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My 9 year old lab. recently has been holding his mouth open ...

Sent to Pet Experts December 10 2005 at 5:49 AM
   

My 9 year old lab. recently has been holding his mouth open slightly when he looks at me about 1/2 inch. He has not been acting his normal self.He seems to be having a harder time eating and chewing. He drinks and drinks and drinks but no water seems to go out of his bowl and the bowl is covered with foam. I have inspected his teeth and mouth -nothing unusual. My wife suspected a minor stroke.Is that a possiblity? What do these simptoms mean? Thank you in advance for your help.

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Age: 9; Male; Breed: Lab

Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Status:  Closed   Value: $5
Answer
December 10 2005 at 6:06 AM (16 minutes and 59 seconds later)
         
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He might be having a jaw muscle problem which can happen in older dogs.
Try raising the water bowl up off the floor to more his mouth height to see if that helps.
This article talks about some of the problems
http://www.petplace.com/article.aspx?id=4131
Hope this helps you!

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