Top 3 Reasons Why Dogs Chatter Their Teeth After Licking

Does your dog have an odd tendency to chatter their teeth after licking something? Whether this behavior is normal or a sign of something more serious will depend on the context. How often is the dog chattering his teeth? Is the dog showing other concerning symptoms? Here are the most common reasons that may explain the behavior.

1. Vomeronasal organ in action

It could be perfectly normal for dogs to chatter their teeth after licking. It could be a sign of the vomeronasal organ working. This olfactory chamber is located at the bottom of the dog’s nasal cavity. It has a really unique function of allowing dogs to smell and taste at the same time! The chattering of the teeth could just be a sign of the dog trying to make sense of something he just licked.

You may notice some dogs chattering their teeth after licking another dog’s pee. It’s quite disgusting from our perspective but urine can give dogs a better understanding of what they smell. Again, the teeth chattering could be a result of the vomeronasal organ in action. It allows dogs to smell and taste the urine they licked!

2. Discomfort from dental diseases

Dogs may also chatter their teeth when they suffer from dental or oral cavity pain. Something in their mouth, whether that’s the teeth, gum, or tongue, may hurt and this is resulting in the teeth chattering whenever they try to lick something. Conditions like dental abscess, periodontal disease, and gum inflammation can have serious implications if they aren’t treated quickly. Take your dog to the vet straight away if you suspect there’s something wrong inside your dog’s mouth.

3. Chattering as an emotional response

Teeth chattering could sometimes be interpreted as an emotional response. Your dog, for example, might chatter his teeth because whatever object he licked is eliciting an exciting or anxious response. They could be expressing pure joy after licking a new dog treat. On the flip side, teeth chattering could also be a sign of anxiety because the object the dog licked is very foreign and strange.