10 reasons why your dog's teeth chatter

Our dogs exhibit a variety of bizarre behaviors—barking at the mailman, scrabbling on the floor with their hind limbs, or twirling around before going to the bathroom. But have you ever seen your dog's teeth chattering? This strange behavior is quite common among our canine friends and often baffles dog owners.

What exactly is teeth chattering? It's just what it sounds like: your dog's top and bottom rows of teeth clicking together quickly, possibly making an audible sound. This is what your teeth can do if you're shivering from the cold.

The question is, why does dog teeth chattering occur in the first place? And is this a cause for concern?

Read on to learn more about what could be causing your dog's teeth to chatter and when to contact your veterinarian.

Reaction of a male dog to a female dog in heat

Teeth grinding is not always a pathological sign. Male dogs often show sexual arousal. This is especially noticeable if there is a female dog in heat nearby.

Signs of excitement in a male dog:

Normally, male dogs begin to experience sexual arousal at 6-8 months. Up to 1-1.5 years, testosterone levels continue to increase, so young males are more active in finding a partner. But constant sexual behavior is formed only by 3-4 years.

Without cages, male dogs may develop atypical behavior - a reaction to other males, people and inanimate objects.

If a male dog reacts by chattering his teeth at a female during a walk, then this is a normal reaction and no action needs to be taken about this (only if you find a partner for mating). But if a male develops a sexual attraction to other males, the owner (other people), or he tries to mount toys and interior items, then it is necessary to work with him:

Although removing the testes is a radical remedy, it does not always help. A number of males retain sexual behavior despite the fact that hormone production has ceased. In this case, it is necessary to continue educational work with the animal - after castration, the dogs become more obedient. It is important not to encourage the male to mount people and other inappropriate objects. Approval will cause a pathological reflex, which will be difficult to remove in the future.

Causes

This can include many things, from reflexes and injuries to diseases and rare genetic gifts.

The most common reasons include:

Reaction to stimuli

For food or smell

In the mid-19th century, a Russian scientist, Ivan Petrovich Pavlov, conducted experiments studying reflexes and muscle memory. The experiment is called “Pavlov’s Dog”. The gist was this:

The dog was served food according to the regimen;
Immediately before food was served, a light bulb was lit, which was in the field of view of the experimental subject;
After some time, the food supply was stopped and the light came on.

So no need to worry, perhaps the chattering of teeth is a normal preparation for eating , so to speak, “warming up the engine.” This pathogen is natural, which means that no intervention is required.

For medicines

If your dog has taken pills that taste bitter, it is possible that he is making such movements in an attempt to get rid of the unpleasant taste in his mouth . Another case is when the pills affect the functioning of the parasympathetic nervous system, sending false signals to the muscles and receptors. Consult your veterinarian regarding the compatibility of the drug with your pet’s body.

Allergy

Some pathogens bind to histamine receptors in the mouth, causing involuntary muscle contractions, itching, and burning . In such cases, you can take a small dose of Suprastin or a similar hypoallergenic drug.

Parasites

Some microorganisms, as well as types of mites that live under the skin, can be located in the oral cavity, causing discomfort . The dog tries to scratch the itchy place, but it doesn’t work and it makes a knock.

In this case, pay attention to whether the dog is itching, fidgeting on the floor, etc., since in the presence of parasites this is exactly the reaction that appears. Here you need to consult a doctor who, based on an analysis of a skin biopsy, will prescribe a remedy against pests.

Emotional excitement

The situation is typical - the dog is happy to see you, wags its tail, whines and chatters its teeth, showing with all its appearance how bored it is. The same thing happens in the process of flirting with a female or during sexual heat.

Sometimes knocking in dogs is observed during aggression, anger, resentment, or a tense state; it all depends on temperament and character. No measures need to be taken , but if the knocking interferes with sleep, you can give the dog a sedative.

Damage to the central nervous system or brain

The brain regulates all processes in the body, sending signals to the nervous system, which distributes them to the right areas of the body. In many diseases, there is a disruption in the functioning of the system . This is mainly apathy and sedative behavior, but hyperactivity is also possible.

