Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Pets unable to open their mouths - causes and cases
By Maas, C P H J & Theyse, L F H·Published in Veterinary and comparative orthopaedics and traumatology : V.C.O.T·2007·Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, Netherlands·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Temporomandibular joint ankylosis in cats and dogs. A report of 10 cases.
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old cat and a 6-year-old dog were both brought in for difficulty opening their mouths. The vet found that the cat had a type of jaw joint problem caused by a tumor, while the dog had a similar issue due to trauma. The cat underwent surgery to remove the abnormal tissue and had a good recovery, but unfortunately, the dog had to be euthanized due to the severity of its condition. This highlights the importance of early diagnosis and treatment for jaw joint issues in pets.
People also search for: cat mouth problems · dog jaw injury treatment · why can't my cat open its mouth · TMJ issues in pets · cat tumor surgery recovery
Abstract
Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) ankylosis is characterized by difficulty or inability to open the mouth. The ankylosis may be articular ('true') or extra-articular ('false'). Clinical signs, radiographic studies, treatment and follow-up are presented in a retrospective study involving five cats and five dogs. The findings were compared with TMJ ankylosis in humans. CT imaging with three-dimensional reconstruction proved to be of great value in determining the extent of the abnormalities and helped with preoperative planning. Articular TMJ ankylosis occurred in six animals and extra-articular TMJ ankylosis was found in the other four cases. In three cats and in three dogs, the TMJ ankylosis was trauma related; the remaining patients were diagnosed with a tumour. Resection of ankylosing tissue in false ankylosis or gap arthroplasty in true ankylosis was successful in all of the trauma induced cases. In the two cats, with tumour related ankylosis, the ankylosis was caused by an osteoma and resection had a good prognosis, whereas the two dogs had to be euthanatized.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17846685/