Pet Care: What Causes Dog Teeth Chattering?

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As a fur parent, you always try to make everything in your house pet-friendly. But what if your dogs suddenly chatter their teeth? Dog teeth chattering can be alarming and worrisome for many pet owners. But before you panic, it’s important to note that there are several reasons for teeth chattering. Some are due to emotional stress, and others may be a sign of serious diseases.

Reasons Why A Dog’s Teeth Chatter

Dogs chatter their teeth for three main reasons: physical causes, emotional stress, and diseases.

Emotional Reasons

Dog’s teeth chattering could be due to sudden changes in their emotions. Most of the time, their teeth are chattering because they are:

dental healthExcited. Your dog could be chattering teeth because of excitement or is anticipating something great to happen. For instance, he is eager to catch the ball that you are about to throw, or he sees you preparing his meals. You may not notice, but your dog’s teeth chatter whenever he sees you coming home.

Nervous. Sometimes, nervousness causes their teeth to chatter. When you see your dog baring his teeth, it’s most likely because they are nervous or feel threatened. Often, dog’s teeth chattering is a sign that they are stressed with their surroundings. This usually happens when a dog has social anxiety and is not comfortable being around strangers. Like humans, they show signs of anxiousness when they do not feel safe.

Afraid. Your pup may show odd behavior when he is not at ease with his environment. His teeth may chatter while you take him for a drive or when introduced to a new dog due to fear. It’s not uncommon for dogs to develop anxiety, especially if they are not stimulated with their fears.

Physical Causes

Teeth chattering in dogs is often harmless, making most fur parents believe that there is nothing to worry about. However, dog teeth chattering could be a cause for concern if it involves their physical health. Dogs chatter their teeth because:

Low body temperature. Some dogs don’t have enough fur to protect them from cold. Your dog’s teeth may start to chatter a few minutes after you open your air conditioning. To warm up your dog’s body, buy them a sweater to wear for cold nights.

They are in pain. A common cause of teeth chattering in dogs is pain. You will notice that something more severe needs to be addressed when your dog chatters his teeth and shows aggressive behavior. They will most likely growl at you or your family members.

Sniffing. When your dogs’ teeth are chattering when sniffing, you don’t have to worry that much. That is their normal reaction as they use their vomeronasal system in sniffing a scent unfamiliar to them.

Diseases

It’s probably time to visit your dog’s veterinarian if they start to show concerning symptoms. Sometimes, dog chattering is an indication of an underlying health condition that requires medical attention. Apart from emotional and physical causes, your dog’s teeth chattering could be due to:

Periodontal disease. One of the common causes of dog chattering is gum disease. Your pooch might be suffering from painful dental problems if they start to show symptoms such as drooling, loss of appetite, tooth loss, and bad breath. Contact the veterinarian right away as this might cause serious infections.

Tooth abscess. Once you notice that the side of their mouth gets swollen and some of their teeth are decaying, call the doctor right away. These are symptoms of a tooth abscess, and it needs to be treated accordingly.

Neurological disorders. Pay attention to your dog’s pupils and look for a sign of dilation. If the chattering is non-stop or comes randomly, this could be a symptom of a neurological disorder like shaker syndrome.

Seizure disorders. Seizure disorders like epilepsy can result in chattering as well. However, this behavior takes place randomly.

The best way to know if your dog’s teeth chattering is due to normal causes or a symptom of something more concerning is by visiting a doctor. Let your veterinarian know about your observation and the changes in your dog’s behavior.

Before your Veterinary Visit

Dog Teeth ChatteringUnderstandably, your dog’s health is your top priority. If you’ve decided to take your pooch to the vet, check out the things that you need to consider below:

When does your dog chatter?

Does your dog chatter when he is sniffing or smelling? Does it happen when you take him out for a walk? Knowing when the teeth chattering occurs is important to give the vet an idea of where to start.

What behavioral changes have you noticed?

It’s important to observe if your dog shows symptoms of anxiety or if they feel pain. If they do, they will have sudden behavioral changes like loss of appetite, aggressiveness, and many more.

How about head shyness?

When your dog touches its head, that’s a significant symptom of an oral problem. Either they feel pain in their mouth, or they have gum disease.

What to Expect

During your visit to the vet clinic, the doctor will ask you several questions about your dog’s symptoms. With the help of the information provided and after several tests on your dog, the doctor will eventually figure out the leading cause of your dog’s teeth chattering.

The vet will examine your dog’s oral health and look for signs of disease, tooth decay, fracture, or jaw injuries. If there are no visible signs of dental issues, he might recommend an X-ray to examine more.

It’s essential to inform your vet of the crucial details like drooling, bleeding, avoiding meals, reduced excitement, and avoiding contact with humans. The veterinarian should also know other symptoms like bad breath and foul odor.

 

 

 

References:

Why Does My Dog’s Teeth Chatter? (https://forevervets.com/why-does-my-dogs-teeth-chatter/)

Dog teeth chattering: everything you need to know (https://tails.com/blog/2020/02/12/what-you-need-to-know-about-dog-teeth-chattering/)

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