How To Tell A Dog S Age By Teeth

In adult dogs examining the teeth will give you a very rough estimate of the dog s age.

How to tell a dog s age by teeth. If you re unsure of your dog s age take it to a veterinarian for evaluation. If you want to know how old your dog is in human years take your dog s actual age as well as its size into account. Large breed dogs stay puppylike for 24 months or more compared to the usual 12 to 15 months for medium and small dogs. After that using teeth to estimate age is tricky she says.

Just as we do dogs have only two sets of teeth baby and adult says creevy. In humans the adult teeth begin to emerge in late childhood and early adolescence. Adult dogs should have 42 teeth. Teeth are a reliable measure of age whether your pup is a rescue or not.

12 incisors 4 canines 16 premolars and 10 molars 2 on each side of the upper jaw and 3 on each side of the lower jaw. Permanent canine teeth come in around 5 months of age. In puppies the age can be estimated with a bit more accuracy because puppies usually shed their baby teeth at a predetermined age. In fact studying your dog s teeth may be the most accurate resource when investigating how to tell the age of a puppy.

Giant breeds such as great danes and irish wolfhounds age quickly and might not live past the age of 7 to 10 while toy dogs such as chihuahuas age much more slowly. At one month of age milk teeth start pushing through the gums. In dogs this occurs in the first six months of life. If you want to determine your dog s age look at signs like teeth eyes and fur color.

For many breeds full dentition is an issue and they may develop fewer adult teeth. Assess the condition of the teeth. Teeth are a particularly reliable way to determine a puppy s age because your dog will lose all baby teeth before he she is about 6 months old. It is common for young tiny dogs to have bad teeth because they are so often fed only soft foods and tartar can quickly become a problem.