The majority of dog owners are intimately acquainted with their pets, making any deviation in behavior immediately noticeable.
It may also be quite unsettling if the strange behavior is indicative of worry or discomfort, such as the dog bottom jaw shaking.
Here, I’ll explain why your dog’s jaw shakes and whether or not you need to take any more action.
Why Is My Dog Bottom Jaw Shaking?
The most behavioral reasons for dog bottom jaw chattering are their feelings, distraction, anxiety, age, and cold environment.
If your dog’s jaw shakes, you should investigate the underlying problem.
However, most occurrences of dogs bottom jaw shaking (and chattering teeth) may be attributed to completely benign and typical causes.
Feelings of Joy or Thrill
Like normal animals, dogs, including a trembling jaw, exhibit excitement or delight from time to time.
Dogs are very intuitive animals.
So if you get home from work, take your dog for a walk, or prepare to feed them, your dog may start trembling in their lower jaw in anticipation of these events.
Whenever your dog is feeling ecstatic about something, it may show in his or her lower jaw. This is coincidental and should only be transitory, so there’s no need to act now.
A Distraction
Dogs may divert attention by shaking their lower jaw.
For example, if your dog feels threatened, it may employ displacement language, such as rattling its lower jaw, to divert the attention of another dog or human.
When your dog starts trembling at the lower jaw, he’s trying to throw off any potential assailant by making them wonder what’s up with his mouth instead of attacking.
Your dog may also lick his nose or smell the ground as an indication of dislocation.
Anxiety In Dogs
Anxiety in dogs is similar to that experienced by people. This disorder may appear in a few different ways and with distinct symptoms.
Anxious canines often exhibit obsessive behaviors, including gnawing, licking, and barking. As a result, your dog may have a quivering lower jaw when you tell it to quit this or that behavior.
It’s also possible for dogs with separation anxiety to behave in this way.
To catch your attention, your dog may behave strangely if he or she recognizes the rituals you go through each day, such as getting dressed and putting on your shoes before leaving home.
Over time, your pet’s fear may become overwhelming, causing it to present physically as a trembling lower jaw and other symptoms.
Contact your vet immediately if you have a variety of reasons to believe your dog is experiencing anxiety.
You may get guidance from them on how to treat the ailment and lessen the severity of the symptoms using a combination of medicines and lifestyle changes.
The Weather Has Turned Cold
Your dog’s lower jaw may tremble because of cold weather when going outdoors for a walk this winter.
This is especially true for canines of a more petite build, who are more vulnerable to the chill.
When your dog has a short coat, you may consider a jumper or coat for further warmth and protection from the cold weather to reduce the time spent shaking its head.
However, after you’ve gotten your dog inside, getting them nice and toasty is important.
If they get wet in the rain or snow, dry them off completely and give them a blanket to snuggle up in to get warm again.
Once you pay attention to these details, they will quickly quit trembling in their lower jaw.
Age
Some of the changes that occur in an aging dog’s physique are cause for worry.
A trembling lower jaw, for instance, may be an instinctive reaction to the aging process, just like any other part of the body.
Your dog’s jaw may have reached a stage where it tires out after devouring food or playing fetch. In such an instance, your dog may exhibit mild jaw trembling due to exhaustion.
Of course, it’s not proof that someone was hurt, but it’s important to note.
Medical Reasons For Dog Lower Jaw Trembling
Besides mentioned behavioral issues for dogs bottom jaw quivering, here are some medical issues that this behavior can indicate.
Dental Problems
If your dog is trembling in the lower jaw, it might be due to dental issues. Dogs can’t complain audibly when their teeth ache as people can, but they may show discomfort in other ways.
You might try holding their jaw to see if it helps them stop trembling. Next, you should closely examine your dog’s oral cavity to further evaluate the matter.
Possible causes of trembling lower jaw include tooth decay, bad tooth, cavities, infection, or discomfort within the mouth.
They may resist your attempts to explore if they are in oral pain, but you must do it carefully.
Additional symptoms of dental disease in a dog include foul breath, favoring one side of the mouth while eating or chewing, and excessive drooling.
You should see a veterinarian if the trembling of the jaws appears to be giving them discomfort.
Poison
Many common foods and plants are poisonous to dogs, and may also be exposed to harmful substances.
If your dog has been shaky since he or she went into the garbage or munched on your Christmas plants, poisoning might be to blame.
Other signs, such as the entire body shaking or vomiting, might indicate that your dog has eaten poison. If that’s the case, it’s time to call the vet.
Seizures
A partial seizure might also be the cause of your dog’s shaking jaw.
While seizures in dogs are uncommon, they are more prevalent in seniors and may manifest in various methods, some of which you may miss.
Seizures of varying intensity and duration may trigger the type of jaw shaking detailed on this page.
For example, focal seizures might be to blame if your dog’s lower jaw shuts before or after it shakes.
They may suffer an epileptic seizure if they drool following their jaw rattles while you don’t offer them anything new to smell or taste.
It’s important to remember that fatigue and lack of appetite are only two of the many side effects that may accompany epileptic seizures.
Contact your vet immediately if you notice an alteration in your dog’s conduct that makes you think he or she may have had a seizure.
Toxins
Toxin ingestion is a major cause for worry for dog owners since it may cause the dog’s lower jaw to tremble.
If you don’t keep chemicals, poisons, and toxins out of your dog’s reach, he or she will discover them if given full reign of the home and garage.
These items may be lethal if veterinary care isn’t obtained immediately after ingestion.
Symptoms include trembling of the lower jaw and other body parts. If your dog has consumed a harmful substance, you keep it in the garage or kitchen. There will almost always be traces of it.
Keep your dog away from anything that might be poisonous. Immediately contact your veterinarian if you have any reason to believe they may have consumed anything harmful.
Breed of Dog
Remember that certain dog breeds tend to shake and tremble more than others.
Example breeds susceptible to shaker syndrome include Dalmatians, Labrador Retrievers, and Weimaraners. When dogs have this illness, they shake all over, not just in their jaws.
This condition affects particular breeds more than others and may be made worse by things like stress or other environmental variables.
Dogs who tremble for no apparent reason should be taken to the veterinarian immediately, especially if they are of a breed prone to shaker syndrome.
Your veterinarian may conduct diagnostic testing to identify the root cause of the trembling and rule out more serious conditions.
FAQs
If Your Dog’s Lower Jaw Is Trembling, What Should You Do? Do You Need To Worry?
As I explained, there are behavioral and medical issues for bottom dog jaw chattering. So, depending on the main cause of this odd behavior, you can solve it.
I suggested you consult your pet’s veterinarian to ensure your dog’s health.
After several tests, your vet can determine if your pet’s symptoms are due to illness, anxiety, excitement, or the weather as a professional.
How Do You Know If Something Is Wrong With Your Dog’s Jaw?
Dogs are very good at hiding their feelings, but signs of jaw pain are obvious.
They include the dogs screaming out loud and shaking its head back while it tries to grumble or consume something solid.
Their jaws open just a fraction of the normal amount, and they have trouble swallowing. The most apparent signal is that the dog leaves chew toys it tries to gather up with the corners of its mouth.
Conclusion
There are several perfectly normal causes for a dog bottom jaw shaking.
But, on the other hand, it might be a symptom of medical issues, so paying attention to your pet and noting when it happens is crucial.
Getting in touch with your vet quickly is essential if you think your dog’s trembling lower jaw results from a medical issue.
