Posted: Fri Jul 09, 2010 2:15 pm Post subject: Cant open jaw - inflammation of the chewing muscles
Hi
Libby has had problems for the last week not being able to open her jaw fully and crying in pain should she yawn eat etc. We initially thought she had chewed a stick & got some of it stuck in her mouth but after sedation the vet removed a tiny tiny splinter the size of a fill stop from her tongue & gave her a course of painkillers, must admit the vet did think Libby was quite a wooss to cry out for such a small thing.....a week on she has still got problems with her jaw so back to the vet we went.
He has today done a biopsy & sent it off to see if Libbys symptoms are what he now thinks they are, an inflammatory disease of the chewing muscles. We are really worried about her & cant be sure until results come back but wondered if anyone else knows of this condition or had similar happen to them.
I don't think I can be a lot of help, but many years ago I had a German Shepherd with a similar sort of problem. I can't for the life of me remember the medical name for it but I do believe it is a problem in German Shepherds and in those long ago days she had to have Cortisone injections (I think) to improve things.
Ok Eve my memory returned it was Masticatory Myositis. Which is common in GSD's. I did do a search and see that Labrador Retrievers are listed as well but I have to say I haven't actually come across it in labradors.
I don't suppose she has slipped and bashed her chin anywhere, has she? I ask as after a tumble, one of my sisters dogs was doing the same thing...yelping when yawning, having trouble eating, etc....and when they x-rayed him, he had a tiny hairline fracture in his lower jaw.
I have just looked up Masticatory Myositis & the symptoms sound like what Libby is suffering.... maybe thats what the vet is testing for. He didnt tell me the medical name, just that the disease is an inflammtion of chewing muscles.
We do feel very sorry for at the moment as Libby loves to mouth us all and she cant even do that now. Lets hope whatever she has can be treated and she is better soon. Everything is crossed!!!!
We did think initially that she had jarred her mouth chewing a stick but the pain seemed to go on for far too long and here we are......
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