#puppy care Articles

Don't pull a puppy's loose tooth: baby teeth are pushed out by the adult teeth and usually fall out on their own from about 3½–4 months, and swallowing them is harmless. Puppy tooth roots are long and thin, so pulling risks leaving a root behind. Most dogs have 28 baby and 42 adult teeth, all in by 7 months. Two teeth in one spot (a persistent baby tooth) or any loose adult tooth needs a vet.

A dog that eats but barely drinks is often on wetter food (canned food is 60% to over 87% water), less active in cool weather or drinking elsewhere, but dental disease, nausea, a dirty bowl, arthritis, swallowing problems and illness can look the same. Total water need is about 44–66 mL per kg a day, or 440–660 mL for a 10 kg dog including food moisture. Check that gums are pink and moist with refill under 2 seconds, and go to a vet at once for breathing trouble, pale or bluish gums, collapse or repeated vomiting.