Dogs Drooling: Reasons and What It Means

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 Let's start with saliva. Just like humans, saliva circulates throughout a dog's mouth, serving as a mucinrich liquid that plays a crucial role in maintaining the health of both soft and hard tissues in the mouth.

But does more saliva always mean better? In fact, it's not that simple. Beyond physiological factors, an excessive amount of saliva can often be a sign that a dog's body is experiencing issues.

1. Physiological Reasons

We know that on hot summer days, dogs will pant heavily and stick out their tongues to cool down. This process involves the secretion of a large amount of saliva, which acts as a substitute for sweat. Dogs use the evaporation of saliva to dissipate heat and lower their body temperature.

After intense exercise, dogs also tend to produce a lot of saliva to help with cooling down.

Have you ever seen a dog drool excessively when they're really eager for something delicious but can't have it? Dogs will salivate heavily in such situations.

2. Pathological Reasons

There are many pathological reasons for excessive saliva in dogs. These can include issues with the salivary glands, obstructions in certain body parts, external factors, environmental influences, or complications from infectious diseases.

Let's begin with the salivary glands. If a dog's salivary glands are not functioning properly, it can lead to an imbalance in saliva production, often manifesting as salivary gland diseases. Salivary gland diseases can cause an increase or decrease in saliva production, with increased saliva typically associated with inflammation, cancer, and necrosis.

External factors that can cause a dog to drool excessively often involve poisoning, usually due to the dog ingesting or inhaling toxic substances. Poisoned dogs may not only drool but also exhibit symptoms like seizures, vomiting, diarrhea, and tremors. It's crucial to rush poisoned dogs to the hospital immediately to avoid missing the window of opportunity for treatment.

Dogs may also salivate excessively when they're in a new environment due to anxiety. For example, during car rides, the confined and narrow space, the unfamiliar sounds in the car, and the sudden feeling of weightlessness can cause dogs to become very scared and, as a result, to salivate.

Increased saliva due to internal diseases usually originates from the mouth, esophagus, digestive tract, and nervous system. Conditions like oral inflammation, esophageal foreign bodies, gastrointestinal inflammation, nervous system pain, and malformations in the head and lips can all prevent a dog from retaining saliva in the mouth effectively.

Lastly, infectious diseases like acute canine distemper, rabies, and tetanus can lead to frequent drooling in dogs, often as part of a range of complications.

Dogs with pathological drooling often show unusual symptoms, so pet owners should pay close attention. If there are accompanying complications, it's essential to take the dog to a professional veterinary hospital for treatment right away.

Early detection, early treatment, and early recovery are key to any illness. Don't delay treatment until the condition worsens, as it can be both emotionally and financially costly.