My dog had lockjaw, but it resolved. What caused this episode?

With signs of muscle weakness, I would definitely have her tested for a condition called Myasthenia Gravis. This is an immune mediated disorder that can cause a multitude of symptoms including facial weakness, regurgitation, neck weakness and exercise intolerance. It can be tested through your vet and also treated for. The only other possible cause that comes to mind for a pet with muscle weakness and a tight jaw, would be tetanus, but you would expect a multitude of other symptoms including vomiting, fever, severe lethargy and inappetence. I hope that they can find out the cause soon! If she still comes up negative for anything after the additional test, then I would consider an MRI or CT scan on Xena moving forward. Best wishes and take care.

Poor Marley! It sounds like he may be suffering from an autoimmune disease called masticatory muscle myositis (MMM). This inflammatory disease affects the chewing muscles in the dog, and causes the muscle around the mouth to atrophy. It becomes painful for the dog to open their mouth. This can be treated with high dose steroids, which can be prescribed by your vet. This condition can cause dogs to not eat and lose weight, so I would take Marley into your vet as soon as you can.

I’m sorry Oscar is dealing with this. He is quite a handsome guy! Pain opening the mouth can be caused by a few thing including infections or an autoimmune disease called masticatory muscle myositis (MMM). I would have Oscar evaluated by his veterinarian. They may be able to get an idea based on their exam, and they can also do special blood testing for MMM. They can start Oscar on medication as indicated to help him be much more comfortable. In the meantime continue feeding him very soft foods. Hope he is feeling much better soon!

First off, I'm very sorry Ginger has lockjaw! I would leave her at the vet for treatment, as this can be treated. The success of the treatment depends on the severity of the disease, but a commitment to the treatment program and following the vet's instructions does greatly improve your dog's chance of survival. I would give treatment a go, and I certainly hope that Ginger recovers!

Centralized muscle spasms, could indicate a neurological condition that can vary in severity, so it is hard to tell without examining him myself and running the necessary testing. However, if he seems stable otherwise I wouldn't worry too much. Especially if the spasm seems to only affect his jaw. The most important thing is to monitor him for overt signs of a serious problem and to have him evaluated by your local veterinarian soon for a full neurological work-up. This does not sound like it is cause for an ER vet visit; however you should aim to get him examined within the next 1-3 days if possible.

I wouldn't be concerned about this unless it is happening repeatedly. If it happens again then I would have your vet look at his jaw to see if it painful or malformed and potentially take X-rays. as of right now he sounds like he is doing well so just keep a close eye on him. I hope this helps!

This could be a form of seizure activity. I recommend getting your dog seen by your vet as soon as possible for an exam and lab work. If you can get a video of the episode, please do, so your vet will know what you're seeing. Sustained or repeated seizures can cause the body temperature to rise to dangerous levels and increases the risk of brain damage. When you have a chance, take a look around and see if you can find anything he might have gotten into, since poisoning is one of the causes of seizures. If he has a history of liver or kidney disease, this is also a potential cause. Sometimes we never know why a pet has a seizure. If he does have a series of seizures, your vet will want to do an exam and bloodwork to try and determine a cause and potentially put your pet on anti-seizure medication to lessen the chances of this happening again in the future.