dog jaw tremors

Question
My 3 yr. old Cavachon has jaw tremors and has had them on and off for about 1.5 years. The vet thought it was due to  a sore in the back of her mouth and she was sedated and found that it was scar tissue. No meds have worked. any ideas? The vet didn't have any.Oh she has no problem opening or closing her mouth or eating.

Answer

Hi Barbara,

If your dog isn't having any issues opening or closing her mouth, and she isn't having a problem eating, then there really isn't a problem.

Assuming the jaw tremor isn't actually a symptom of a mild seizure or tooth decay, and it's really due to some form of scar tissue at the back of her throat, the tremor is only cosmetic, and doesn't require additional treatment at this time. Just keep an eye on your dog for signs that the scar tissue is causing her difficulty eating. That would be the point at which something would need to be done.

I should mention (if you've never owned a small breed dog before) that trembling and tremoring occur in small breed dogs with reasonable frequency. Several reasons, such as fear, sensitivity to cold, nervous energy, anticipation of an desired activity, as well as many of the same things that can cause people to be restless or anxious. Dogs can have this kind of jaw tremor for a number of reasons ranging from excitement, to anticipating something they like. It's normal and natural.

I hope I've been a help.
Best of luck,

Patti