How To Soothe Puppy Teething

How to Soothe Puppy Teething: 10 Effective Remedies

If you have a puppy at home, you might be concerned with how to soothe puppy teething. This is a very normal transition period for young pups but that does not mean it’s an easy period. As a pawrent, you’ll want to try your best to help your furkid feel comfortable.

Puppy teething is an uncomfortable transition. It can trigger a low-grade fever, excessive drooling, whining, anxiety, or compulsive chewing. Teething can also leave your puppy’s gums swollen, aching, and bleeding.

10 effective ways to soothe puppy teething

Fortunately, you can help little Fido have an easy teething phase with the right remedies. If you are not sure of which ones to use, this guide features 10 of the most effective. Pet parents have been using them to calm teething puppies for years.

1. Use chew toys to prevent destructive chewing

You cannot talk about soothing a teething puppy without mentioning chewing toys. This is the most popular remedy recommended by vets and used by thousands of pet parents.

Made from an easy-to-chew material, flavored with chicken, pork, or beef, little Fido will have a reason to choose such chewing toys over cables, shoes, and seats. In addition, teething toys will massage the irritated gums as your puppy chews on.

If you lack a suitable chewing toy, go for Nylabone Toy for Teething Puppies. This toy prevents destructive chewing, massages gums, and freshens breath. It is chicken-flavored, and free of plasticizers that could harm your little furry friend. It is thus not surprising that it is one of the most bought chewing toys for puppies.

how to soothe puppy teething- chew toys

2. Soothe irritated gums with an organic gel

If you suspect that your canine is writhing in teething pain, a natural soothing gel would be the most suitable therapy.

Unlike toys, organic gels will soothe irritated, swollen, inflamed, painful, or sore gums almost instantly. Your lovely furry friend will never have to struggle with chewing objects while its gums or teeth are aching.

Formulated from natural compounds like chamomile, lemongrass, clove, peppermint, aloe vera, Melissa officinalis, and other organic oils, these organic gels are entirely safe for your lovely puppy.

If puppy teething got you unprepared, and you lack a particular brand in mind, go for Punkin teething oil, a top-rated soothing gel.

The soothing gel is a blend of clove, chamomile, peppermint, and sunflower oils. It is rich in potent compounds that soother painful gums instantly. This gel is also free of unsafe additives that could irritate your canine.

3. Use frozen veggies or fruits to soothe hurting gums

The carrots, strawberries, bananas, apples, and other veggies or fruits in your freezer are a great remedy for painful gums and destructive chewing. Their low temperatures will combat discomfort by reducing nerve activity and blood flow to your puppy’s gums.

Unlike toys and homemade chew toys, the frozen veggies and fruits will not only soothe your puppy’s hurting gums, but also nourish your little furry friend with essential vitamins and minerals.

Supposing your puppy isn’t a fan of frozen vegetables and fruits, you can enhance their taste with chicken broth, peanut butter, yogurt, cheese, or salmon.

However, you should be wary of giving your puppy some potentially harmful foods like onions, unripe tomatoes, mushrooms, raw potatoes, rhubarb, chives, garlic, grapes, currants, and broccoli.

4. Share some homemade ice-pops to relieve pain

A homemade ice-pop is another excellent pain soother for teething puppies. The ice pops’ low temperatures will lower blood circulation, and reduce nerve activity on the gums. Consequently, your hurting puppy will experience little or no pain.

You can make your soothing ice-pops from ordinary ingredients like cubed sugar, peanut butter, frozen bananas, yogurt, mashed fruit, and other components that are readily available in your kitchen.

Nonetheless, if your teething puppy is a little bit choosy, get creative, and make your ice pop from vegetable, beef, or chicken broth.

With the ice pops’ soft texture and enhanced flavor, your puppy won’t think of chewing inappropriate objects like cables, socks, shoes, seat covers, and other inappropriate objects. You may think that it’s time-consuming to make these ice pops, but being able to save your furniture may be worth the trouble!

5. Stop destructive chewing with improvised chewing toys

Assuming your puppy has an inflated craving to chew, and yet, you have no soothing toys around, do not worry. You can make great soothing toys using your dishrags or your hand towels.

How? Take a clean towel or dishrag, soak it in water, twist it tightly, and then freeze it. Alternatively, you can soak the towel or rag in low sodium chicken broth to enhance palatability.

When your homemade rag freezes or gets cold enough, encourage your puppy to chew it. The towel’s chilled temperature will minimize the pain and inflammation on your puppy’s gums, while the soft fabric will massage the gums gently.

Remember to take the towel away whenever it gets defrosted. That way, your little puppy won’t ingest or rip it up. Also, when choosing a towel, make sure that it is small enough to fit into your puppy’s mouth.

6. Use soothing herbs to reduce all forms of discomfort

Herbs like Lavender, aloe vera, sunflower, and chamomile are rich in alkaloids, glycosides, phenols, flavonoids, volatile oils, and saponins. These organic constituents join forces to soothe your little buddy’s irritated gums, minimize anxiety, as well as improve sleep.

Furthermore, the soothing herbs can combat digestive issues, as well as boost your puppy’s immune system.

Making a soothing herbal remedy isn’t hard. Boil fresh or powdered ingredients to make a weak concoction. Then, add the infusion into your puppy’s food, or use a syringe to spurt it directly into the puppy’s mouth.

Since many herbs aren’t palatable, feel free to flavor them up with chicken broth, salmon, and anything tasty.

7. Quench your puppy’s chewing craving with an ice cube tied in a soft fabric

While ice cubes do soothe your puppy’s gums, experts will always discourage you from giving them directly to your puppy. Reason? Ice cubes are pretty hard. They can end up hurting your puppy’s brittle teeth.

