Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Why do some dogs have sudden jaw tremors and teeth chattering
By Liatis, Theofanis et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2024·Royal Veterinary College, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Episodic mandibular tremor in dogs: an idiopathic movement disorder or a manifestation of pain.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 3-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was brought in for teeth chattering, which lasted less than a minute and sometimes included lip smacking. Excitement often triggered these episodes, and many dogs with this condition also had other health issues. After thorough testing, no brain disease was found in the dogs examined. While the exact cause of the teeth chattering remains unclear, it may be linked to pain or an idiopathic movement disorder.
People also search for: dog teeth chattering causes · Cavalier King Charles Spaniel shaking · dog excitement tremors treatment
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Episodic mandibular tremor (EMT), manifested as teeth chattering, is not well described in dogs. The aim of this study was to describe clinical signs, MRI findings, and outcome of dogs with EMT. ANIMALS: 11 dogs retrospectively and 31 dogs in an online survey. METHODS: A retrospective multicenter study of dogs with EMT between 2018 and 2023 and prospective online questionnaire open to owners of pets with teeth chattering. RESULTS: All dogs had rapid and short-lasting (< 1 minute) episodes of EMT in the absence of other neurological signs. Lip smacking occasionally accompanied the tremor in 5 of 11 (45.5%) hospital dog cases. Excitement was a common trigger in 14 of 31 (45.2%) dogs from the survey. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was the most common breed in both clinical and survey populations. Median age at presentation was 3 years for both hospital cases and the survey dogs. A concurrent medical condition was present in 8 of 11 (72.7%) hospital cases and 20 of 31 (64.5%) survey dogs. In 3 hospital dogs that underwent further investigations, no brain disease was present. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: EMT and its clinical features are presented for the first time, shedding light on a clinical sign that might resemble an idiopathic movement disorder or a manifestation of pain in dogs.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38838709/