When Karlee Trafford came home one Sunday night, everything seemed normal at her house. That is, until she saw her cat, Jason, jump up onto the couch. Jason, three and a half years old, was unable to move his jaw, and his mouth was stuck in a wide yawning position.
It’s enough to give any cat owner a fright, and Trafford examined Jason carefully. His tongue was moving and he was able to breathe. Trafford rushed Jason to the local emergency clinic, where they waited for three hours. When a vet started to look at Jason, Jason’s mouth closed all on its own. Unsure of what the issue had been, Trafford and Jason headed home.
Unfortunately, the issue started up again the next day, and the pair again headed to the vet. The vet sedated Jason and gently popped his jaw back into its proper place.
Just what ails Jason is currently a mystery. It’s possible that tetanus is to blame, but Jason is fully vaccinated and is an indoors-only cat, meaning that it’s highly unlikely that he would contract tetanus. Here’s hoping that Jason’s condition goes away on its own.
If he had tetanus, his jaw would be stuck closed. He would also have muscle spasms, first in response to loud noises and then continuous.
That happened to my dog. Quite by accident I stuck my finger in his mouth to hold down his tongue to see if there was something stuck in his mouth or throat and that action released his jaw. It happened again and lightly pressing on the back of his tongue released it again. I kept a soft muzzle on him (that allowed him to eat and drink) for a few weeks after which it never happened again. The vet had no idea aside from the fact that it first happened during transport (he was a rescue) so it could have been due to extreme stress.
My jaw is a bit wonky and the condition is called TMJ. I think a lot if dr’s didn’t believe in it but they seem more aware now but animals can also have it. It’s not an illness is a problem with a jaw which may not meet properly or having damaged or loose cartilige in the jawbone. Hope he gets better. It can release itself. I got told when I had surgery that I could get my jaw stuck open from the tube being in my mouth as it was a lengthy op. Fortunately that didn’t happen. Hope this cat is ok.