What this means
Normal drooling depends on breed: dogs with loose lips drool naturally, and even healthy dogs may produce more saliva before a meal. What matters is a change: a dog that never drooled suddenly drooling heavily, or the amount or smell of the saliva changing.
First note when it began and whether anything unusual happened: heat, a car ride, a new toy or bone, or a possible swallowed object. If your dog is also pawing at its muzzle, champing its jaws, refusing food or showing mouth pain, the cause is likely in the mouth.
Watch the general state too. Drooling together with a swollen belly, retching without bringing anything up, or restlessness is a very different picture from drooling after a car ride. If your dog cannot open its mouth wide, that is worth noting as well.
Possible causes
These are things that can cause this sign. It is not a diagnosis, and they are not equally likely for your dog.
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Tooth or gum pain
A painful tooth, inflamed gums or a sore in the mouth increase saliva. Your dog may avoid chewing or being touched around the muzzle.
About the condition: Dental and gum disease -
An object stuck in the mouth
A piece of bone, a stick or another object can wedge between the teeth or across the roof of the mouth. The dog champs its jaws and paws at its muzzle.
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Stomach bloating and twisting
This is an emergency in which the belly swells while the dog drools, paces and retches without result. It is especially dangerous in large, deep-chested dogs.
About the condition: Bloat (gastric dilatation-volvulus) -
Overheating
On a hot day or after exercise a dog may drool heavily as well as breathe hard. Weakness or staggering may follow.
About the condition: Overheating (heat stroke) -
Nausea and travel sickness
A dog can drool before vomiting or during a car ride. The drooling usually stops when the nausea passes.
About the condition: Masticatory muscle myositis -
Inflamed chewing muscles
In a disease of the chewing muscles, opening the mouth can hurt. You may see reluctance to chew or swollen muscles beside the eyes.
What else to watch for
These observations help your vet build the picture faster. Note down what you saw and when.
- When the drooling began and whether anything unusual happened
- Whether your dog paws at the muzzle or champs its jaws
- Whether the belly looks swollen or hard
- Whether your dog can open its mouth wide
- Whether it was hot or after exercise
- Whether the breath has changed
When to book a routine visit
Book a visit if the drooling is unusual for your dog, lasts more than a day, or comes with bad breath or reluctance to eat or chew. If there is a swollen belly, unproductive retching, or signs of overheating or laboured breathing, go straight away.
Related conditions
Conditions whose entries mention this sign. The list is somewhere to read on, not a way to reach a diagnosis.
- Dental and gum disease Digestion and liver Dental and gum disease starts with plaque that hardens over time into tartar, and the bacteria multiplying beneath it cause inflammation of the gums. Left alone, the inflammation can damage the tissues and bone that hold the tooth in place, so teeth loosen and fall out. A sore mouth troubles a dog every day, and infection in the mouth can affect other organs too.
- Bloat (gastric dilatation-volvulus) Digestion and liver This is a condition in which the stomach fills with gas and can twist around on itself, pinching off its blood vessels and cutting off circulation. It develops very quickly and is life-threatening, so the dog needs a vet immediately. Large, deep-chested dogs are known to be at risk, so it is worth noting the number of the nearest emergency clinic in advance.
- Overheating (heat stroke) General health Overheating is a condition in which a dog's body temperature rises to a dangerous level because it can no longer cool itself down. Dogs barely sweat and cool themselves by panting, so heat in a closed car or exercise on a hot or humid day can overwhelm them quickly. Heat stroke damages the internal organs and is life-threatening, so the dog needs a vet immediately.
- Masticatory muscle myositis Nerves and muscles Masticatory muscle myositis is an autoimmune disease in which a dog's immune system attacks the chewing muscles on the head. The inflamed muscles are painful and swollen, and over time they can waste away and stiffen, making it harder and harder for the dog to open its mouth. The sooner a vet sees the dog, the better the chance of keeping the jaw moving.
- Rabies Infections Rabies is a viral disease of the nervous system that a dog catches when it is bitten by an infected animal. It is dangerous to animals and to people alike. If your dog has been bitten by a wild or unknown animal, or its behaviour has changed so suddenly that you suspect rabies, phone a vet immediately.
- Poisoning General health Poisoning happens when a dog swallows, breathes in or absorbs through its skin a substance that harms its body. Much of what is found in a home and garden is dangerous to a dog: rodent bait, antifreeze, chocolate, grapes and raisins, the sweetener xylitol, preparations meant for people. Even if the dog seems well, it needs a vet immediately.
Body systems: Digestion and liver General health Nerves and muscles Infections