Trembling Jaw (updated 1-16-08)

[LeeL]

@massagemom3:

I saw more this time too..do you hear clicking, when it happens ,or when she eats,….........or anytime?

As far as I can tell he is eating fine and makes no sound when eating. The clicking seems to be his teeth actually hitting together a little. Most of the time, the teeth never hit, maybe 1 out of 5 or 6 times he does it so it is silent.

I have noticed that out 7 year old female, who is his litter mate, also does it every once in a while, but I only noticed it once or twice in the last 2 weeks, whereas we have noticed this a bunch in Tigger every single day, multiple times. Like I said, it actually can wake my wife up he does it some much in the morning and this is definitely new.

I am sure we will hear more from the Vet after further talks with the neurologist, but it did sound as if the neuro guy was not too concerned so I am hoping that it is just a cautios reaction on our vet's part, not having seen it before.

Thanks for all the help.

[LeeL]

Ok, after consulting with the neurologist at the NCSU vet school we are in a waiting mode. The neuroolgist does not beleive it is any imminent danger and thinks it is likely a tremor, based on what he saw.

Unfortunately, there is not much research on tremors in dogs, so going by research in humans, he beleives it to be one of 2 types. One can escalate and if it does, there are some drugs that can be used to control it and it should not normally be life threatening. The type he thinks it is most likely, will not get worse and is not life threatening. It is kind of like a nervous tic in a human I guess.

At any rate, we are watching Tigger for sings of it getting worse (and if anything it is slightly better, but certainly not worse over the last month or so) so hopefully he'll just be that dog that has a funny thing with his mouth but is otherwise normal.

[susie.joyce8662]

Hi Leel,

I know this is a very old post but I just wanted to see if you were still around and had an update on results of the neuro?

Our basenji cross, Indy, started doing teeth chattering out of the blue this morning after every yawn. She is female, C. 1 year (we're not sure exactly as she was a street dog).

We took her to the vet this morning who also didn't have an answer but doesn't think it's a seizure because all other responses seem fine but I'm freaking out a little. The vet gave us some pain killers to try in case it is something in her mouth but she has had no trouble eating and chewing on bones so this doesn't seem likely. She also didn't seem to be under any undue stress, just tired from sleep in the morning so yawning a lot. Having said this she seemed mopey and didn't come on out bed like normal in the morning so not sure if this points to it being emotional... She seems to have gotten better throughout the day and didn't do it after yawning just now but not sure if this is related to what the vet gave her.

I'm very worried as some posts have been talking about it being normal (mostly in males) but in some posts it has been a neurological disorder which has gotten worse.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Susie