Mouth problems?

[AlbusNorthEast]

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My 8 year old chihuahua cross Yorkshire terrier keeps opening his mouth wide and licking his lips at times. He seems to do eat after eating, but also when he wakes up. Apparently my vet says he may also be susceptible to a condition called collapsing airway (quite common in this breed apparently). He eats Tails.com wet food and kibble, has some treats and I supplement his meals with occasional plain steamed veggies (carrot, broccoli etc). He was also being given a little salmon oil and a supplement for joints. I'm now trying to experiment by stopping his salmon oil and if that doesn't help, will stop the supplement and also treats etc. Bit of a minefield but apart from tweaking his diet (maybe trying a different food?) I'm scrambling to get to the bottom of this.
I know as humans we wake with dry mouths, so it could be nothing, but he does this lip licking and then yawn at random times too and a bit concerned. Vet says his teeth look fine as well.
He does drink water regularly and is a happy bouncy friendly sweet dog and not lethargic so any ideas what I could try?

 

[JudyN]

Both lip licking and yawning can be signs of stress. You say he's a happy dog, but I'd keep that in mind, and seeing if the 'random times' are times when there might be something he's a little unsure of in his environment.

Looking online, the main symptom of collapsing airway seems to be coughing/retching, not lip licking and yawning. But of course, your vet should know a lot more about it than I do after a very quick google!

Does it ever happen outside the house?

 

[AlbusNorthEast]

He seems to do it indoors...re the trachea issue. He does cough sometimes and this seems to be when he gets too warm (usually because he sleeps in bed under duvet...trying to get him off that as he gets too hot, probably exacerbating his trachea issue. I'm just wondering if the licking and stretching open his mouth in a yawn is something in his diet. Maybe I will try eliminating things out his diet. I'll monitor him closely but as I said he's a very playful little thing ..

 

[JudyN]

Also consider anything in the house he might be sensitive to - fragrances, cleaning products, new carpets or furniture that might have been treated with something - my eyes can smart if I use a highly fragranced laundry liquid. Or something you bathe him with?

Of course, you could be right and it might be food related. Maybe try him on a single-protein food with just a couple of ingredients for a while and see what happens, then gradually introduce other ingredients one at a time. All About Dog Food: The UK's Best Dog Food Reviews & Comparisons Site is a good place to start for looking at different foods. There's a list of filters down the left-hand side where you can, say, list hypoallergenic foods or exclude certain ingredients. Alternatively, a lot of members here are fans of raw feeding, where you will be fully in control of ingredients - if you're interested, we can give you lots of advice.

 

[AlbusNorthEast]

Ok thanks for all the info

 

[Flobo]

I wonder too if it's a stress thing? Maybe it's related to the actual process of swallowing if he does it after eating and if his airways are becoming affected, his breathing might be slightly restricted when fast asleep. My old yorkie had this problem( she was 12+) and as it progressed she used to cough a lot when drinking. I used a product called 'Thick and Easy' (we used to use it on a neuro rehab ward I worked on for patients with dysphagia which is how I had knowledge of it). It basically thickens the water so it becomes easier to swallow, she used to drink it really well and it did very much minimize that particular problem. I just wanted to add this in case at some point in the future you might need it as it's probably not commonly used or known about.

 

[AlbusNorthEast]

Thanks very much for this. Will check that out

 

[AlbusNorthEast]

I wonder too if it's a stress thing? Maybe it's related to the actual process of swallowing if he does it after eating and if his airways are becoming affected, his breathing might be slightly restricted when fast asleep. My old yorkie had this problem( she was 12+) and as it progressed she used to cough a lot when drinking. I used a product called 'Thick and Easy' (we used to use it on a neuro rehab ward I worked on for patients with dysphagia which is how I had knowledge of it). It basically thickens the water so it becomes easier to swallow, she used to drink it really well and it did very much minimize that particular problem. I just wanted to add this in case at some point in the future you might need it as it's probably not commonly used or known about.

Forgot to mention, he does cough sometimes when he's been deep asleep. Vet said probably collapsing trachea which is more common in small dogs. Also if he gets a drink after he's been having a coughing spasm, he does cough then as well as though water going down the wrong way. Have looked online for Thick and Easy and will look into that as he gets older. It mentions it can cause constipation so would need to watch how much. Thanks again

 

[Flobo]

It mentions it can cause constipation so would need to watch how much. Thanks again

I didn't notice any problems with constipation with my little one, though she did have mushed veg with her food(she didn't have many teeth either!). You may only need a little sprinkle to get to the consistency that is helpful. It's a bit of trial and error. The coughing when drinking was as a result of it going down the wrong way with mine, her epiglottis ( a bit like a trap door that prevents food and water going down the wrong way)was also affected.
There'd be no harm emailing your vet to ask his opinion about the yawning and lip licking to see if he thinks it's related to his trachea and possible stress.
My little yorkie lived well with this condition,(as well as other health issues), and she lived every day twice, an amazing spirit for such a wee thing!