When do kittens' teeth change and how does it happen?

The issue of changing kittens' teeth is important, since this process has a significant impact on the health of animals in adolescence and gives them significant discomfort. It is necessary to consider this topic in order to know the peculiarities of caring for a pet in a difficult period of its life and in time to solve problems that may arise as a result of this phenomenon.

When kittens are born, they, like other animals, have no teeth at first. Their first teeth begin to erupt at about 13-14 days of life after birth and are distinguished by an unusual structure and sharpness. By the end of the first month, milk teeth appear. They are replaced by permanent ones by about the fifth month of life.

In total, the kitten has 26 milk teeth in its mouth, which are usually formed by the second month of life:

• 4 canines;
• 10 indigenous;
• 12 incisors.

Somewhere from the third month of life, they are replaced with permanent ones. Also 4 new molars appear. The complete bite in kittens is formed at about 7-8 months, although this period can be increased to 9 months. In general, the growth and change of teeth in cats and cats is completed before a year.

Note that permanent teeth look different. They are more massive, their enamel very quickly becomes covered with a bloom with a yellowish or creamy tint.

It often happens that the owners do not notice the change of teeth in the pet, since normally the process occurs in the absence of painful sensations. The owners of the baby can guess about this only after finding the fallen milk tooth.

But there are a number of symptoms that often accompany the described phenomenon.

• During this period, an unpleasant odor often appears from the mouth, which the owners of the animal attribute to improper nutrition. Usually, after the completion of the change of teeth, this symptom disappears by itself.
• The animal may begin to experience discomfort, which will cause a change in its behavior. A slight increase in temperature often causes chills, so the kitten will try to spend more time at the source of heat, which is usually the owner. Cases have been recorded when pets even climbed under the covers, although they had not done this before.
• At this time, the kitten tries to taste everything and gnaw everything. So he tries to get rid of the loose tooth that is interfering with him.
• Animals begin to mark their territory.
• Inflammation of the gums can occur, which can even lead to a refusal to eat for a day or two. If this does not go away, then it is best to contact a veterinarian.
• If the kitten has a loose tooth, the pet may shake its head, lick its licks, or try to get rid of the source of anxiety with its paw. You should not interfere with him in this case.

If this does happen, then nothing terrible usually happens, since the tooth comes out naturally. But it can get stuck in the intestines (albeit in rare cases), which will cause pain and discomfort and will certainly affect the pet's behavior. Then you need to contact a specialist.

Teeth change in cats only once in a lifetime. In total, these animals have 30 of them. While the pet is at the age of a kitten, it has 26 teeth. Under normal development, the end of the change process falls on about 7-8 months of life. Permanent incisors in a baby appear somewhere in 3-4 months, canines, premolars and molars grow at 4-6 months of life.

In kittens of different breeds, development can occur in different ways, including the course of various processes in the body. This also applies to changing teeth.

For example, kittens Scottish and British breeds development takes place according to general standards. Teeth change starts somewhere on the 4th month of life. One of the features of these particular breeds will be that under the milk teeth, which are not even staggering yet, the growth of permanent ones can begin. Canines and incisors are most at risk.

Talking about kittens Thai and Siamese breeds, then you should pay special attention to the canines, because their sizes in these cats differ from the thickness and length of other teeth. And they grow a little slower. It should be observed that as new teeth grow, old ones fall out. In Siamese babies, the canines above and below change even before 1.5 months of age. If suddenly the milk canine has fallen out, and the new one has not yet begun to grow, you should not worry, as it will erupt when necessary.

Have Siberian kittens teeth change at the same time as in other breeds.

For some members of the breed, the change of teeth may be delayed. for a period of up to 1 month.

In sphinx babies, teeth change is carried out at the age of 3-6 months. One of the peculiarities of this breed is the delay in the process of loss and growth of new canines. Until milk teeth fall out, new ones will not begin to appear. Veterinarians note that there have been cases of growing milk canines only by the age of one year. The owner of such a cat should monitor the process of changing its teeth especially carefully.

