3 weeks)
Your little furball was not born with any teeth. A french bulldog, like most puppies, starts growing teeth 2-3 weeks after birth. A full set of 28 teeth will only be formed at the 8-week mark.
Step 2: Teething (12 weeks)
This is the stage where Frenchie puppies will start to lose their baby teeth. You’ll also see a marked increase in biting. Providing chew toys and chewy treats will help them ease their discomfort.
Step 3: Teething stops (7-8 months)
Your french bulldogs’ teeth are likely to take a full few months to fall out and be replaced by adult teeth. Here’s some good news, by the time they’re 8 months old, they should be over the whole teething stage. After this, you’re not likely to find your pup chewing on shoes, clothes, and everything in sight.
While the whole process of teething will take about 24 weeks, it can end earlier. In the end, they’ll have a full set of 42 teeth, and they’ll stop destroying your nice slippers!
Are the puppies in pain when their teeth are falling out?
The answer to this is simple, yes. There can be mild pain and discomfort when they start to lose their baby teeth. While it isn’t a nice thought that they might be in pain, it goes away after a while, and further discomfort can be alleviated with chew toys!
What helps the process?
The process of teething is natural. It happens to all puppies, so there’s no cause for worry. However, if you want to make it a little easier on yourself and your belongings, providing chew toys help majorly. Teething toys or chew toys help your ball of fluff focus their teething on a safe object and not on your cushions, shoes, or remote.
They can also be the first sign of teething. Often, owners will find mild bloodstains that are indicative of teeth on the toys. The teething toy can also help loose teeth fall out easier and faster. But most importantly, the toys will ease the discomfort of your precious puppy.
What happens to the baby teeth?
Well, the answer to this is pretty straightforward too, they fall out everywhere. You might find them stuck in toys or on the ground. They can fall out while your pup is eating or be stuck in any hard foods.
Sometimes, your pup will even swallow their milk teeth. This is completely safe and natural. The milk teeth are small enough to pass through with no issues, and you might even find them in your pup’s stool!
Some signs that your pup is teething
A lot of these signs can set a new puppy parent on edge, wondering whether there’s something wrong. Keeping in mind the time frame we’ve provided, the signs you’re so worried about could just be teething signs.
Blood Spots
Finding small blood stains on your puppy’s toys isn’t a big deal. When teeth fall out, it’s bound to bleed a little, no harm at all. You can consider a vet when the blood spots continue after the adult teeth have come in, or there’s excessive bleeding. Remember, the blood spots from teething are so mild most owners won’t even notice.
Mild Fever
If your Frenchie pup seems like they’re running a fever, just know it’s normal. Much like human babies, your Frenchie is likely to experience a mild fever. What can you do at this time? Some extra attention, care, and love should sort them out.
Excessive Drooling
There will be drool, and lots of it when your pup is teething. Drool covered teeth won’t be an uncommon sight for you. If it continues on the past 8 months of age, make sure to consult with your vet.
Red and Inflamed gums
Remember when we said that your pup is likely to experience some discomfort and irritation? Well, here’s an explanation. During the teething stage, your pup will have sore gums that look red and inflamed. This is not a cause of concern. After the milk teeth are done falling out and adult teeth are pushing through, there is bound to be some inflammation.
Floppy ears
French bulldogs have ‘teething ears.’ While an adult Frenchie has ears that are perked up, a young pup that is rapidly losing teeth is bound to have floppy ears.
As pups, their resources (like calcium) are usually required elsewhere. This leaves little for their ears to remain perked up constantly. By the time their teething stage is over, and they have a full set of new, adult teeth, they’ll have ears that stand up as well. If they continue to droop past this stage, consult a vet.
Eating issues
Is your Frenchie not eating as much? Are they not inhaling their food like they used to? Well, the chances are that they’re just teething. With the inflamed gums and new teeth coming through, there’s bound to be a little discomfort with eating. They may be hesitant or slow with their eating. This should go away once the teething stage ends.
What are some tips?
- Look out for crooked teeth: If you find a stubborn baby tooth or an adult tooth that refuses to sit in its place, take your Frenchie to the vet. Crooked and misaligned teeth can cause abscesses to form, which are a health issue and a pain for your dog to deal with. Catch the problem quickly, and you’ll save yourself and your pup a world of trouble.
- Don’t pull out their teeth: As children, we’ve all pulled out our own teeth. Don’t do this with your puppy. Their teeth are meant to fall out naturally, and for the most part, they will. Pulling out teeth can cause complications, which you definitely don’t want.
In Conclusion
Your precious pooch may be the tiniest little baby, but they’re driven by instinct. Nature definitely knows how to take its course, and its best to just let your pup do as it feels. But, this being said, do make sure to look out for any dental issues with your pup.
Don’t let the notorious dental issues make you a paranoid parent. Instead enjoy the little furball as he grows. Don’t forget to hide your slippers!
