What to Do When Your Puppy Loses Teeth | Vet-Approved Tips

You’re playing fetch, and suddenly you see a spot of blood on the rubber ball. Or you find a tiny white sliver on the floor and realize it’s a tooth. For many new puppy owners, this moment triggers a rush of questions: Should I pull it out? Is my puppy in pain? Did they swallow it?

The honest answer is that puppy teething is a normal process, and most of the time you don’t need to do much. Your main job is to keep your pup comfortable, offer appropriate chew toys, and spot the occasional hiccup—like a baby tooth that won’t fall out on its own. Here’s what the veterinary pros recommend.

When Do Puppies Lose Their Baby Teeth?

Puppies are born without teeth. Their first set—deciduous teeth, often called baby teeth—starts poking through at around 3 to 4 weeks of age. By the time you bring your puppy home, they usually have a full mouth of 28 tiny, sharp teeth.

These baby teeth start falling out around 3 to 4 months. The incisors (the small front teeth) go first. The canine teeth—the long fangs—are the last to come out, typically between 5 and 6 months. By 6 to 7 months, most puppies have all 42 adult teeth.

Trying to keep track of every lost tooth isn’t necessary. In fact, many puppies swallow their baby teeth while eating, so you may never find a single one on the floor.

Why The Tiny Teeth Disappear

It’s easy to worry when you see blood on a chew toy or notice your puppy eating more slowly. Those sights feel alarming, but they’re nearly always normal during teething. Understanding what’s routine—and what’s not—can save you unnecessary stress.

Common signs of normal teething include:

• Gentle bleeding: A few drops of blood on a toy or even on your hand during play is typical. The gum tissue is thin and the loose tooth creates minor openings. The amount is minuscule and usually resolves on its own.
• Increased chewing: Your puppy chews everything—furniture legs, shoes, your fingers. That urge to chew spikes when new teeth are pushing through. It’s their way of sooting sore gums.
• Slower eating: You might notice your pup picking at kibble or eating one piece at a time. The pressure of chewing hard dry food can be uncomfortable when gums are tender.
• Mild drooling or whining: Some puppies drool more than usual or whimper while chewing. A low fever can also occur, though it’s rarely high enough to measure accurately.
• Red, swollen gums: The gum line around a tooth that’s loosening may look pinker or slightly puffy. This is part of the natural eruption process for adult teeth.

None of these signs mean your puppy is sick or that something is wrong. They’re part of the same teething process human babies go through—just faster and with sharper teeth.

How to Help a Teething Puppy

Your main goal is comfort and safety. One of the simplest steps is to switch to smaller, softer, or moistened food. PetMD recommends offering soft food for teething puppies to make eating more comfortable. You can soak dry kibble in warm water for a few minutes to soften it, or use wet food temporarily.

Beyond food, giving your puppy appropriate things to chew is crucial. Frozen toys can be especially helpful. A KONG toy stuffed with wet food or a small amount of peanut butter and then frozen provides a long-lasting, soothing chew. The cold numbs the gums and reduces swelling.

Here’s a quick comparison of common teething options and how they help:

Rotating toys every few days keeps things interesting. Avoid giving your puppy ice cubes alone—they can chip teeth. And never use cooked bones or antlers, which are hard enough to fracture developing adult teeth.

What to Watch For After a Tooth Falls Out

Most of the time a tooth falls out and nothing else happens. But a few scenarios deserve your attention. Here’s a simple checklist to follow in the days after you notice a missing tooth:

1. Check the spot where the tooth was. Look for the adult tooth already poking through. If you see a new white tip, that’s perfect timing. If the baby tooth is gone and nothing seems to be there, wait a week—the adult tooth often appears soon after.
2. Watch for bleeding lasting more than a few minutes. A small amount of blood on a toy or your hand is normal. If there’s active bleeding that doesn’t stop after gentle pressure with a clean cloth, call your veterinarian.
3. Monitor your puppy’s eating and chewing behavior. If your puppy refuses to eat for more than one meal or seems to be in pain when opening their mouth, something may be off. Similarly, if they suddenly stop chewing altogether, it’s worth a vet visit.
4. Feel for foul breath or swelling. If you notice a bad smell coming from your puppy’s mouth, that can signal infection. Swelling on the side of the face or under the eye is another red flag.
5. Keep an eye on gum color. Normal gums are pink. If an area around a lost tooth looks dark red or purple, or if you see pus, get your puppy to the vet.

Minor bleeding often stops on its own. The same goes for mild swelling. But if those signs persist or worsen, don’t wait—your veterinarian can check for a retained root or dental infection.

When to Call the Vet

There’s one scenario that requires a professional eye: a retained baby tooth. This happens when the deciduous tooth doesn’t fall out even though the adult tooth is already coming up. You might see two teeth next to each other—a small baby tooth and a larger adult tooth right behind it.

Animaldentalspecialists explains that a retained baby tooth can cause problems. It forces the adult tooth to grow at an odd angle, leading to misalignment, plaque buildup, and eventually gum disease or pain. Most veterinary dentists recommend extracting retained baby teeth as soon as possible, ideally before the adult tooth is fully in.

Other reasons to call your vet include:

Any time you see a tooth that seems loose but isn’t falling out on its own timeline, or if your puppy seems genuinely uncomfortable for more than a day, a quick vet check can ease your mind.

The Bottom Line

Puppy teething is a normal, self-resolving process. You don’t need to count teeth or rush to the vet for every drop of blood. Offering soft food, frozen chew toys, and patience is usually all that’s required. The two things to keep on your radar: retained baby teeth and signs of infection like swelling or persistent bleeding.

If you notice a baby tooth still in place when the adult tooth is already coming through, or if your puppy’s gums look angry and raw after a week, your veterinarian—or a board-certified veterinary dentist—can take a quick look and, if needed, handle a simple extraction to keep the adult teeth growing straight.