You should be willing to forgive your pet’s drooling as a natural function that helps him eat and digest food. If your dog seems to have more saliva than usual, it could be a sign of a problem, and it’s better to be safe than sorry. Reach out to your vet to talk about your dog’s excessive drooling.

Below are listed some common causes and treatments of excessive drooling or hypersalivation.

Foreign Objects

When your dog starts drooling more than usual, the first thing you should do is check inside the mouth. Look at the tongue, teeth, and gums for objects like splinters or shards of bones. When giving your dog a bone to chew as a treat, be mindful that the bone will not break evenly. Instead, it will splinter, and shards of bone will enter the mouth. If there are no signs of anything suspicious, visit a vet as they might be able to help tell if something has become stuck while eating.

Dental Issues

If tartar builds up inside your dog’s mouth, it can cause excessive drooling. You may be able to identify problems with tartar build-up by checking the teeth for browning and gums for redness, swelling, or bleeding. Consult with your pet care provider if you think that issues with your dog’s teeth or mouth may be causing extra salivation. Your vet can check your dog for dangerously cracked teeth, mouth diseases, growths, and ulcers and recommend appropriate treatments, such as extraction, a professional cleaning, or routine brushing.

Heatstroke

It probably seems counterintuitive, but drooling is a symptom of heatstroke. If you’re worried that your furry friend is spending too much time in the sun and notice common signs like drooling, lethargy, and unresponsiveness, heatstroke may be the culprit. Since this is something that can kill your dog, you must take it very seriously and get her to the vet immediately. You can help prevent heatstroke by ensuring your dog always has easy access to water and not leaving her out in the sun on hot days or alone in a parked car.

Anxiety

Drooling can be brought on from anxiety, which can develop from visits to the vet for shots, unpleasant procedures, or stressors. Dogs are intuitive and will pick up our habits. So if they are a fan of going for a check-up, this could bring on anxiety, leading to additional drooling. Usually, the excess salivation will cease once the stressor is removed or the visit to the vet is over.

Disease or Cancer

The causes of salivation are many. However, one alarming condition in older pets is when a mass is located in the mouth, which could be cancer- in some cases, drooling may also indicate liver disease and kidney failure!

Hypersalivation

Hypersalivation is a condition caused by various factors, including infections and allergies. Suppose you notice your dog drooling more than usual or experiencing unusual thirst during activities such as walks on hot days when they generally pant heavily to cool off. In that case, visit the vet right away.

Oral Infections

If your dog develops a sinus or throat infection, this can cause more drooling than usual. Common signs of diseases include pus and bad breath. Talk to your vet if you think your dog may have an infection.

Plant Consumption

The list of poisonous plants to dogs is long, and some common ones include chrysanthemums, tulips, and azaleas. The critical thing you need to know is if your pup has eaten any part from one or all three types, which could cause excessive drooling. You’ll want to seek veterinary care right away so they can figure out what happened and how to treat the symptoms.

Dog Breeds Play a Role

You may not think that a dog’s drooling and slobbering is something you can control, but you may want to consider it when you choose a dog. If you are not a fan of constant salivation, check out these breeds before bringing home a furry friend.

Types of Dogs that Drool the Most

• Dogue de Bordeaux
• Bloodhound
• Bulldog
• Newfoundland
• Neapolitan Mastiff
• Bernese Mountain Dog
• Bullmastiff
• Boxer
• Great Dane

Types of Dogs that Drool the Least

• Corgi
• Leonberger
• Papillon
• Basenji
• Chihuahua
• Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
• Siberian Husky
• Shiba Inu

How to Reduce Drooling

Drooling is a common problem among dogs and can often be quite messy. There are a few ways to reduce how much your dog drools. One way is to tie a bandana around the neck, which will absorb the saliva that falls, keeping your floors, furniture, and outfits dry. Another way is to dry their mouth after walking or running. Dogs tend to drool more when excited, for example, when they see food. Try laying a washable rug or towel near their food bowl to catch the drool. And finally, you can talk to your vet about homeopathic remedies that may suppress saliva production, like lemon extract. Essential oils are popular, but many are toxic to your pup. Please research and consult with your pet care provider before administering or diffusing any oils in your home.

Commonly Questions About Dog Drool

What Are the Most Common Reasons Dogs Drool Excessively?

Oral disease like tooth decay, tar build-up, gum inflammation, or tumors in the mouth or throat is one of the most common reasons for extra salivation.

Are There Any Health Concerns Associated with Excessive Drooling in Dogs?

It is essential to pay attention to your pet and monitor what is normal for them. If you notice excessive saliva, reach out to your veterinarian to determine the cause.

What Should I Do if I Think My Dog is Drooling Because of a Health Problem?

If you’re concerned about the amount of drool coming from your dog, please visit a vet. Extra salivation can be a sign of dental issues or other problems.

How Can I Tell if My Dog is in Pain Due to Excessive Drooling?

The dog’s drooling could signify pain in the stomach or nausea. Excessively gagging and churning of the mouth means there may well have been an issue with distress, leading to extreme discomfort for your pet.

What are Some Tips for Keeping my Dog’s Mouth Healthy and Free From Bacteria?

