# Crooked Nose? Possibly Wry Mouth - Need Advice!



## KevinYeBoy (May 4, 2017)

Hi guys, I'm writing this as a worried father because in the last few weeks I've noticed that Nova's nose (the actual fleshy black part) isn't exactly at the tip or end of her snout. Her nose isn't centred directly above her incisors, but instead most of it is on the right side of the end of her muzzle. It's not very noticeable but it is easiest to see when we're walking and I'm standing over her, her nose seems to curve to the right although her snout seems straight. 

I've tried researching what this may be and I haven't found much, can't really find any similar stories or cases of concerned owners. If I'm not mistaken, wry mouth is when one half of the jaw is longer or shorter than the other, causing the snout to twist and form an uneven or uncloseable mouth. Her mouth appears to be able to close perfectly, she can breathe, eat, and has NO trouble chewing on me! 

Another possibility is because she's is almost 5 months old and currently teething, that this is what has caused the misaligned nose. She has lost about 3 teeth. Could the growths spurts and changes her body is going through make one side of her upper jaw grow faster than the other side? Could this cause her nose to not be centred on her muzzle? if this is the case, her body should correct itself and the snout/nose should even out with time, right? 

Of course I understand that not everything in life is perfectly straight and symmetrical, if Nova is just a dog who has a crooked nose and that's who she is and always will that's fine! I just want to be to make sure this isn't a problem that'll one day affect her ability to bite, eat, smell, chew etc. She just finished all her puppy vaccinations a few weeks ago so she isn't due at the vet for a while, but if this is something a vet needs to check out than I will definitely bring her in.

Is this something I should bring up to the breeder? If it is wry mouth, the dame and sire should never have been bred because it is passed on genetically. Nova comes from a reputable breeder, so it would be shocking to find out that they knew of this condition in their lines yet still chose to breed the dogs. 

I've added a few photos to try and show you what I'm talking about, but it is hard to see in the pictures. Thank you for taking the time to read this whole thing, and thanks in advance for any replies I get, Nova is the most important thing to me and her well being is my top priority.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Did you take her to a vet?


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## KevinYeBoy (May 4, 2017)

I haven't yet, I thought I'd get some opinions from people on this forum before bringing her in. She isn't due at the vet anytime soon


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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

IMO, she looks like she has a bulge on the side of her nose which looks to be pushing it over. I would get her in to see a vet.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

It could be a lot of things causing it. You should take her to a vet.


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## KevinYeBoy (May 4, 2017)

What kinds of things could it be?


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## GypsyGhost (Dec 29, 2014)

Could be an infection/abscess, just off the top of my head. She really needs to see a vet. No one on a forum can tell you with 100% certainty what the cause is.


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## KevinYeBoy (May 4, 2017)

Thanks for your reply, going to make an appointment with our vet in the morning.


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## sebrench (Dec 2, 2014)

Let us know what you find out. (Cute puppy, by the way)!


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## stevreb07 (Oct 3, 2018)

Hi, she is beautiful. It almost looks like she was bitten by something, but a few weeks is a little long for a reaction to stick around, My girl got stung multiple times by a wasp while trying to eat it and the whole top of her nose was swollen like this but it went away in a few days with no issue. Take her in, better safe than sorry, hope they figure it out.


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## KevinYeBoy (May 4, 2017)

stevreb07 said:


> Hi, she is beautiful. It almost looks like she was bitten by something, but a few weeks is a little long for a reaction to stick around, My girl got stung multiple times by a wasp while trying to eat it and the whole top of her nose was swollen like this but it went away in a few days with no issue. Take her in, better safe than sorry, hope they figure it out.


Thank your for your reply and compliment, all singing insects, snakes, etc. have been inactive for months now due to the cold Canadian weather. And yes, it has been at least 2 weeks (I'd say) since the very first time I happened to notice her nose isn't quite even. It doesn't seem to be getting any worse or better. Definitely going to the vet.


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## elcole (Oct 16, 2018)

Hi, I am in no way a GSD expert, I only got mine a couple of months ago, but I do know that a tooth infection can manifest either as swelling beneath the eye or next to the nose. Swelling can and does take the easiest route and does not always appear at the actual site of inflammation, sometimes anatomy can force fluid to appear somewhere less obvious. For example I've seen patients with an infected bite on their calf but the major swelling is around the ankle (the bite itself was still sore and angry looking), because they had been walking so much the fluid had been moved from the primary location. I've also seen swelling due to injury to the front of a knee manifest at the back of the knee. So it might be a situation like that, with the swelling actually manifesting up by the nose, has caused the nose to appear to divert to one side or the other, and might well be caused by the teething process itself. Definitely needs a vet's expertise though.


