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 cannot contain the enzyme rich saliva in their mouth because of the short snout and the loose pendulous skin of 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.
Drooling, especially for dog breeds with short snout and loose skin around the jaws 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.
Drooling is a normal behavior of dogs but pet owners should be concerned if the non-drooling dog starts to drool excessively as the dog can be dehydrated. The excessive drooling of the pet can be associated to a situation that has disturbed the pet emotionally. A dog’s nervous reaction to loud sound can trigger excessive salivation. Motion sickness can also make a dog drool. Dogs are inclined to put anything in their mouths and because of indiscriminate eating habits, it would not be uncommon for dogs to ingest poisonous substances. Poisoning is one of the reasons why a dog would drool excessively.
Drooling can be a symptom of some health concerns. Bloat or Gastric dilatation volvulus is a very serious condition as the twisting of the stomach will trap air and when no treatment is administered can result to the death of the dog. The dog’s hypersalivation can be a symptom of bloat. Dog that salivates excessively may be suffering from medical concerns like rabies, distemper, urinary tract infection, ear infection and liver diseases. If the excessive salivation of the dog is not caused by the medical concerns, the pet parent has to open the mouth of the pet to determine of any foreign object is causing the pet to salivate.
Of course the dog’s drooling can be caused by a broken tooth, a gum problem or other periodontal diseases. Dogs use their mouth to investigate their surroundings. The dog may have been gnawing wood and a splinter may get stuck between the teeth or may be stuck on the gums or on the soft tissues of the mouth. The dog will drool excessively if a sliver of wood injures the tissues of the mouth or if a foreign object is stuck between the teeth.
Read all about dog drooling and why dogs drool at Sarah’s Dogs.
