Why does my dog whine in pain when I touch her face or jaw?

I am sorry to hear about your dog. I would definitely recommend a visit to your veterinarian. I would be concerned about a problem with a tooth such as infection or fracture, or a problem with an ear being painful, or possibly a problem with the jaw or the temporal mandibular junction (joint of the jaw). The vet should be able to look her over and hopefully localize where the problem is coming from. They may recommend an x-ray if they are afraid of a break, or an ear swab if it looks like the ear is involved. Another possibility could be neck pain which the vet can check for as well.

She could have pain somewhere in or on her body or she could have anxiety. It is hard to say for sure without seeing her or examining her actions. I would recommend video taping her doing this and showing it to your veterinarian. The vet can also do a complete physical exam to make sure she is not hurting somewhere on her body. Typically pets will gnaw or limp on a certain leg if they are experiencing pain along the skin or musculoskeleton. If she is painful in her belly, then you can see vomiting, lethargy, and lack of appetite associated with it. I hope this helps and best of luck finding out what's truly going on with your pet Riley. Take care.

Poor pup! If you don't see any direct injury or abnormality, it could be in her spin, neck or TMJ. Soft tissue injuries are also possible. Spinal and neck lesions are potentially serious. It sounds like Paris is in pain and I recommend to have her examined today. She will get medication to help her to feel better and the veterinarian will conduct a physical exam which may diagnose the cause of her pain. Other diagnostics may be needed as well. I hope she gets better quickly and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is likely due to mouth pain. This may be due to bone discomfort or perhaps any sort of fracture or trauma. It could also be due to muscle pain. I recommend that you have her evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check for these possibilities and treat accordingly. Good luck and have a great day!

Hi and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It is hard to say what the cause is without examining your dog first, but making noise whenever you touch the mouth may indicate your dog is experiencing some level of discomfort or pain around his mouth. A dental infection, abscess, fracture, tumor, or other cause may be possibilities. I would advise seeing your veterinarian for a oral exam for a definitive diagnosis. I hope this helps and best of luck!

If only Sasha could talk and tell you why this is happening!!! From a medical stand point, the main things that come to mind would be neck pain, ear pain or mouth pain. I suppose it is possible that she has pain somewhere in that area and at some point she was petted or picked up and now she has made that association so she cries in anticipation. Dementia does not generally present like this. Typically you expect to see things like getting lost in the house, restlessness at night, having accidents in the house, increased vocalization, and seeming to be "spacey." Lastly, this could be behavioral. Similar to the first paragraph, if something hurt her somehow (maybe during a grooming or while brushing her teeth) then she may cry out in order to make you back away (and thus this 'protects' Sasha from pain). Since Sasha can't talk, I recommend to have her seen by the veterinarian paying special attention to any indication of pain in the head, mouth, ears or neck. If everything is normal then you may work on creating a positive association with being touched on her face. Basically, get a high value treat and start moving you hands toward her face. She gets a treat as your hand approaches. Start moving your hand closer and closer. It's important to not started her and to really work on that positive association. I hope this helps to point you in the right direction! Please post again with any further questions!

It sounds like she should be examined by a vet to determine the source of her pain. She could have neck or back pain, arthritis, abdominal pain, etc. and your vet should be able to localize the pain and decide the best way to treat. She may need an anti-inflammatory and your vet can prescribe. Do not use any human OTC pain relievers as they can be toxic to dogs.