Why do dogs drool

Potential dog owners that cannot tolerate the yucky drool of dogs have better stir clear of Basset Hounds, Saint Bernards and Bullmastiffs as these dogs are notorious droolers. These dogs have loose pendulous lips so that the enzyme-rich saliva that is secreted by the four pairs of salivary glands to aid digestion cannot be contained in the mouth. Due to excessive drooling, owners of these dogs would have to tie a bandana around the dog’s neck or have an ample supply of paper towels ready to avoid disaster.

No matter how inconvenient, the drooling of the dog is not an abnormality. Dogs are voracious eaters thus the sight of food would make these animals salivate. However, if the pet does not have loose skin folds in the mouth and is normally not a dripper, the owner should be concerned if the pet starts to slobber excessively.

Dog owners should take notice if the normally non-drooling dog have suddenly become an excessive dripper because the situation can result to dehydration. Excessive drooling can be attributed to a psychological event. Excessive salivation can be the dog’s nervous reaction to loud sounds like the sound of thunder or the sound of fireworks. Motion sickness can also make a dog drool. Dogs, apart from having a curious nature are also noted to be indiscriminate eaters so that these pets are commonly poisoned. Poison can cause nausea, vomiting and drooling.

Excessive salivation can also point to a health concern. The life threatening twisting of the stomach that traps the air and the contents of the stomach is called bloat (Gastric dilatation volvulus. This condition is one of the reasons why the dog would salivate excessively. Dog that salivates excessively may be suffering from medical concerns like rabies, distemper, urinary tract infection, ear infection and liver diseases. The hypersalivation of the pet may not be due to the mentioned medical concerns thus the mouth of the pet must be thoroughly examined.

Of course the dog’s drooling can be caused by a broken tooth, a gum problem or other periodontal diseases. Dogs are curious by nature and as they don’t have hand, the mouth is used to investigate their environment. In doing so, the dog may injure the soft tissues of the mouth, the teeth and the throat from slivers of wood, from hooks and from other dangerous objects chewed by the dog. A splinter stuck on the mouth tissues, an object lodged between the teeth will cause pain and discomfort thus the dog will be seen salivating excessively.

Read all about dog drooling and why dogs drool at Sarah’s Dogs.