My puppy's adult teeth are coming in, but baby canines won't budge.

This can be a common issue in young dogs, especially of small breeds. If the canine tooth doesn't fall out by the time the adult tooth has grown in, we normally recommend removal of this tooth at the pet's spay or neuter. The tooth can be a site that easily gets infected or is easily broken, and this is the reason we recommend removal,though we do see dogs who live with the baby tooth and don't have problems with them. They are also an area where tartar quickly accumulates as they age.

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! A lot of smaller breed dogs don't lose their baby teeth. Retained baby teeth can affect the adult teeth coming in behind. Also tartar build up between the baby tooth and the adult tooth leading to periodontal disease. The most common retained baby teeth are the canines. If a decent amount of the adult canine tooth has erupted and the baby tooth is still there then the baby tooth is unlikely to come out on it's own. I usually recommend extracting the retained baby teeth when the dog is spayed or neutered. It appears Luca hasn't been neutered yet. If you are planning to neuter him ask the Vet to extract the baby teeth. If you are not planning to neuter him you can schedule anesthesia to just have the teeth removed. I hope this helps!

It is not uncommon for smaller breeds to have retained deciduous (baby) teeth. Have Peanut examined by your veterinarian. If the teeth are not loose, they will need to be manually extracted. This can be done when she is under anesthesia for her spay. Left in, the baby teeth can cause adult teeth to become misaligned causing bite issues. As you're seeing, the space between can collect food which will promote bacterial growth, infection and bad breath.

This is not normal but it is common. The deciduous teeth may fall out but they may not. I cannot tell you what will happen. I suggest you just monitor the teeth and if by 8 months of age they have not come out on their own then you will need to have them extracted.

If you are planning on having Samuel neutered your vet may recommend having any remaining baby teeth extracted at that time. If not, your vet will likely want to remove them at the time of Samuel’s first yearly dental cleaning, as retained baby teeth can lead to increased gum and dental disease. It is a good idea to start brushing his teeth daily with an enzymatic pet toothpaste to help prevent /reduce gum disease. Small breed or toy dogs are prone to retained teeth and dental disease and should be treated with daily tooth brushing at home and at least yearly dental cleanings at the vet to help prevent pain from dental disease.

What you are describing is actually retained baby teeth in the front and adult teeth that erupted behind these that did not succesffuly push out the baby teeth. Retained deciduous teeth aren't necessarily a serious matter initially, but over time they cause debris and foodstuffs to trap in between the overcrowded area and this causes advanced dental disease and bacteria problems later on for your pet. It is always advised and recommended to remove the retained baby teeth in the near future to avoid these complications, and this is often best done during another surgical procedure such as during a spay or neuter, because the retained baby teeth will require the pet to be under general anesthesia in order to be done safely and efficiently. In the meantime I would encourage you to brush your puppy's teeth daily to help remove foodstuffs from becoming entrapped.

From your description, it sounds like Sophie has retained her baby canine teeth on both sides - this isn't "normal", but it is a problem that occurs frequently in toy breed dogs. The baby canine teeth will need to be removed by her veterinarian to prevent them from causing problems with the adult teeth, so I would recommend discussing this with your vet when you are able to - it's normally a quick and simple procedure :)