Why is my senior dog's mouth quivering? Teeth, injury, or age?

Question

Hi, i noticed that my dog zorro has been having some mouth quivering at times, wondering why? if it could be related to his teeth: teeth need cleaning & in front some black gums in picture attached: he did have a fall from sofa & from doctor office before, wondering if quivering could be from his teeth, from the fall, or he's cold, old age, etc, or combinations, he also has some small few lumps & tags on his body. he's maybe 12 years old, he's not easy to take to doctor:he has biting anxiety.. Pet's info: Dog | Manchester Terrier(Toy) | Male | neutered | 11 years and 10 months old | 21 lbs

Lauren Jones VMD · Accepted Answer

I'm sorry to hear that Zorro has had some jaw chattering lately. As you'd mentioned, oral pain is one of the most common causes of jaw chattering. Oral pain can arise from dental disease, jaw pain, and injuries. I do see a fair amount of tartar and gingivitis in the pictures you'd attached, but the tricky part is that for most dogs, the worst part of the dental disease is often below the surface of the gums. Since Zorro recently fell off the couch, it's also possible that he injured his jaw or another body part in the process, resulting in jaw chattering from pain. Regardless, the best thing is for you to take Zorro to his vet for a full physical exam. Since he tends to bite from anxiety, I'd recommend calling your vet to discuss the exam process first because they'll certainly need to look in his mouth for a thorough assessment. Your vet will likely prescribe oral sedative to be given before the exam or may recommend injectable sedation at the time of his appointment. I hope that everything goes well!

Why is my senior dog's mouth quivering? Teeth, injury, or age?

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