Genetics

All creatures have innate habits : some have ears that move, some blink out of sync, and some chatter their teeth. We are all unique and have our own quirks.

Teeth cutting

A common problem is from discomfort when cutting new teeth . If there is no object at hand that can be chewed, then the teeth find themselves such a distraction. Find or buy a silent rubber toy or bones in a variety of flavors at a pet store to help provide relief for your pet.

Poisoning

Your dog may have heartburn, indigestion, or vomiting, the symptom of which is pounding. It is necessary to pay attention to the dog’s behavior , measure its temperature, and check whether its nose is wet.

Help: if there is a suspicion of intoxication, you need to rinse the stomach with plenty of water or a solution of soda and salt in a 1:1 ratio.

Food stuck

If there were bones or large elements in the dish, most likely one of them got into the area between the cheek and the outermost tooth, getting stuck there. The dog cannot help itself with its hands, so it tries to free itself from the foreign object with such movements. Inspect the oral cavity for food debris and help the dog get rid of them.

Why do old animals click?

Over the course of its life, the dog receives dental injuries (cracks, chips), wears off tooth enamel, and damages gums. All these factors, combined with poor nutrition, can lead to caries and similar diseases . Caries itself irritates the dental nerve, causing contractions, and the body also tries to get rid of the diseased, infected tooth using this method.

If your dog's teeth are loose or his breath smells bad, he clearly has an oral disease. They can be caused by infections, lifestyle choices, or trauma (such as hot food or bone breaking the gum)

Non-drug ways to deal with a nervous breakdown

Sports activities. Sports exercises will help you calm down and recharge yourself with positivity. This method has not harmed more than one patient. Sport improves heart function, brain function, and sleep.
Relaxation programs: meditation, yoga, body massage. Relieve tension, relax the body, get rid of negative thoughts. Do it at least 2 times a week.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle. No matter how strange it may sound, it helps. Alcohol, drugs, coffee - all this affects the nervous system.
Proper nutrition, essential vitamins.

Damage to the neuromuscular system

The dog grinds its teeth due to pathology of the masticatory muscles and pharyngeal muscles caused by the rabies virus. Rabies is a dangerous disease of animals, the causative agent of which affects the nervous system and salivary glands. Infection occurs when a sick animal bites a healthy one. All warm-blooded animals are susceptible to the virus.

appears no earlier than 10-12 days from the moment of the bite;
From the moment the first symptoms appear until death, up to 3 weeks pass;
at the initial stage there is lethargy and depression;
itching appears as the virus penetrates;
aggressiveness, agitation;
gnashing of teeth, slack jaw;
excessive salivation;
pupils dilated;
eyes are inactive;
difficulty swallowing, hydrophobia.

The pathology ends with inflammation of the brain, muscle paralysis and death. The diagnosis is confirmed by biological tests and laboratory tests. Until the results are negative, the dog is isolated and no contact is allowed.

Treatment of dogs for rabies has not been developed, there are no effective methods and means, therefore, if the test is positive, the animal is killed. The development of the disease can be prevented - annual vaccination avoids the development of the virus in the body. You should also avoid contact of your pet with wild and stray animals.

Similar clinical signs can be observed in other dangerous infectious diseases. So, with carnivore distemper, the dog grinds its teeth, and increased salivation is observed in some cases. But in this case, in the acute form, dogs will have serous-purulent conjunctivitis, nasal discharge, and cough. Differential diagnosis and laboratory tests will help identify the cause of the pathological condition.

Pathologies of the nervous system

When a dog clicks its teeth, the main reason may be hidden in various disorders of the pet’s nervous system. Most often, such disorders occur due to viral diseases such as rabies or canine distemper.

It is very important to understand that timely contacting a veterinarian is the key to possibly saving the animal.

