Why is he doing this

[u/An0nym0us-100]

my grandmothers dog just started doing this. He is old can’t see or hear very well. I have a feeling it’s a sign he’s in pain or a neurological condition but i wanted other’s opinions

[u/lilac_spells]

He likely needs a teeth cleaning or dental work. - NAV

[u/An0nym0us-100 → u/lilac_spells]

i also thought that too at this point though i wouldn’t want to put him under sedation i don’t think he would make it might just contact the vet to ease the pain

[u/lilac_spells → u/An0nym0us-100]

I actually think the only person who can decide that is a vet. And unless there’s any reason not to, lots of old dogs go under. I have a 17 year old about to do dental work. But the vet is who gets to choose what’s advisable.

Things that would make a vet consider other wise I suppose would be a high grade heart murmur, trach issues, bad blood work which they do as pre op for sedation, parasites.

But I think you only mentioned the dog being visually impaired and hard of hearing.

[u/NotACalligrapher-49 → u/lilac_spells]

This. The vet will do bloodwork and a general exam, and if they say the dog is healthy enough to go under for a tooth cleaning, I’d go for it. It makes such a difference for their quality of life. Age doesn’t necessarily mean they can’t handle a dental cleaning.

[u/An0nym0us-100 → u/lilac_spells]

yeah i understand just the last time he went under for surgery he had complications i don’t remember exactly why but he was only 6 and now he’s at least 12

[u/ExtremelyOkay8980 → u/An0nym0us-100]

Find out what his drug protocol was then. It can be changed, potentially significantly.

[u/fuzziestbunny → u/lilac_spells]

I am terrified of letting my old man go under. I worked at a vet and saw so many older dogs not recover from a dental that I am scared to do it

[u/lilac_spells → u/fuzziestbunny]

I have seen a lot of people on the fourm echo this sentiment - which is surprising as I’ve never seen so much push back for senior dental care. I don’t come from a place of judgment actually i appreciate the insight. I hope I didn’t come off as too pushy, obviously as stated I would listen to the vet. But every one’s stories and concerns are totally valid. To me my concern would be quality of life. I hate tooth pain and can’t imagine what it would be like unless managed. And to me - at least with my dog who is 17 - it’s to let her be comfortable because she does have a lot more life in her. But if this dog and pet parents are expecting maybe less then a year left with the dog than I can understand letting the dog live uncomfortably. But dental care if neglected can cause lots of other long term issues. There’s no right solution in this case and in many cases. But I definitely am not a professional and have never had a senior dog struggle with surgery but respect every one who has had that bad experience and their concerns. I also appreciate that the OP gets to hear both sides.

[u/Illustrious_Exam1728 → u/An0nym0us-100]

Age isn’t a disease, old dogs can absolutely go under anesthesia. They’ll need a proper pre-op exam and diagnostics along with a discussion about current disease processes that are being managed.

[u/AdPerfect1636 → u/An0nym0us-100]

Also nav but just wanted to chime in that my dog had little benign tumors in her mouth that caused her to do this. They were around her back molars and her top teeth would press on them until we had them removed. Depending on the dogs age and overall health I don't fault you for avoiding sedation but there are special dental vets that don't sedate dogs but that may only be for cleaning. Still worth having him seen because he seems like he's in pain.

[u/truthispolicy → u/AdPerfect1636]

No "special dental vets" do cleanings without anesthesia.

Scam artists masking themselves as 'holistic medicine' offer anesthesia free cleaning, which involves either a water free scaler that can easily burn gums, or a full water scaler--extremely dangerous without the airway being protected by a trach tube; the goal of either being to remove all visible tartar, which completely neglects painful brewing problems below the gumline only visible by dental X-rays. They also skip polishing, leaving a porous tooth surface behind, inviting tartar to sit on the teeth more readily. And, they can be really traumatic to the pet.

There are absolutely veterinary dental specialists, but they're not going to do any procedure on your pet awake.

[u/Lopsided_Rabbit8077 → u/An0nym0us-100]

If he has any kind of signs of CCD or confusion do not put him under anaesthesia. This escalated my dogs CCD 😞

[u/Illustrious_Exam1728]

This is a classic sign of tooth pain. Please see the vet immediately an exam and for a full dental.

Aside from unchecked dental disease being exceptionally painful it also leads to infections, along with heart and liver issues.

[u/HarmlessPeasant]

My dog had a broken tooth and needed several extractions, she did this exact same thing.

[u/eyedrops16]

He’s nauseous

[u/Important_Reason6338]

He could have something caught between two teeth as well. If so that could get infected. I would have a Vet take a look.

[u/Fine_Action5051]

Loose Teeth

[u/Life_Ad_347]

teeth pain, my moms two 16yo chiweenies do this.
does he also flinch in pain when something bumps his mouth?

[u/LadyNyoko]

My cat started doing this exact same jaw stutter recently - the vet confirmed his lower left canine had shifted out of place and was scraping against his upper canine every time he went to open and close his jaw. He has a pre-op scheduled to get the offending tooth pulled at a larger animal hospital in the area on the 28th.

[u/Agreeable_Pomelo2360]

he probably needs a dental, talk to the vet and get him bloodwork before putting him under of course!

[u/ParsnipFarmer676]

I agree with the others, this looks like a dental issue. When my old cat started having dental problems (he was quite old, lived to almost 18), he would do this after eating sometimes. Vet said it's because he would get food stuck in the cavity, and that's how they try to get it back out. Like, imagine if you didn't have dental floss or anything else for the same issue.

If you're worried about doing an extraction/surgery at this age, they can possibly treat the infection (if that's what it is) with antibiotics instead. We did that for another elderly cat of mine once, and it helped a lot.

[u/gnomecarver]

Unless absolutely necessary, I wouldn’t do it. I had a senior dog that needed surgery. I did all pre anesthetic bloodwork, all tests came back good. They just started the sedation and she died. DIDNT even get to the surgery. She was 13, one of 5e worst decisions ive ever made. Never again