Boxer grinding teeth.

Dr. Marie replied:

Thanks for your question.

When a dog grinds her teeth it is called "bruxism". Bruxism is usually a sign of some type of pain.

A dog will sometimes grind their teeth because of abdominal pain. It can often be hard to figure out why there is pain there.

Another possible reason for tooth grinding is pain in the mouth. There are a number of things that can cause dental issues in boxers. Sometimes they are difficult to find unless the dog is under anesthetic. Sometimes dental issues even need dental xrays in order to be determined.

It's also possible that she has a TMJ problem which is pain the jaw.

If this was my patient I would probably be trying her on some medication to help with stomach upset such as famotidine.

If that didn't work then I would likely try a pain reliever to see if that helps. If the pain reliever did help then I may consider doing a good dental exam under an anesthetic.

I hope everything is ok!

Dr. Marie.

---This question was asked in our Ask A Vet For Free section.---


Do you have a pet website? Interested in learning more about SEO for Wix?

---

Check out our dog age calculator and cat age calculator.