Poopy's off to the vet tomarrow..

[itsangelaaa]

I've noticed that Poopy flicks her ears downwards when she eats. She does it periodically, maybe every 10-15 seconds or so. I read that this is a sign of pain and that she could have mouth or teeth issues, so I've made a vet appointment for tomorrow morning. This will be our first visit to the vets and I'm worried/paranoid about root problems and malo =( Is there anything specific I should ask for?

 

[alli713]

Have you noticed anything else wrong with your chin? Any decrease in eating pellets, hay or treats? Any pawing at the mouth or drooling?

I had a chin with malo and never noticed anything with her ears, only that she stopped taking treats, was drooling and pawing at her mouth.

If you are really concerned about it, the best way to rule out malo is to get x-rays done. The vet may look inside the mouth, but they won't be able to tell the root growth from just visual inspections.

 

[itsangelaaa]

Oh. Maybe I'm overreacting then lol. She still eats, poops, and chews like crazy. No pawing or drooling. She seems normal in every way, except for the ear flicking. What are some possibilities that ear flicking indicates?

 

[alli713]

I'm not sure what you mean be ear flicking, is it just her twitching her ears?

 

[itsangelaaa]

Her ears sit in a regular perked position.. but when she starts eating she flicks both ears downwards every 10-15 seconds. I've only seen her do this when she eats pellets though. I'm not sure if she does it when she eats hay

 

[Claire D]

Ear flicking while eating can be a sign of discomfort/pain & it can be an early sign of tooth problems but if there are no other signs/symptoms (such as crumbling pellets, weight loss, pawing at the mouth, not eating hay, obsessive biting of wood/bars of the cage etc) then it is worth just keeping a close eye on the chin.
If other signs are seen as well as the ear flicking then it's important to get xrays & a full examination under anaesthetic.