Why does my cat have jaw spasms?

Question

I've researched the internet and can not find much information regarding this. Other than the jaw spasms which happen quite frequently he seems fine.

Answer 1

My kitty grinds her teeth. I was told, by a vet that these oral habits can be due to poor gum and dental heath....or the jaw spasm could just be your kitty's little nervous habit

Answer 2

Hmm. Off the top of my head, that sounds similar to something my cat does. My female cat is indoors-only, but sometimes when she is sitting in the window and sees a bird, squirrel, or other animal outside, she will do something like you're describing, she'll open her mouth and make a somewhat high pitched, squeaky chirping chattering sound and move her mouth really fast... I have no idea what this is but I'm assuming it's just some sort of cat communication I dont understand. If the kitty doesn't look sick in any other way, I'd guess that your kitten is doing something similar and it's just one of her goofy cat sounds. I hope this is helpful =^.^=

Answer 3

According to information presented at the American Veterinary Dental Forum, if your cat is over five years old, there is a 72% chance he or she has a painful feline odontoclastic resorptive lesion (FORL). These dental resorptions once called cat cavities or neck lesions can occur in any tooth. The most commonly affected teeth are the lower premolars.

Unlike cavities in humans, which are the result of bacterial enzymes and acids digesting the teeth, the cause of FORLs are unknown. Specifically, cells known as odontoclasts are found in the defects causing the tooth structure to dissolve. What triggers this reaction has not been determined for certain but a reaction to plaque on the teeth seems to be the major factor.

Cats affected with FORLs may show hypersalivation, oral bleeding, or have difficulty chewing. A majority of affected cats do not show obvious signs but are in pain. A cotton tipped applicator applied to the suspected FORL causes pain with jaw spasms when the FORL is touched.

The FORL can present in many stages -- initially (Stage I) an enamel defect is noted. The lesion is usually minimally sensitive in because it has not entered the dentin. Therapy of this defect usually involves thorough cleaning, polishing, and smoothing the defect with a dental drill.

In Stage 2, lesions penetrate the enamel and dentin. These teeth may be treated with glass ionomer restoratives, which release fluoride ions to desensitize the exposed dentin, strengthen the enamel, and chemically bind to tooth surfaces. The long term (greater than two years) effectiveness of restoration of Stage 2 lesions have not been proven.

X-rays are essential to determine if the lesions have entered the pulp chamber (Stage 3) requiring either root canal therapy or extraction. Here the lesion it is not only painful, but bacteria in the mouth now have easy access to the tip of the tooth root where an abscess can develop. Tooth root abscesses have been well documented as chronic sources of infection that can lead to infections on the heart valves, in the liver, kidneys, spleen, joints, bones and central nervous system.

In Stage 4 FORL, the crown has been eroded or fractured. Gum tissue grows over the root fragments leaving a sometimes painful bleeding lesion upon probing. Treatment requires extraction of the root fragments if they appear inflamed or painful to the patient.

At least monthly examine your cat’s mouth for FORLs. Take a Q-tip and gently place it against the area where the tooth meets the gum. If there is pain or bleeding a trip to the veterinarian is in order...................................... Your best friend will thank you.

Answer 4

This may be serious, cuz it could be that your kitty has a flu and it's getting cold and shiver spells. Imagine what us humans do... when we get cold sometimes our teeth chatter, well this the feline world's equivalent. It could have a minor cold, which cats get sometimes (no big deal), or it could have something serious like pneumonia (very big deal). Watch for other serious signs like over salivation (or bubbles from it's mouth), not eating on a regular schedule, is it eating too little or none at all, does its whole body shake and shiver when you hold it, is it sneezing, is its nose dry, is it wheezing or struggling to breathe, check its litter box for anything unusual like blood (blood can be ok with female cats from time to time), does it vomit often (cats also vomit regularly, like hairballs and such).... just pay close attention that nothing else weird is happening.

Answer 5

my 8 yr old cat used to do this and the reason i discovered was infected pre-molars (lesion under gumline). Cats will typically "chatter" their jaws when they have a toothache. So, when I had my cat's teeth cleaned at the vet, they extracted all the bad teeth (4 all together).

Get your cat's mouth checked by his vet. Periodontal disease can be spotted by a good vet without resorting to costly x-rays. And if your cat has lesions or periodontal disease, in my opinion, the best and fool-proof way to healing is to get the bad teeth extracted.

Answer 6

Lots of cats do...it's like a shiver, no big deal unless they last for over a minute, then you may want to call your vet.