Thus, it is necessary to highlight the most basic symptoms of this infectious pathology:

the first manifestations may occur quite late, when the virus is already beginning to actively progress in the pet’s body;
in the most severe cases, the pet begins to actively tremble, convulsions appear and actively begins to drool;
the death of a dog without proper treatment can occur three weeks after the first symptoms appear;
where the bite of a sick animal was made, a wound is formed that itches significantly;
the pet becomes noticeably excitable and aggressive;
there is chattering of the teeth and the jaw droops significantly;
the owner should notice how the animal’s pupils dilate significantly;
When such a punishment as rabies is recorded, the dog develops significant photophobia and is practically not given the opportunity to swallow food. If the pet is very cold, you should try to warm it up and place it in a warm room.

As for the development of pathology, most often the central nervous system and all muscles are significantly affected. As a result, the death of the animal occurs.

For timely diagnosis of the disease, it is necessary to conduct various tests and examinations. Until the results of such diagnostics are received, the pet is placed under strict quarantine conditions.

If we talk about preventing rabies infection, then today the surest remedy is to vaccinate dogs. However, if infection occurs, there is no specific medicine that could save the animal’s life. Therefore, the surest way out is to euthanize the dog.

As for other pathologies that can be caused by a pet’s teeth chattering, there are quite a large number of them and it is impossible to foresee everything. It is worth contacting a doctor in a timely manner for correct diagnosis of the problem and its elimination.

When a dog's trembling is not dangerous

Fortunately for every owner, tremors in dogs also occur for completely harmless reasons: It happens that a dog’s paws, and sometimes his whole body, tremble in the cold.

The animal curls its tail, cowers, and breathes intermittently. Moreover, a pet can tremble not only on a chilly street, but also at home, for example, after bathing, if the room is cool;

Males almost always tremble when they see a female in heat.

At the same time, they can behave extremely restlessly (attempting to break off the leash, run away, etc.), bark and whine, breathe loudly;

Many dogs tremble from an excess of feelings

, for example, seeing the owner returning home after a long absence. This behavior is most often found in small pocket dogs (like the Toy Terrier), as well as large dogs with docked tails. By the way, older dogs often have jaw trembling during emotional experiences;

Sometimes the dog trembles and breathes rapidly, feeling afraid

(for example, when he hears the sounds of ambulance sirens or fireworks);

There is no need to be afraid if the animal trembles in its sleep
(but when it wakes up, the tremor goes away during wakefulness). Most likely, he is dreaming about something exciting.

When is a visit to the vet necessary?

Cases when veterinarian assistance is required immediately:

suspected infection with viruses or bacteria;
the presence of a large number of other signs of the disease, in addition to trembling: loss of appetite, loss of water, unexplained aggression or excessive lethargy, fever, chills, cough, conjunctivitis;
condition after pregnancy and childbirth;
prolonged trembling that does not go away after measures are taken;
convulsions.

It is important to be able to distinguish between tremors and seizures. In the first case, it is rhythmic shaking, and in the second, it is paroxysmal contractions of individual muscles. If the dog does not receive medical care in time for metabolic disorders, hormonal imbalance, or infections, then the risk of death is high.

In order for the dog to tremble as little as possible, the owner must take care of prevention: dress short-haired pets in special clothing in cold weather, provide a bed, good food and water, and monitor the condition of the animal. It’s also a good idea to teach your four-legged friend not to pick up food on the street. The prevention of many diseases is vaccination on a schedule.

Presence of intestinal parasites

Teeth grinding often occurs in dogs with severe intestinal infestation. The pathological effect exerted by worms on the animal’s body causes discomfort and pain, which causes tooth decay. Helminth infections in dogs are accompanied by other clinical signs:

diarrhea, constipation and other digestive disorders;

the appearance of blood and mucus in the stool;

exhaustion, dehydration;

weakness, depression;

the appearance of itching in the anal area with a number of invasions.

The diagnosis is established by laboratory tests. Eggs, larvae or adults of parasites are found in stool samples. For this purpose, sedimentation and flotation methods are used. In the first case, a sample of feces is crushed (ground in a mortar with a small amount of water), then the sample is washed into a laboratory beaker with 50-100 ml of water. The preparation is allowed to stand for 30 minutes, after which the supernatant liquid is drained and water is added to the residue. The solution is again left to precipitate and the procedure is repeated until the water above the sediment becomes clear. Now you should place the remaining stool sample on a glass slide and examine it under a microscope. In this way, imaginal and larval forms, as well as large eggs, can be detected.