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

KevinYeBoy said:


> What kinds of things could it be?



Worst case? A malignant tumor that could quickly change from removable with surgery to deadly and untreatable. Is that the most likely cause? No, but it's among many possible ones, some of which are very minor and some of which frankly aren't. Now do you see why this stuff has to be diagnosed by a vet and not crowd sourced to the Internet Commentariat? 


It's not about being "due" for a vist to the vet -- they're "due" for check ups when they're healthy. They go in for illnesses and injuries whenever they happen! Years of experience and countless dogs have taught me a vet visit early is almost always cheaper and easier on the dog than a vet visit after waiting, if something has gone wrong. Waiting sometimes makes treatment more complicated and expensive, or even no longer an option. Even piddly little infections can turn life threatening with waiting. So my life advice is "when in doubt, go to the vet." At worst, you'll pay a little exam fee that maybe isn't needed. But there will probably also be a time it saves your dog's life.


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## atomic (Mar 28, 2016)

He already stated he’s taking the pup to the vet ASAP...


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## KevinYeBoy (May 4, 2017)

Magwart said:


> Worst case? A malignant tumor that could quickly change from removable with surgery to deadly and untreatable. Is that the most likely cause? No, but it's among many possible ones, some of which are very minor and some of which frankly aren't. Now do you see why this stuff has to be diagnosed by a vet and not crowd sourced to the Internet Commentariat?
> 
> 
> It's not about being "due" for a vist to the vet -- they're "due" for check ups when they're healthy. They go in for illnesses and injuries whenever they happen! Years of experience and countless dogs have taught me a vet visit early is almost always cheaper and easier on the dog than a vet visit after waiting, if something has gone wrong. Waiting sometimes makes treatment more complicated and expensive, or even no longer an option. Even piddly little infections can turn life threatening with waiting. So my life advice is "when in doubt, go to the vet." At worst, you'll pay a little exam fee that maybe isn't needed. But there will probably also be a time it saves your dog's life.


Thank you for your reply and opinion. It seems as though people are misunderstanding my post. I in no way intend to replace professional veterinarian assistance with the opinions of people online. It is obvious that the whole thread is not being read because I have said multiple times that I am definitely taking her to the vet. Until I can do that, I am looking for the opinions of people. I want to know what other people THINK. I am not asking you to tell me exactly what's wrong and what to do, I just want to hear what people believe it may be. Hear what people think I should do. I'm only looking for ideas. The more knowledge I can bring with me to the vet, the better. Thanks.


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## dOg (Jan 23, 2006)

here's hoping it's nothing serious. whatever it is, let the breeder know, just cuz.


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## WIBackpacker (Jan 9, 2014)

If you have time this evening, I’d take additional photos of the alignment of her teeth and jaw - from the front, straight on, and from both sides. Peel back her lips so you can see how her bite “fits” together. 

Then I would send the photos you’ve already taken plus the photos of her teeth/jaw alignment to her breeder. Not in an accusatory manner at all, simply so she/he can see what is going on. 

And of course, take the earliest vet appointment that is available.


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## Katsugsd (Jul 7, 2018)

Very pretty girl! I hope it's nothing serious. I agree with WIBackpacker - the breeder would probably want to be kept in the loop - mine did when I found out Katsu had a heart murmur.


Hopefully the vet will be able to tell what's going on. Maybe an xray to look for abscessed tooth roots. Please keep us posted!


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

KevinYeBoy said:


> I am looking for the opinions of people. I want to know what other people THINK. I am not asking you to tell me exactly what's wrong and what to do, I just want to hear what people believe it may be. Hear what people think I should do. I'm only looking for ideas. The more knowledge I can bring with me to the vet, the better. Thanks.


I understand that. I really do. You want to ask people who have something in common with you to gain information. And here's my opinion of doing that in medical situations...

Nobody here is a vet. It could be hundred different things and only the vet knows 98 of those things. When you ask online, you open yourself up to a lot of opinions - and they are only opinions. Every has an opinion based on what Google said and Facebook confirmed.

I've seen "medical advise" taken as gospel from one person that I KNOW has zero knowledge except all the "research" she's done over the internet that is the exact opposite what vets will tell you. I watched it play out online where one person listened to her instead of the specialist she was seeing and the dog was euthanized because of it. So they took the word of a faceless person whose known career has zero to do medicine because she says what she says with confidence and in the end it killed their dog.

