Puppies grow quickly and have special nutritional needs to keep their bodies strong. The most noticeable period of a pup’s growth phase is known as the rapid growth stage, which occurs between 2 and 6 months of age. From about 3 to 6 months, most pups will lose their puppy teeth. In fact, you might find a tooth near the feeding dish or on the floor, and this is quite normal. However, you may also be left wondering what to feed a teething puppy. This is a perfectly normal query that tends to concern a lot of pet parents.
During the teething phase, the young pup’s mouth and gums may be very sensitive, which could cause them to be a bit picky when it comes to eating. There's nothing you can do except to wait it out, even if their appetite is low for a couple of days.
While teething is painful for puppies, there are a few things you can do to make them feel better. Here is a quick guide for you on what to feed a teething puppy and how to choose toys for them.
Your puppy may seem uninterested in dry food during teething. But don't switch to a new formula to stimulate your puppy's appetite. Changing food at this time can cause additional stress and intestinal upset. The tips below could help your puppy make the change:
Encourage your young dog to chew on toys by choosing chew toys that are appropriate for their size. Also, pick a variety of textures to keep them interested in the toys. You can also try giving them frozen toys that are shaped like a bone. Always keep an eye on the puppies while they are busy chewing the toys, to ensure they don’t bite off chunks. If that happens, make sure to replace the toy immediately.
You can also give your puppy a clean and damp washcloth, chilled for a few hours. Chewing on this will also provide some much-needed relief. Ensure that you supervise the puppy while they are chewing on this cloth so that they don’t ingest any sections of it.
Teething is a painful process for the puppies and can cause just as much inconvenience to the owners. Your puppy may lose their appetite and may experience a lot of pain and discomfort. But it is essential to get them through it all while also maintaining their diet. You can consult your vet for any major decisions or choices you make for your puppy during this time - the choice of toys, food, and other soothing methods. You will also have to keep constant vigilance to prevent your little companion from chewing on anything that may harm them, like shoes or the couch. These six months of the teething period may be hard, but you will certainly enjoy seeing them grow through this phase.
In addition to teething, ensuring excellent dental care for your dogs or puppies is of utmost importance. Discover our captivating blog post on dog dental care, and unlock a world of techniques to keep those pearly whites shining bright!
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The teething process for puppies may last for about six months.
There are several ways through which you can help your puppies with the process of teething. Firstly, you can get safe chew toys for them. Secondly, you can help them get through the appetite loss. For this, you can prepare suitable teething puppy food by mixing regular dry food with parts of canned food. You can also soak their dry food in warm water for a few minutes. Apart from these steps, you can give your little furry friend a chilled clean and damp washcloth to chew on.
When your puppy is teething, you may see the following symptoms: drooling, bad breath, gum inflammation, gums bleeding, increased chewing tendency, missing teeth, and a loss of appetite.
Teething is painful for puppies and can cause them a lot of discomfort. Due to this, they may not feel like eating and can get even more reluctant to eat dry food. You can try giving them a mixture of their regular dry food with canned food or soaking their dry food for a minutes before serving.
Two things that can soothe your puppy’s teething pain and discomfort are chew toys and a chilled clean and damp washcloth.
Puppies like human babies need additional love, care, and support in their growing age. The first month of a new puppy is critical as it needs the best healthcare, nutrition, and love to grow into a healthy and cheerful dog. Puppy health becomes the primary responsibility of pet parents during this stage. They must ensure preventive care and medical support alongside providing proper nourishment. To know more about the puppy health checklist, read the following.
Maintaining puppy health is the foremost important duty of every pet parent. Consulting a vet, vaccinating, neutering, and availing regular healthcare check-ups are a few duties of puppy caregivers. Similarly, other puppy preventive care includes:
Medical and preventive care is extremely necessary for puppies. Younger puppies are too small to understand what is good or bad for them. Besides, they are also very curious, playful, and energetic during their initial years. This playful and curious nature can sometimes lead to harmful situations.
Puppies often play and munch on random objects, which can sometimes result in toxication. In fact, accidents are also common in puppies as they lack cognitive skills to measure the consequences of their action. Hence, pet parents should pay more attention to their puppy’s growth and development. Some essential puppy health recommendations are as mentioned:
Apart following puppy health checklist, pet parents also need to ensure their fur baby is provided with other basic facilities for their overall growth and development. Training and socializing are as important as providing the best healthcare.
Besides, potty training and command training establishes hygiene and good behavior in them from a young age. To conclude, puppy health, fitness, and training are some of the most essential aspects for the overall growth and development of puppies.