In most cases, the flotation method is used, since it allows the detection of even small eggs, which are found in many species. To do this, a fecal sample is diluted in a hypertonic solution (saline, glycerin and water, zinc sulfate) and left for 10-30 minutes. After that, a metal loop is used to grab a drop from the surface and transfer it to a glass slide. The study is carried out under a microscope.

Methods of allergy testing and detection of antibodies in blood serum are also used. For treatment, anthelmintic drugs are used, which are prescribed after the detection of parasites and their identification. Complex therapy is also carried out - elimination of secondary pathologies and negative symptoms.

Teeth chattering as a reaction of a male to a female

Sometimes male dogs exhibit strong clattering or clicking of their teeth when they are in a state of strong excitement. This happens, of course, in the presence of a bitch. To understand that the reason really lies in excitement, you need to evaluate the presence of other signs:

The animal's jaw begins to move intensively up and down.
Excitement has not yet fully set in; the pet’s penis is half visible.
The male begins to try to jump on the female, unable to control himself.

A similar condition in dogs may not appear until they reach six to eight months of age. As a rule, it is at this time that male dogs begin to chatter their teeth due to excessive excitement. The complete balance of the animal's hormonal levels converges around three years, in some even a year later. Before this age, teeth clicking can often be observed in males.

In some cases, if the dog does not get satisfaction with the female, he begins to jump on people and even household objects. At this age and condition, teeth chattering is absolutely normal, since in this way the animal shows its maturity and readiness to have intercourse with a female.

Parasites in the intestines

Why a dog chatters its teeth may be due to worms in the animal's intestines. Thus, the phenomenon of a puppy clicking its jaws is manifested due to pain in the intestinal area. However, the presence of helminthic infestations can also manifest itself in other main symptoms:

the pet's sleep is significantly disrupted;
significant digestive upset, manifested by diarrhea, constipation or intestinal bloating;
the pet may feel cold and very severe chills;
Sometimes there may be blood, mucus or flakes in your dog's stool;
the puppy may experience quite severe dehydration;
the pet's immunity is significantly reduced;
The dog's sleep deteriorates very much;
the animal weakens and cannot actively move normally;
There is constant itching in the rectal area of the pet and both fragments and whole worms can come out.

Very strong pain

If the dog feels severe pain, it may also grind its teeth. It is also very important to note that in this case the causes of such pain can be very different.

Thus, in order to correctly establish the primary source of such unpleasant sensations, it is worth paying special attention to those symptoms that can help in making the correct diagnosis:

discharge of blood, pus or other impurities from the bitch’s genitals;
bloating;
increased body temperature;
pain in the head or ears.

Based on all that has been said, we can conclude that teeth grinding in a pet can be caused by a variety of conditions. However, some of them are physiological and completely harmless, while others, in turn, carry a certain danger, both for the health and life of the animal.

What does this mean in puppies?

If your puppy is chattering his teeth, there may be several reasons :

New teeth are growing. The puppy feels a foreign object in its mouth and tries to spit it out.
Old teeth are being cut. The classic situation is just give him something to chew on.
Development of the musculoskeletal apparatus. As the body grows, one can observe an increase in tissue before the eyes. The dog also senses these changes, adapts to them, learns to control and sense new tissues. New neural connections are also formed between the brain and muscles, which the synaptic nervous system automatically tests by sending signals to them, as a result of which the jaw muscles contract.
Imitation of other dogs or owner. The puppy observes its surroundings and begins to repeat some actions, learns, and gets to know the world.

Why does a dog chatter its teeth and what does it mean?

The dog is chattering its teeth, what does this mean? – This question is of interest to many breeders today who are faced with this problem. However, this may be an ordinary chill or other harmless manifestation, but it may also indicate that some pathological process is developing in the pet’s body, which urgently needs to be diagnosed and, if possible, eliminated.

Thus, it is imperative to consult a veterinarian to ensure that the disease does not become chronic and significantly affect the health of the pet.

