# Jaw spasms



## bhuner1 (Jan 4, 2014)

My labrador has been exhibiting some strange behaviour since yesterday afternoon. As she goes to lick her lips or yawn her jaw starts spasming and occasionally this makes her teeth chatter. This spasming might just happen once or there are times when it continues on and off for over a minute. Her breath smells quite bad too which is unlike her. There is no obvious swelling, we have looked inside her mouth and can't see anything unusual and we have pressed along her jawline which doesn't seem to cause her any discomfort. It kept her awake quite a lot last night and she is very tired and quiet today. She is also excessively licking - her lips, paws, her bed, cushions - anything! Has anyone experienced anything similar? She seems to be going through a stage of having strange things wrong with her!! If she doesn't improve then I will take her to the vets tomorrow.


----------



## Bobbie (May 3, 2008)

Oh dear do hope the vet can give you some answers


----------



## WeedySeaDragon (Oct 7, 2012)

I'd get her to the vet and get her teeth looked at.

Our old boy had rubbish teeth and towards the end of his life he had some decay going on at the back of his mouth. He was ok with wet food but if he tried to eat dry or biscuits or anything hard and caught one of his sore teeth he'd sort of rattle his jaw a bit, presumably as a reaction to it hurting. For his last few months he was on an entirely soft diet because of his teeth.

The fact her breath has started smelling would also suggest there may be something going on with her teeth. If they've got some decay going on it can smell really unpleasant.


----------



## bhuner1 (Jan 4, 2014)

Thanks - she isn't even 2 yet so seems quite young to have teeth problems but you never know!


----------



## Sarah H (Jan 18, 2014)

I was going to say that jaw chattering is an excitement thing, my old doggy does it when she knows she getting her dinner 

But the rest doesn't sound quite right  maybe a broken or painful tooth, let's hope the vets can find a cause and help her out, it's horrible to see a dog in discomfort and not be able to see what the problem is or know how to help. Fingers crossed they can help her tomorrow - keep us updated


----------



## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

bhuner1 said:


> My labrador has been exhibiting some strange behaviour since yesterday afternoon. As she goes to lick her lips or yawn her jaw starts spasming and occasionally this makes her teeth chatter. This spasming might just happen once or there are times when it continues on and off for over a minute. Her breath smells quite bad too which is unlike her. There is no obvious swelling, we have looked inside her mouth and can't see anything unusual and we have pressed along her jawline which doesn't seem to cause her any discomfort. It kept her awake quite a lot last night and she is very tired and quiet today. She is also excessively licking - her lips, paws, her bed, cushions - anything! Has anyone experienced anything similar? She seems to be going through a stage of having strange things wrong with her!! If she doesn't improve then I will take her to the vets tomorrow.


Does she have bones, chews or fetch sticks? Its possible that she may have a splinter or piece of debris stuck somewhere, between teeth, roof of the mouth, or even down the back of the throat where you cant see. Another possibility could be that shes got a fractured tooth you cant see and a tooth root abcess maybe forming. You don't often notice those until they are well formed as they form at the tooth root and often depending on which tooth, a swelling on the face is the first thing you see.

If shes suddenly developed bad breath too, then the most common cause is tooth, gum, or foreign bodies in the mouth, so its probably well worth getting her checked properly.


----------



## bhuner1 (Jan 4, 2014)

Thanks everyone. She doesn't play with sticks or have real bones. If she has anything I chew it's normally rawhide but hasn't had one of those for a few days. I've read about the excitement thing but she is not her normal self - for example she normally follows both myself or my husband around the house - particularly when I'm cooking tea like I am now! She is alone in the sitting room asleep and not with either of us. I think people's suggestions of a tooth problem might be right. I've also read they can over stretch their jaws and this can cause cramping so maybe she has done that as we had a rather energetic walk with lots of ball throwing and catching on Friday night.


----------



## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

bhuner1 said:


> Thanks everyone. She doesn't play with sticks or have real bones. If she has anything I chew it's normally rawhide but hasn't had one of those for a few days. I've read about the excitement thing but she is not her normal self - for example she normally follows both myself or my husband around the house - particularly when I'm cooking tea like I am now! She is alone in the sitting room asleep and not with either of us. I think people's suggestions of a tooth problem might be right. I've also read they can over stretch their jaws and this can cause cramping so maybe she has done that as we had a rather energetic walk with lots of ball throwing and catching on Friday night.


If shes really not herself in general as well as the jaw chomping and the bad breath is unusual too it sounds like its probably worth getting her checked out.
Out of character behaviour and things like being lethargic is often a sign that somethings not right too.


----------



## bhuner1 (Jan 4, 2014)

I know - she isn't herself. It's such a worry when you don't know what is wrong. Vets for us tomorrow.


----------



## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

bhuner1 said:


> I know - she isn't herself. It's such a worry when you don't know what is wrong. Vets for us tomorrow.


Cold be a fractured tooth, sometimes they crack or fracture vertically and you cant see it, but if the fracture goes below the gum line then bacteria can set in and an abcess or infection can form in the root. One of mine had it, good dental hygine but he must have fractured a tooth. He was quiet and sorry for himself and then a day or so later I noticed a swelling on his face, so it could well be something like that. Hes didn't stop him eating though but then nothing usually does


----------



## bhuner1 (Jan 4, 2014)

So - after a trip to the vets we are still no wiser as to the problem! Checked her mouth and jaw and she didn't wince. Started to spasm whilst we were in there so vet saw example. She has some painkillers and we are going back next week for blood tests. Since she has been spayed there has been one thing after another and no explanation as to what is causing the problems so the vet we saw tonight (different from last one) wants to get to the bottom of it. Fingers crossed we have a solution soon.


----------



## Sarah H (Jan 18, 2014)

how annoying that they couldn't see what was wrong, but a good vet will want to get to the bottom of it (yes I know it makes them money but they could have just fobbed you off). Let's hope blood tests reveal something and the pain killers help. At least if you know what the problem is you can treat it, annoying not knowing how to help, but your vet sounds good


----------



## bhuner1 (Jan 4, 2014)

I'm just pleased they are investigating. She's had a bout of strange things wrong with her and no explanation. The vet I saw today really listened and reassured me I wasn't overreacting and was doing the right thin bringing her back again. She agreed that something wasn't right. She wants to see if the painkillers stop the jaw problem and whether it comes back when the tablet wears off and then she wants to do a blood screen. Depending on the result then we will go from there. My dog isn't even 2 yet and has had no problems at all until December time and then everything seems to have come at once!


----------



## Bobbie (May 3, 2008)

I am glad the vet is helping hope its not to long before you get answers.


----------



## Reagan (Nov 27, 2018)

Hi, I am having the same issue with my dog and I am writing to see if you ever got an answer to what was going on?


----------



## Blitz (Feb 12, 2009)

Reagan said:


> Hi, I am having the same issue with my dog and I am writing to see if you ever got an answer to what was going on?


this thread is 4 years old and it looks like the person has not posted since then so you will not get a reply. How about starting a post of your own and you will get more help.


----------