You might not think about your dog’s oral health as often as their physical health. However, taking care of your dog’s teeth and gums is vital for keeping them healthy. Brushing your dog’s teeth every day is the best way to prevent plaque and tartar build-up.

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The Importance of Dog Dental Care

The good news for dogs is they’re not as prone to cavities as human beings are. But despite the old conventional wisdom that a dog’s mouth is cleaner than a humans, dogs can still develop problems like tartar and plaque buildup and gingivitis. But it’s not just bad breath and yellow teeth you have to worry about. As with humans, these canine dental problems can actually lead to life-threatening infections and issues including heart, liver, and kidney disease.

Not to mention, the cost of dental extractions to remove teeth that are beyond help can range from $10/tooth for a simple extraction to more than $1,000 for a molar root canal. Best to save your wallet and your precious pup the trouble by taking preventive measures!

Here’s how to practice good dog dental care that will extend your dog’s life:

• Brush their teeth early and often!
• Take them for routine teeth cleanings
• Feed dry dog food
• Use chew bones and chew toys

How to Brush Your Dog’s Teeth

If your dog can brush his own teeth, you can stop reading this article and start posting the video to YouTube. For the rest of us, we have to use a canine toothbrush and a little strategy. The best brush to use is double-headed with the brushes at a 45 degree angle to clean below the gumline, like those offered by companies like Petosan.

Your dog might not go for the tooth brushing at first, but hopefully, you can make it a reasonably pleasant experience for both of you. Try and choose a time when your dog has had a decent amount of exercise, so he’s more inclined to sit still for the procedure. Don’t overdo it the first few times. Start slowly and quit if your dog gets agitated, even if you don’t brush the whole mouth. You can increase the time every day as he gets used to it. Also, make sure to speak soothingly and pleasantly during the brushing and reward your dog with a treat afterwards. Before too long, your dog should start looking forward to the event.

Start Early With Your Dog as a Puppy!

Grown dogs can learn to become comfortable with dog teeth cleaning, but make things easier for yourself by working with your dog as a puppy.

How to Pick the Right Tooth Paste for Your Dog

This is very important. Do NOT use regular human toothpaste for your dog. Most human toothpaste includes fluoride, which is extremely poisonous to dogs. You can find toothpaste formulated for dogs at most good pet stores.

Some pet stores also offer dog mouthwash, which you can add to water bowls to help kill bacteria and reduce plaque. When used correctly and diluted in your pet’s water, doggie mouthwash is safe, just make sure your pet doesn’t get ahold of the whole bottle. As with toothpaste, do not use human mouthwashes on your dog.

Dry Food is Better Than Soft Food

If the tooth brushing ends in blood, sweat, or tears, there are still choices you can make to help improve your dog’s oral health. Crunchy kibble is better for your dog’s teeth than soft food, as soft food is more likely to stick to the teeth and cause decay.

Chew Bones and Chew Toys to Clean Teeth

There are many synthetic bones and chew toys that are specially designed to strengthen your dog’s gums and teeth. Just make sure you’re providing safe objects for your dog to chew on. Hard objects can cause broken teeth.

Giving your dog a good bone to chew on can help get rid of build-up and keep teeth strong, but imagine a human who only chews gum and uses mouth rinse. That’s not an effective means of ensuring good dental hygiene and overall health. The same is true for your dog.

Routine Dental Cleanings

Despite your best efforts, you’re not likely to get your dog a full, deep clean with a toothbrush the way a vet can. Even if your pet has healthy teeth, it’s a good idea to have your vet perform routine cleanings where they scale plaque and tartar, clean the gum line, and polish the teeth. Depending on the size of your dog, you should take them in for a routine cleaning every six months to a year (smaller dogs may be more prone to plaque buildup and disease).

Your vet should include a simple dental examination with a normal check-up, too, but ask for it if they don’t.

If you have pet insurance, some providers offer preventive care coverage that you can add to your coverage that can help cover some of the costs of routine teeth cleanings. You may be more likely to keep up with routine visits, too, if you are already paying for some of it in your pet insurance policy.

When to See a Veterinarian

Whether you brush your dog’s teeth or not, you should have a look inside his mouth every week or so. If you notice any of these signs of dental problems, then take your dog to the vet:

• Bad breath
• Change in eating or dog chewing habits
• Pawing at the face or mouth
• Depression
• Excessive drooling
• Misaligned or missing teeth
• Discolored, broken, missing or crooked teeth
• Red, swollen, painful or bleeding gums
• Yellowish-brown tartar crust along the gum line
• Bumps or growths within the mouth

As mentioned, the treatment of serious dental issues can be costly, but it may be much more costly to your pet’s overall wellbeing to leave them unattended.

If your dog has health insurance and they develop dental disease, you may be eligible to be reimbursed for treatment of the issues above (if the disease isn’t considered a pre-existing condition on your policy).

Clean Now, Save Yourself Trouble Later

Dental care can be a hassle for humans and dogs, but proper maintenance can be a money saver in the long run and even a lifesaver. Letting it go can lead to costly and often painful vet visits down the road. Many dogs have to be given anesthesia to have their teeth and gums cleaned if the buildup is bad enough. Keep your dog’s mouth clean though, and you’ll both be smiling!

How often do you brush your dog’s teeth?

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