Jaw clicking

The clicking of the jaw can be felt when yawning, heard during a conversation or eating. The phenomenon is not considered as an independent disease; it is rather a symptom of a certain pathology. The article lists the causes of clicking, methods of treatment and prevention.

Why might your jaw click?

A characteristic sound occurs when the head of the jaw joint leaves the groove in which it is located and then returns to its original position. In most cases, it is caused by weakened ligaments located around the joint capsule.

There are many reasons why unnatural joint displacement occurs:

caries of a large number of teeth, reducing the height of the bite, leading to changes in the joints;
muscle tone associated with excessive muscle tension with frequent clenching of the jaws (trismus);
congenital malocclusions (mesial type);
bruxism, in which the jaw clenches during night sleep, causing an unpleasant creaking sound;
injuries, impacts leading to jaw dislocation, changes in the structure of the TMJ;
poor-quality dental care, the consequences of which may be uneven distribution of the chewing load and the development of asymmetry;
wear and tear of cartilage tissue in old age;
increased workload: regular public speaking to the public, typical for the activities of artists, teachers, and speakers.

In some cases, the process develops against the background of arthritis, arthrosis, and inflammation of the lower jaw.

Varieties

Based on their intensity, clicks are classified as weak, medium or strong, which can be heard even by people around them. In addition, they can be multiple or single.

In most cases, jaw clicking is not accompanied by pain. Unpleasant sensations may occur with the progression of the pathology that caused this phenomenon, or the addition of other disorders.

Diagnosis and treatment

A patient who comes to the clinic about jaw clicking is prescribed several diagnostic procedures:

thorough dental examination;
X-ray examination;
CT scan.

Differential diagnostics must be carried out to clarify the cause of the development of this phenomenon. Thanks to it, it is possible to distinguish clicking from TMJ dysfunction, symptoms of joint diseases, and pathological occlusion.

When choosing treatment methods, the complexity of the situation and the reasons that caused the clicking are taken into account. The main ways to combat violations are:

prescription of anti-inflammatory, painkillers, chondroprotectors, muscle relaxants;
physiotherapeutic procedures (electrophoresis, infrared laser magnetotherapy);
correction of dentures;
re-sealing of problematic units;
use of fixing orthopedic structures;
compresses with medicinal solutions, herbal decoctions;
following a special diet.

In complex cases, surgical treatment is required (articular head replacement, arthroscopy and other manipulations).

Clicking exercises

After the main therapy, most experts recommend performing therapeutic and prophylactic gymnastics. Exercise increases muscle endurance, preventing the recurrence of the bothersome symptom.

The exercises are quite simple but effective:

movement of the lower jaw forward and backward;
moving the jaw joint left and right with relaxed lips;
pressing with fingers on the chin area while simultaneously trying to move the lower jaw upward;
resistance exercise with open and closed mouth;
pressing the chin to the chest with the body in an upright position.

Each exercise is repeated at least 8-10 times. Before starting gymnastics, it is recommended to warm up the muscles using a warming compress.

Even minor clicking can lead to complications such as tearing of the articular disc, tooth decay, development of rheumatism or generalized infection. If you have such a problem, you should immediately visit a doctor to find out the reasons for its occurrence and prescribe adequate treatment.

Bruxism in adults

Bruxism also occurs in adults, and the disease appears in both sexes with equal frequency.

Causes of Bruxism

The question of why teeth grind in their sleep remains open: the exact reasons have not been established. Various factors can lead to the disease:

psychological: fatigue, stress, depression, anxiety neurosis, complexes, a special type of personality (vulnerable or hyperactive nature);

neurological: epilepsy, cervical osteochondrosis, lesions of the trigeminal nerve, apnea, somnambulism (sleepwalking), nightmares;

dental: malocclusion, jaw defects (over-row teeth, their absence or incorrect location), joint pathology, uncomfortable braces or dentures, incorrectly installed fillings, etc.;

other factors (not recognized by all doctors): acid reflux into the esophagus, helminths, snoring, impaired nasal breathing (enlarged adenoids, frequent rhinitis or deviated septum in the nose), lack of vitamins.

In 70% of cases, teeth grinding is the result of psychological problems.

For what reasons does a dog grind its teeth and what to do about it?