If we talk about this process in maine coon, then they often have problems. First, the timing of the change of teeth is here stretches up to 8 months of age... Although it is believed that only at 1 year and 3 months a Maine Coon kitten can be considered an adult. Its molars can grow up to 12 months of age. It is important to watch that they are parallel.

Such pets should buy more toys so that they have something to chew and thus scratch their gums.

Baby teeth bengal cat start to change at 5 months of age. Sometimes they fall out too quickly, but such cases are rare and are usually explained by some kind of genetic abnormality. That is, a situation is possible when the milk teeth will fall out, and the permanent ones have not yet erupted. By six months they usually appear, but if suddenly this does not happen, then the reason may be a lack of vitamins and minerals in the baby's body. Another indicator of vitamin deficiency can be coat problems. Then it would be better to contact your veterinarian.

Kittens in the process of changing teeth should be looked after especially carefully. After all, it often happens that the process does not go like that of other cats. During this period, the food should be special, the animal's food should be rich in elements such as phosphorus and calcium.

It is the lack of these substances that causes softening of the tissues of permanent teeth and entails further destruction of the dentition. This can also cause teeth to grow unevenly, which can adversely affect chewing and complicate the process of digestion. You can avoid such troubles by purchasing special supplements containing a whole range of minerals and vitamins.

You should not be surprised if your pet eats little during this period. He has a source of discomfort in his mouth that makes it difficult for him to chew.

A healthy kitten that has no problems other than changing teeth is unlikely to give up food more than once. He can eat even if he feels some toothache. Only a serious illness can cause prolonged refusal to eat.

Another important point is proper care, which involves attention and care from the owner, as well as an adequate response to the baby's behavior.... You should not allow him to gnaw on various objects so that he does not swallow some breakaway piece. This can cause intestinal obstruction, which will entail the cost of an expensive operation, or even lead to the death of the pet. You should not allow the kitten to gnaw the hands or feet of the owner, because the habit can remain in the future and an animal with already permanent teeth can cause a lot of trouble and discomfort to a person.

It is equally important to monitor your pet's oral hygiene when changing teeth. The animal should be accustomed to it from childhood, so that when it is an adult, this question does not arise. It is better to start with some kind of games so that the baby gets used to a special toothbrush and is not afraid of it. Yes, your kitten himself will be happy to scratch his gums a little, especially during the period of changing teeth. In this matter, the main thing is regularity, so that a strong habit is formed. This will allow you to further avoid tartar, gum inflammation, as well as periodontitis and other dental diseases.

Changing teeth does not always go well or painlessly for a kitten. Often this process can be accompanied by complications and require specialist intervention. The most common problems are:

• very severe inflammation of the gums;
• suppuration of the wound in the place where the tooth fell out;
• refusal to eat for more than two days;
• the animal is very restless or, on the contrary, sluggish;
• part of the teeth remained, although in some places permanent ones have grown;
• milk teeth fell out, but no new ones.

Now let's say a little more about each case. Inflammation of the gums is one of the most common complications. Its features are:

• kitten anxiety;
• attempts to chew food longer;
• refusal to eat;
• rubbing the muzzle against various objects to relieve pain;
• profuse salivation;
• swelling of the muzzle.

Slight inflammation is normal, but if it has become too strong and gives the animal serious discomfort, then you should definitely contact your veterinarian.

Another fairly common problem is stuck baby teeth... It is much more serious and represents residual milk teeth that do not fall out until the moment when a molar already grows out of the gum. Due to its improper growth, the bite can be disrupted, which will cause high trauma to the lips, cheeks and gums of the cat. If the milk tooth has not fallen out, but a molar has already grown in its place, you should consult a doctor.

Two common variants of the problem:

• there are loose teeth with active growth of molars;
• some of the milk teeth have not yet fallen out after 6 months of life.

Any pet requires an attentive and caring attitude to itself from the very first days of life until the onset of venerable age. But every pet has moments when he needs attention and care especially strongly. One of these periods is just the time of changing teeth, after which the baby begins adulthood. That is why it is important to know how this process takes place, how to care for a kitten and what to do in case of any complications or health problems.

In the next video, you can watch the typical behavior of a teething kitten.