However, their hard texture doesn’t make them an entirely bad remedy for soothing a teething puppy. Instead of giving the ice cubes directly to your puppy, wrap those ice cubes in a soft piece of fabric to make a soothing chewing toy.

Like other frozen therapies on this list, ice cubes will combat teething discomfort by decreasing blood flow to your puppy’s gums, as well as numbing nerves in the puppy’s mouth.

If your puppy is an aggressive chewer, don’t leave it with this homemade soothing toy for long. Its sharp teeth could rip the fabric and your puppy could choke on it if swallowed. Make sure to watch over your puppy if you decide to use this method.

8. Calm down your canine with a massage

For years, vets have been using and recommending dog massage therapy for canines battling anxiety, pain, and long-term disorders like arthritis. This therapy works magic in soothing puppy teething, as well.

Depending on your puppy’s teething state, you can decide to use a localized or full body massage.

A full-body dog massage therapy triggers the production of endorphins that help your hurting puppy calm down. It is an excellent therapy for puppies that are whining, and feeling restless as a result of teething.

If your puppy’s gums are swollen and paining, massage the gums gently. This will disrupt the pain cycle, thereby giving your little furry buddy a less painful teething transition.

Assuming it is your first time massaging your puppy’s gums, don’t worry. The process is simple. You can massage the gums indirectly by giving your puppy chew toys, or directly using a finger toothbrush.

Unlike ordinary toothbrushes, top-rated finger toothbrushes like Vet’s Best Dog toothbrush have rubberized bristles that apply a firm, gentle, and calming pressure on hurting gums. This toothbrush is safe and durable.

9. Take your puppy out for walks to manage whining, or restlessness

Dog walking isn’t just a form of working out. But, it is also an effective therapy for teething puppies. It triggers the production of endorphins that reduce anxiety and impair the perception of pain. We would recommend it to teething puppies with anxiety.

In addition, regular walks will distract your puppy from teething-related chewing and whining. They will give your teething puppy a break from chewing toys. Instead of chewing, your puppy will focus on enjoying the environment around, meeting other dogs, as well as bonding with you.

Just like any workout, walking will release excess energy, the main culprit for whining, restlessness, and destructive chewing. After a good walk, you puppy will spend its time snoozing in comfort, as it re-energizes.

10. Use vet-approved analgesics to relieve pain

If the non-medical remedies above don’t work as you expect, or you want to give your hurting puppy a quick relief, use vet-approved analgesics. Unlike home remedies, analgesics are formulated under a tried and tested, science-backed process.

For that reason, these vet-approved analgesics will work almost immediately, and their effect will last for quite an extended period. They will eliminate the trial-and-error processes associated with home remedies.

However, since some analgesics can harm your little furry friend, ask your vet to recommend a safe one. That way, you will not end up hurting your puppy at the expense of giving it an easy teething experience.

how to soothe puppy teething - biting toys

Important things to put in mind when soothing puppy teething

Make sure your puppy is genuinely teething

You can confuse the signs of teething with those of anxiety, depression, and behavioral change. Therefore, before you start helping your puppy have an easy transition, make sure that it is really teething.

Usually, this natural transition starts when little Fido is three weeks old. For some puppies, teething can begin as early as two weeks or as late as four. This is the period when deciduous teeth start erupting. The phase ends when your little canine is around six weeks old.

At the age of 4 months, your puppy will start another phase of teething. The temporary teeth will start falling out, and permanent teeth will replace them. This second puppy teething transition will end when your puppy is around six months old.

That said, your little furry friend is likely to experience teething discomfort at around the age of 2-4 weeks when deciduous teeth are erupting and at 4-6 months when they are falling out.

Know when to see your vet

Your puppy can sail through the teething transition without a vet’s intervention. But, there are times when you will need a vet to diagnose and treat bad signs of complex dental issues. Some of the teething signs that need a specialist’s intervention include:

• Bleeding gums
It is normal for teething puppies to experience slight bleeding when their teeth sprout or fall out. However, if little Fido’s gums are bleeding excessively, you will have to seek specialized assistance. The excessive bleeding could be a sign of a broken tooth, or an underlying dental issue.

• Double teeth on the same spot
Double teeth is a dental condition which occurs when two teeth erupt on the same spot. If left unmanaged, your puppy will experience upsetting chewing and biting issues in the future. Fortunately, dog dentists can correct the problem before it advances to a complex dental case.

• Broken or cracked teeth
Broken teeth are common in aggressive chewers. The broken teeth will start hurting when your puppy chews, and at worse, the gums and nerves around the teeth could catch a severe infection. For that reason, if you notice that your puppy’s deciduous teeth are broken, see your vet for a quick solution.

• Jaw misalignment
Many dogs have a slight underbite, which is very normal. However, if your puppy has a pronounced under or over-bite, see your vet for correction. Otherwise, in future, your puppy will experience regular gum injuries, and discomfort when eating.

• Misaligned teeth
Like a misaligned jaw, crooked teeth can lower your puppy’s quality of life in the future. This dental problem will increase the risk of periodontal disease, as well as accelerate teeth wear. Thus, if don’t wish to see your dog battling dental problems as a result of negligence, see a vet as soon as you notice misaligned teeth.

Time to give your puppy an easy teething transition

Though uncomfortable, puppy teething shouldn’t be a big deal. There are multiple ways to soothe all forms of discomfort associated with this natural transition. You can use frozen vegetables, vet-approved analgesics, soothing toys or teething, exercise, and soothing herbs.

Many pet parents who had wondered how to soothe puppy teething have been using these natural remedies. With so many methods you can use to help your furkid, all you need to do is to pick one that works for your furry friend. It is possible to have a smooth transition for your puppy without any of the suffering!

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