Pawing at mouth??

[Laluvschins]

I have been noticing for a lil while my chin taking his paw and rubbing his mouth. I heard this could be an indicator for malo....is this a sure sign or could be a normal thing chins do??

 

[javachin]

Is your chin drooling and/or dropping weight or not eating? If that's the case, then those would be more indicators of malo.

 

[becky12883]

Is it the same chin that is having eye issues too?

 

[Laluvschins]

Yes it is the same one. I'm sitting here now watching him eat hay. I had him nibble me earlier so I could feel his front teeth and they didn't feel long, they felt normal. If that is a sign of malo with teeth....im really starting to worry but he is eating and drinking. No drool present .

 

[Laluvschins]

Okay so he has been eating hay consistently for at least 10 min now. Could it be possible if anything stuck in his teeth?? Or in his gums?

 

[javachin]

Its possible that something is stuck, but now knowing he's got some eye issues, that is also a possible indicator of malo or another tooth problem, such as a spur. They can have issues with the back teeth, not necessarily the front ones that are easy to see. I'd take him to the vet, especially if this has been going on for a while.

 

[ticklechin]

Pawing during eating is a early sign of malo, that combined with the reoccurring eye issue would prompt me to put this chin on your radar screen for closer scrutiny. I would keep close track of the weight on this chin, weigh weekly. Any slow decline chin needs to get to a vet who is good at chin teeth.

 

[Laluvschins]

Haven't noticed him doing it when he is eating but when he is just sitting around. Does that make a difference??

 

[ticklechin]

The very early start of drool makes a chin irritated and they wipe their mouths occasionally-malo chins do it all the time and while eating anything. Can you pull up his upper and lower lips and look at the gums? Any moisture at all is drool, the gums should be dry looking and the front teeth dry also. If that looks good he could have hay/wood splinter or the such jammed in the gums which is irritating but not enough so to make him stop eating. Basically, the mouth swipe that is done usually means something is going on in the mouth, its a pretty specific symptom.