Every dog normally has 42 teeth and they are all permanent. But due to various dental conditions, a dog may lose a certain number of teeth. It also happens that not all teeth can erupt due to the small jaw of the animal. But that is another problem. This article will give you an in-depth look at tooth pathologies in puppies.
So, pathology comes in symmetrical and asymmetrical. Excluding the rare manifestations of oligodentia, it is most often associated with genetic manifestations. In this case, both mom and dad can have, so to speak, perfect teeth in their entirety, and their puppy is the opposite. But it's impossible to say in which particular generation the dogs had the same tooth problem. And if the animal is pedigree and you plan to breed him, then you can not do this categorically, as dental problems will manifest themselves in his heirs, let it even after a generation.
As practice shows, the milk teeth of such a pet can be in their full number. And this pathology manifests itself when the pet reaches the age of 4-7 months. In this case, the milk tooth may never fall out, because nothing will push it out. In such cases, the problem can be seen by making the animal a dental X-ray. And if the rudiment for a permanent tooth is missing, then there is no point in waiting for it to come out. What is important, the absence of the right number of teeth does not affect the normal, full life of the pet. All that this pathology affects is preventing the pet from breeding.
So, if you're planning to buy a puppy with all the necessary paperwork, know that having all the teeth at the moment does not mean that they will all be replaced by permanent ones. Therefore, it is better for you to have your pet diagnosed and have their mouth x-rayed. The results of the x-ray will give you a chance to see if all the rudiments to permanent teeth are there. You can see them clearly, even when the pet is only a few weeks old. This technique will help you anticipate and rule out the fact that there are no permanent teeth.