Sage is currently in the teething stage so I thought this would be a good time to discuss care during teething. Some pups have no issues at all and others can have an extremely hard time, which is the case with Sage.
You can see in this picture that he just really does not feel well. I will go into further detail later in this post as to what he experienced but for right now we will discuss what to expect and how to comfort your pup during teething.
Sweet Baby Willow
In most cases, pups get through teething with very little discomfort. I had two pups, Willy and Sammi, that had no issues at all. I hardly knew they were losing or cutting teeth except I would see a little blood on their toys or bones and find an occasional tooth on the floor.
My Dexter didn't run a fever or appear to be in any pain but his chewing instinct was insane and it, unfortunately, turned into a very bad habit. The pup continued to chew on and destroy many things.
My sweet beautiful girl Willow had a fairly easy time although she did run a slight fever and didn't feel well with one of her teeth.
My Sweet Boy Sage
While pups are cutting teeth their gums are sore and their instinct is to chew. I provide bones and toys for them to chew on during testing. This is very important because the instinct to chew is very strong.
I also provide cold or frozen things to chew on because this helps with pain and swelling. I take wet washcloths, roll them, and place them in the freezer. I give these to the pups to chew on when I see they are experiencing discomfort. I have found this to be one of the best remedies. However, the pup must be supervised while chewing on the rags. Once the rag has thawed take it away from you pup. You don't want to take a chance that the pup will swallow parts of the rag.
Providing cold things to chew on also helps if they run a slight fever. I know raw chicken can be controversial but I do provide my teething pups with frozen chicken legs to chew on.
Please use your own discretion with this as this is just my opinion and you need to do what you feel is right for your pup.
If your pup is a German Shepherd you may notice their ears going up and down during teething. This is very normal. Not all Shepherds will experience this but many do. Willow's ears never went down during teething but Sage's ears are all over the place. He has been nicknamed Wonky Ears because we don't know from one day to the next what his ears will look like. You can tell by his ears and eyes that his gums are swollen and sore.
If this wonky ears stage happens with your pup do not panic. Most pups rebound and the ears stand just fine. Just enjoy the crazy ears stage because it really is quite hilarious. It is advisable to wait until after the teething stage before considering posting a German Shepherd's ears. I don't consider helping the ears until 7 or 8 months of age. I have covered this in more detail in a post titled "German Shepherd Puppy Ears--Up Down and Somewhere In Between"
I do provide extra calcium during the teething stage. I change the pup's second of their three meals to include scrambled eggs and goat milk. This helps their teeth and their ears.
Unfortunately, once in a while you will get a pup that really has a hard time no matter what you provide for them. This is the case with sweet baby Sage. In the picture above you can see it in his eyes. If I touched his face he would whine and pull away. He was running a low grade fever and would not allow me to look at his teeth.
I contacted his vet and informed her of his symptoms and they sent a prescription for pain pills. I have NEVER had to put a pup on pain pills while teething and it broke my heart that he was in this much pain.
We started the pain pills on Saturday and continued until Monday morning. Monday his pain was under control enough that he let me open his mouth to see his teeth. His right canine tooth had broken away from the gum on the front side and somehow had pierced back through his gum. His gum was swelled around it. With the help of the pain killers, I was able to push the tooth back through the hole it had pierced and then pull the tooth completely out.
Before the Canine Tooth Grew In
After the Canine Tooth grew In
Winthin minutes of the tooth coming out, you could see the relief on his face. He began playing and acting like the fun-loving pup he is.
By the next day, one ear was standing again. He has not had the issue of a tooth cutting back through a gum again but he does still have a hard time with his teeth fall out. You will see pictures below of his double teeth. Around most of these, there was more swelling of the gums. He has not required any more pain meds but you can tell in his eyes when he is teething.
Update: Sage actually did have to be on pain pills with each of the four canine teeth. He ran a fever and the adult teeth grew in long before the baby teeth fell out. His last baby tooth did not fall out until he was 7 months old. One of his ears was still pretty floppy so I did go ahead and post that ear for two weeks. You can read more about that in the ears post mentioned about.
If you pup is between the ages of 3 1/2 to 6 months of age and they are not acting quite themselves take a look inside their mouth and see if anything is happening with their teeth. To make the teething experience as easy as possible, for both the pup and the human, provide plenty of things to chew on. These should be a variety of bones, toys, and cold or frozen items. Watch for fever and swelling and contact you vet if necessary. Your vet is always there to provide advice if you have any questions.
Here is a look inside Sage's mouth. You can see a mix of baby teeth, adult teeth, erupting adult teeth, double teeth, fully grown adult teeth with baby teeth still in place, and swollen gums. During this time just pay attention and love those sweet babies. ❤❤❤ Remember Sage's case is the worst case I have experienced. Most pups get through it fairly easily
If you have any questions, comments, or other teething suggestions please feel free to comment below. You may also message me if you prefer. I am always available.