Labrador's Reaction to Losing His First Tooth Melts Hearts: 'Don't Cry'

A touching video of a chocolate Labrador losing his first baby tooth has proven popular on TikTok with over 1.3 million likes. In the video user Lexi Randolph can be seen showing the tooth to the puppy, who responds by whining and huffing with a sad look on his face. Randolph can be heard saying "It's OK, don't cry, you're fine, you'll get it back.

According to VCA Animal Hospitals, puppies begin teething at around three weeks, and by roughly six weeks, all of their deciduous teeth will have erupted. "At around 12 weeks, the deciduous teeth begin to fall out, and the permanent teeth begin to erupt. Normally, by 6 months of age, all permanent teeth have erupted, and all deciduous teeth have fallen out," they say.

The American Kennel Club asserts that once your dog has a full set of adult teeth, it's your job to keep them healthy. "Dogs don't have the sense to use their tongue to dislodge chewed food from their teeth—that combined with plaque in the mouth can lead to [a] dog with stinky breath, and if periodontal disease occurs, serious medical problems" can occur, it says on its website.

"By brushing your pup's teeth regularly," it continues, "You can prevent or decrease the need for veterinary cleanings, which usually require anesthetizing the dog. Begin by gently scrubbing the teeth with a finger brush or gauze pad. Later you can graduate to a toothbrush and canine toothpaste. Toothbrushes should be soft, and toothpaste must be formulated for a dog's system (an enzymatic toothpaste will work both mechanically and chemically to destroy plaque). Toothpaste made for people can cause an upset stomach if your pup swallows it."

It also reports that you can clean your dog's teeth with a paste made with baking soda and water.

User Kylie White said, "When he starts reverse sneezing like that just plug one nostril & it normalizes his breathing (sorry if you already knew that)."

User Remington commented, "the trauma! Poor distraught baby going through changes."

User Litzy Guzman wrote, "This happened to my baby(puppy) and it freaked me out, turns out it's normal for puppies to lose their baby teeth. NO ONE COULD'VE LET ME KNOW!!!"

Newsweek has reached out to the poster for comment.