[doxiestar]

Hi - I just heard my five-month-old daschund crying, and I checked to see what was wrong.  He was playing with a toy and apparently pulled a tooth out.  I found the little tooth, and it had blood on it.  I checked his mouth, and it's one of his front bottom bicuspids.  It's a little sharp one.  There is a hole in his mouth with blood but no signs of another tooth.  Could this have possibly been his adult tooth?  I am hoping not, but I thought I already saw some of these teeth grow in.  Where might he be at this stage of his life where teeth are concerned?  He's laying on my lap right now licking his little mouth, and he usually makes it very apparent when he's not feeling well.  Should I be concerned that he's in pain and that this could be his permanent tooth that fell out?

[labman]

Although at 5 months I would expect the baby bicuspids to be gone, I doubt it is an adult tooth. Look at it. Is the surface that was next to the gum flat or slightly concave? As the permanent teeth erupt, they destroy the roots of the baby teeth. If it doesn't look like it had much holding it in, chances are it was a baby tooth. Compare it to the other teeth. Does it seem small in relation to the incisors that usually are replaced first and to fit with the canines that are usually the last to go? Often when a tooth falls out, the permanent tooth coming in isn't visible yet.

Teething can be hard for both the dog and the owner. Try taking some small cloths, wet them and freeze them. They both satisfy the urge to bite and soothe the burning gums.

Come back with more details if you want. If he really lost an adult tooth, something is wrong and perhaps he needs to see the vet. Usually at 5 months most of the adult teeth are in, although the jaw is still growing and they still want to chew. He could be running a little behind. They all have their own schedule.

[doxiestar]

I checked his little tooth, and it is definitely concave on the inside and looks as though not much was holding it in. It is also smaller than the ones he has. I just compared it with the other side. It appears that he already had the other one, and it's quite a bit larger. It looks like this one was the last of them. Is it possible that it could be that far behind the other teeth in its growth?