Why Do Dogs Click Their Tongue

A clicking noise when a dog is panting may surely make dog owners wonder what may be going on with their best friend. Where is that noise coming from, and most of all, what is causing it? Sometimes, it may be difficult to pinpoint the exact source of the sound, although in most cases it sounds like its coming from the dogs mouth or somewhere along the airway. The affected dog may therefore require closer investigation and sometimes a thorough battery of tests to rule out certain medical conditions. Following are some possible causes of a clicking noise when a dog is panting.

A clicking sound when panting may sometimes stem from a collapsed trachea. The dogs trachea is composed of several cartilage rings which in a normal, healthy dog, are perfect in shape and meant to keep the dogs trachea nice and rigid.

Problems start though, when, degenerative changes take place causing the cartilage rings to start to soften and eventually become flattened and collapsed.

This is likely to occur the most when the dog is excited and panting, causing respiratory noises and even coughing. Tracheal collapse is most commonly seen in smaller breed dogs.

Dogs’ mouths will sometimes chatter after they’ve licked something – it’s usually just an impulsive reaction and nothing to worry about! Remember dogs’ sense of taste and smell is much stronger than ours and sometimes this results in chattering teeth.

He may have an elongated soft palate.

You will find elongated soft palates in flat-faced, short-nosed dogs. These dogs are a breed called brachycephalic, and among them are Boston terriers, bulldogs, and boxers.

Because their breeding resulted in these facial features, the elongated soft palate, very narrow nostrils, and abnormalities in their voice boxes.

The result can be strange respiratory sounds, such as snoring but while awake or clicking or rattling upon taking a deep breath.

For a brachycephalic breed dog, these symptoms may be quite normal, but sometimes, cases may need to be treated with prescription medications that aid with breathing ranging to surgical widening of the nasal passages.

This is not an exhaustive list. There could be an abnormality of the palate in the top of your dog’s mouth. It could just be some inflammation in the voice box area. There could also be something hung up in your dog’s throat.

He could be dealing with seizures.

Idiopathic epilepsy causes most seizures in dogs. It is inherited and has no discernable origin or cause. Seizures can cause a dog to make crunching sounds.

Is it normal for my dog to make clicking noises with his mouth?

Your dog could just have a very dry mouth and throat. Certain medications can cause this. Does the noise stop when he takes a drink of water?

The truth is that it’s hard to be sure what causes the clicking sounds from a dog’s mouth, but here are a few possible culprits.

FAQ

Why does my dog click his tongue when he sleeps?

Why do dogs suckle in their sleep? Sleep suckling is widely reported by dog owners, but we don’t know for sure why dogs do it. It could be self soothing, or a reflection of what they are dreaming about. Occasionally it is a symptom of an underlying health condition.

Why does my dog make sounds with his mouth?

The lip smacking could indicate either nausea (dogs will salivate a lot and become nauseous due to illness), severe dental disease (infected teeth are painful and can make it hard to eat) or increased stress/anxiety.