My senior dog has masses, balance issues, and chatters teeth. Why?

I'm sorry to hear that Zorro has had some jaw chattering lately. As you'd mentioned, oral pain is one of the most common causes of jaw chattering. Oral pain can arise from dental disease, jaw pain, and injuries. I do see a fair amount of tartar and gingivitis in the pictures you'd attached, but the tricky part is that for most dogs, the worst part of the dental disease is often below the surface of the gums. Since Zorro recently fell off the couch, it's also possible that he injured his jaw or another body part in the process, resulting in jaw chattering from pain. Regardless, the best thing is for you to take Zorro to his vet for a full physical exam. Since he tends to bite from anxiety, I'd recommend calling your vet to discuss the exam process first because they'll certainly need to look in his mouth for a thorough assessment. Your vet will likely prescribe oral sedative to be given before the exam or may recommend injectable sedation at the time of his appointment. I hope that everything goes well!

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Charlie. He could have many things going on due to his age. Possibilities include toxin exposure, infection, heart problems, neurologic problems, endocrine/hormone problems, kidney/liver/gallbladder disease, cancer, etc. I would advise taking Charlie to your veterinarian right away to get him assessed. Your vet can gather a history, perform an exam and then advise a diagnostic/treatment plan based on their findings. Possible tests include fecal/blood/urine tests, x-rays/ultrasound. Once a diagnosis is made a treatment plan can be implemented. Good luck with Charlie

Chattering can be due to stress, excitement or pain. Check the room temperature in case he is cold. Look in his mouth, if he allows, for signs of periodontal disease. This includes swelling, redness, bleeding, tartar buildup or loose teeth. If you spot any of these or if the chattering persists, have Ice examined by your veterinarian.

I am sorry to hear about your concern for Charlie! I would recommend a visit to the vet for an examination. This mass is ulcerated, which is more concerning than a subcutaneous mass. When we have a mass in this area I am also concerned it could actually be a sign of an infected tooth root which sometimes abscess to the skin in this area. Your vet can look the area over. If a tooth is suspected as the cause they may recommend an x-ray. Otherwise they may recommend cytology of the mass to determine the best treatment.

Hello. This is actually fairly common in older dogs, but that does mean it does not need to be investigated. It could be neurological, like something similar to an intention tremor seen in older people, but it could also be an indication of tooth or jaw pain, or possibly even some esophageal reflux. Does Dougal seem to swallow more when he is chattering? If he is, & the fact this occurs primarily at night, I would wonder if there is some kind of reflux happening. Your veterinarian can determine if there might be any oral pain or tooth problems & determine if Dougal might benefit from any stomach protectant medications. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

This sounds like severe dental disease with gum loss and loose teeth. The chattering of the jaw is a sign of pain and you should have him assessed by your vet as soon as possible to remove any further damaged teeth and clean the rest of them

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Judging from your description of the symptoms you are seeing, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine Max so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I worry that something neurological is causing these symptoms, especially with Max's age. I would recommend having his blood tested as well as a physical examination. I hope this helps and Max improves! Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any other further questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.