There are so many important questions surrounding Chihuahua teething. From when they lose their baby teeth, how long teething lasts, and how to best handle their teething-biting behavior.
This article will act as a complete chihuahua teething guide with a full timeline, so owners know exactly what to expect and when to expect it!
Chihuahuas officially begin teething around 3 months old. This is the age they lose their baby teeth, and their adult teeth start pushing through. Chihuahuas will finally stop teething between 7-8 months on average.
When Do Chihuahuas Get Their Baby Teeth
It’s a fact that Chihuahuas are born without teeth. At around 4 weeks their first milk teeth (deciduous teeth) will start pushing through, and by 6 weeks they should have their full set of 28 “baby” teeth.
Not long after this, Chihuahuas will start losing their baby teeth to make way for their adult teeth.
When Do Chihuahuas Lose Their Baby Teeth?
It takes around 12 weeks (3 months) more or less for Chihuahuas to lose all their baby teeth so their adult teeth can start pushing through.
This marks the start of teething for Chihuahuas. The first baby teeth to come out are usually the incisors.
When Does Teething Start In Chihuahuas?
Technically, teething starts once a Chihuahua’s adult teeth start pushing through. This mostly happens at around 12 weeks or 3 months of age.
However, the chewing, biting, and typical behavior that comes with teething always start before this point while they still have their baby teeth.
When Do Chihuahuas Stop Teething?
So most owners want to know when this whole ordeal will be over! We understand…
Chihuahuas stop teething between 7-8 months of age. Some Chihuahuas may stop teething as soon as 6 months, but in general 7-8 months is common for most.
Chihuahua Teething Timeline
Let’s break down each stage of the teething process so owners know exactly what to expect and when to expect it.
| 4-6 weeks | 28 Baby teeth will push through completely between 4 and 6 weeks of age |
| 3-4 months | 28 Baby teeth would have completely come out by 3-4 months to make way for the adult teeth |
| 5 months | The adult premolars and canines are usually the first adult teeth to push through |
| 6 months | The adult molars should now also be fully out, more of the smaller incisor teeth will also be pushing through |
| 8 months | By this stage most Chihuahuas will have their full set of 42 adult teeth. 20 in the upper jaw and 22 in the bottom jaw. |
How Many Teeth Do Chihuahuas Have?
Chihuahuas have 28 baby teeth, all of which get replaced by 42 adult teeth during the teething process.
Adult chihuahuas have the following teeth:
- 12 Incisors
- 4 Canines
- 16 Premolars
- 10 Molars
- Total of 42 adult teeth
Many think Chihuahuas will have fewer teeth than other breeds due to their tiny mouths, but this isn’t true… They have just as many and trust us, they’re just as sharp!
Is Teething Painful For Chihuahuas?
Teething is certainly unpleasant for most Chihuahuas, but with the right tips we can help alleviate a lot of that pain.
So while it is stressful, it doesn’t have to be as bad as many make it out to be! All explained below.
It’s also good to know that teething comes in waves of severity so it isn’t a constant onslaught of pain for several months.
What Chihuahuas experience during teething:
- Itchy gum sensations
- Tingling
- Numbness
- Pain and inflammation
- Soreness
- A small amount of bleeding
- Difficult eating
Sometimes the pain and irritation will heighten, followed by a short break.
Due to this, owners witness their Chihuahua’s behavior, temperament, and biting habits fluctuate depending on how bad their teething currently is.
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5 Essential Teething Tips For Chihuahuas
Thankfully there are several ways to help Chihuahuas deal with teething. As these tips focus on reducing pain, owners also witness improvement in behavior throughout this stage.
A lot of negative biting, chewing, disobedience and irritability is actually caused by the pain of teething. So let’s get going!
1. Frozen rope toy
Rope toys are great stress relievers due to their chewy texture and durability, but to make them even better for teething, you can damp them and freeze them.
Frozen rope toys will cool down those hot gums, reduce inflammation and serve as the perfect outlet to release all of that pent-up biting behavior your pup is holding in.
2. Frozen carrots/bananas
If you want to provide a healthy chew treat and save some bucks, you don’t have to buy expensive puppy chews…
A whole large carrot or whole large banana work perfectly and will provide your Chihuahuas with some healthy nutrients.
Carrots and bananas can both be frozen, again, helping to reduce pain and inflammation.
3. Rotate toys
One way to keep those razor-sharp teeth off your hands, ankles, and furniture is to keep your Chihuahua’s toys on rotation… How will this help?
Rotating a set of toys every 4-5 days will keep the toys fresh and exciting. Behavior experts noticed that dogs were consistently interested in the two sets of toys if they were rotated every few days.
If your Chihuahua thinks they’re consistently receiving “new” toys, it’ll keep their focus and attention exactly where it should be.
4. Ice cube treats
Ice cube treats are an excellent way of keeping your Chihuahua puppy hydrated, entertained, and pain-free
You can infuse meat broth, mashed banana, or even peanut butter into ice cubes and let your Chihuahua go wild.
Just keep in mind this causes a little bit of a mess, so choose locations carefully!
5. Wet their dry kibble
Not only is it harder to chew and eat throughout teething, but their appetite will also drop if they’re experiencing a bad wave of teething activity.
To make their kibble easier to chew and even more appealing, it’s best to wet it with water or meat broth.
It’s crucial that puppies continue to receive their nutrients, so this tip is particularly important if your pup shows signs of food refusal.
How Chihuahuas React To Teething:
So what exactly should owners expect? Most Chihuahuas react in similar ways to teething, but for some it may be easier or harder.
How most Chihuahuas react to teething:
The inflammation, pain, and itchiness caused by teething will cause your Chihuahua to bite and chew as much as they can. It’s also normal to witness bad behavior, irritability, and disobedience.
Why does biting and chewing increase?
Chewing and biting increases because it offers a release. Chewing on squidgy textures massages the gums, relieves itchiness, and brings blood flow to the area, which ultimately helps the whole process.
So yes, biting and chewing is a GOOD thing during teething! Who would have thought.
This is often misunderstood and many forums online talk about how to stop all the biting and chewing that teething causes… This is bad advice.
- We don’t want to stop the biting or chewing at all, we just want to redirect it to something they are allowed to bite and chew.
Plenty of biting and chewing will ensure the baby teeth fall out in time, and the adult teeth push through as quickly as possible.
Be patient with your Chihuahua:
Aside from all the chewing to handle, owners can expect mood swings, disobedience, food refusal, and a frustrated, irritable puppy in general… This is all caused by the pain!
So, owners must be tolerant and patient with their Chihuahua.
While it’s crucial to correct and redirect bad chewing habits and bad behavior in general, we must avoid punishing incorrectly or losing our cool.
Focus on providing plenty of outlets for your Chihuahua to expend their energy, biting, and restlessness.
If owners can do this, the overall teething process will be a breeze and nothing to dread.