Why are my dog's temples sunken? Is it a health issue or congenital?

It appears that Hunter is losing his temporal muscles, which is giving that caved-in head appearance. Considering he is also sensitive to the area, I am suscipicious of a condition known as masticatory myositis https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/masticatory-myositis-in-dogs However, this could be due to general muscle wasting. It's expected that some muscle wasting will occur as they age, but if he seems to be losing a lot of muscle, then this could indicate a chronic disease from an infection or cancer. I don't want you to worry about Hunter having a terrible disease, but it's best to have him evaluated by a veterinarian. They will be able to tell if there are any potential major problems and can help narrow-down the cause of this. I hope that helps and Hunter gets better soon.

I'm wondering if Mopar is suffering from masticatory muscle myositis. This is an immune system disorder in which the dog's immune system identifies the dog's own muscle tissue as foreign and attacks it. This causes the sunken in appearance on the face. Because he has a good appetite, I think it's fine to wait until Monday to have him seen but do not wait any longer than that. I hope this helps!

Hello. This is pretty interesting. Are you sure he just does not have an area of thinning hair? This can sometimes look like a depression in the skin. If not, then muscle can atrophy & shrink a bit if there was some possible injury or trauma to the area. Unfortunately, I just can not tell you if this is serious or not & the best thing to do is have him evaluated, especially if you are sure that this is not thinning hair & when you run your hand over the area, there is a real indentation or depression. I know of no actual disease or condition that would cause this in such a young dog, other than the atrophy previously mentioned. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello. I am so sorry that Sully is not well. Unfortunately, you may need to be some additional diagnostics to find out if & how all these symptoms are related. The temporal muscle atrophy, & difficulty opening the mouth may be due to a nerve sheath tumor, or masticatory myositis. And, it is concerning that an ear infection is taking several weeks to clear up. If you can consider a MRI, that would definitely show what is going on in that part of Sully's head. Until you know this, it will be very hard to improve things. Antibiotics & steroids are appropriate therapy, but we just cannot recommend much more without more information. Good luck with Sully & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It is possible that something else could be happening that is causing her face to look thinner, but without seeing Kia in person, I can't say for certain. There is an autoimmune disease called masticatory muscle myositis in which the muscles of the face atrophy causing a thinner looking face and eventually pain while eating. I would bring Kia into another vet for a second opinion, as if she did have masticatory muscle myositis she would need steroids to treat it.

From the picture you have provided it does appear to be muscle atrophy which can be a normal sign of older age. Muscle wwastage or weight loss can also be a sign of illness. If Chaos is well on himself otherwise I would be more likely to believe it's muscle atrophy associated with older age.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Ludo. I am not sure about what you mean that your dog has lost 7 legs. As far as his head though, he appears to have significant muscle wasting. This can occur secondary to longterm steroid use, generalized muscle loss due to aging or an inflammatory muscle disorder known as myositis. When the last condition occurs, the dog can have difficulty opening it's jaw. Unfortunately, he will need testing to know for sure. I hope this information helps!