I have a seven-month-old female Mutt. While practicing and playing with her mouth I noticed one of her premolars(?) was missing. It’s the last one before the huge one one her top right side! Is she already losing adult teeth? Or has it for some reason not come in?

Her gums seem healthy, not swollen or tender. Shouldn’t it already come in?I’m concered because yesterday we found blood on 2 of her toys, one stuffed and the other a rope.

Thanks,

Rebecca
Broomfield/Denver, CO

Your dog likely has a congenitally absent tooth. It probably is nothing to worry about.

I have met many healthy dogs who lacked a tooth or two. In most cases the teeth simply did not develop and therefore did not erupt. The premolars (the teeth along the side of the mouth, in the middle–which is the area you describe) are, in my experience, the most likely teeth to be absent.

Your dog is too young for pathological periodontal disease-related tooth loss to be probable. The blood on the toys likely is related to eruption of adult teeth.

Without dental X-rays, I cannot promise that the missing tooth isn’t impacted rather than simply absent. So (you probably saw this coming) I recommend a trip to the vet.

But I’ll bet your dog is fine.