I never ask for medical advise on line. I did that once and that same lunatic in the above paragraph followed me from one board to this one to harass me because I trusted my vet and I wasn't doing what she wanted. It was literally craziness. 

I see another person continuously post long blurbs copied from somewhere giving all sorts of expertise on various issues. Could it be correct? Yes. But in the experience of my dog it's 100% wrong so....go to a vet....

Go to the vet first, get a diagnosis and then feel free to ask if anyone else has experienced this issue. But again, be prepared for the Internet Experts to give some really bad advise.


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## KevinYeBoy (May 4, 2017)

Hey everyone, update on the Nova's nose situation:

I brought her in to our vet yesterday and he immediately confirmed that her nose is not straight and there is something going on. He examined her head, face, and teeth. He pointed out to me that the cartilage in her snout was clearly bent. I asked why this would be like this and he said that, like humans, when a dog takes a strong impact to the face/nose the nose can be left crooked due to small fractures being made and then healing. He showed me in her mouth where some of her teeth have responded to the bend by growing in slightly misaligned, he explained that this meant the trauma most likely occurred in an early part of her life since her teeth have had time to adjust and respond accordingly. This made sense to me because she has never taken a serious blow or fall etc. to the face since I have had her for the last almost 3 months. She has never shown any sign of pain or discomfort with her snout or nose, even during play and when i examined her mouth, nose and snout myself. 

When I asked how this bend would affect her in her life he reassured me that it will not do anything other than give her face more character  He said her adult teeth will still grow in and her chewing will be not be affected. The bend will never straighten out, and should not get any stronger with time. He told me that if I wanted the nose straight, it would involve cutting and realigning the nasal bone, then extensive orthodontics .. to which he added "what's the point?", and I agreed. As long as I know she will live a happy and healthy life without being hampered by her condition, I could not possibly care less if her nose isn't perfectly straight. I am so so so relieved to know there is nothing actually wrong with Nova! I have been so stressed and worried over this, it's such a load off to know she will not have to undergo any intrusive surgeries and that there is no danger posed to her. 

One final thing, Dr. Jim took her temperature and she had a fever. He couldn't tell me why she would have a fever, said it may just be because she's "excited", but to be safe she is running a course of antibiotics. He said this should take care of the fever, and just like that we were on our way.

Thank you to everyone who responded with their thoughts and advice, really means a lot.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

There you go!  Glad it's nothing serious.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

Glad you found that out. Many years ago as a kid my dog teddy was hit by a car. There was damage done to his sinuses which made his nose crooked. There was a incident while healing he had gotten air stuck under his skin and he blew up like a balloon. The vet had to bandage wrap his body to decompress the air - the weirdest thing it never happens again. The only thing he had was a crusty nose and his nose was slightly crooked like your boy from the impact to his sinuses.


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## Alany (9 mo ago)

KevinYeBoy said:


> Hi guys, I'm writing this as a worried father because in the last few weeks I've noticed that Nova's nose (the actual fleshy black part) isn't exactly at the tip or end of her snout. Her nose isn't centred directly above her incisors, but instead most of it is on the right side of the end of her muzzle. It's not very noticeable but it is easiest to see when we're walking and I'm standing over her, her nose seems to curve to the right although her snout seems straight.
> 
> I've tried researching what this may be and I haven't found much, can't really find any similar stories or cases of concerned owners. If I'm not mistaken, wry mouth is when one half of the jaw is longer or shorter than the other, causing the snout to twist and form an uneven or uncloseable mouth. Her mouth appears to be able to close perfectly, she can breathe, eat, and has NO trouble chewing on me!
> 
> ...


My dog has the same problem, thank you for sharing! I’ve looked into this and I’ve found only few posts about it. His nose is not as bent but it still got me worried a little bit. He was abandoned close by and my neighbour tried keeping him in his yard, his dogs didn’t like that idea and barked the h”ell out until we decided to adopt him. Idk if you can see but he has a slightly nose and his right lip looks a bit shorter than the other.


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## Rosebud99 (9 mo ago)

Awwwww. Glad he has a good home now.


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## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

Edit: sorry, I posted this before I found out she'd been to the vet already! That's great news that it's not going to be a problem for her!

I would be curious to know if the teeth in her upper jaw are even, and mesh properly with the lower ones. If it really is wry mouth, the teeth will be affected too.


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