Your Cat Smells Appetizing Food
Drooling can also be easily explained if youve just cracked open a can of wet food, theres an open bag of kibble nearby, or even if your dinner smells particularly good.
Drooling at the scent of food can also be a sign that your cat isnt getting quite enough food on its regular diet.
It might be a good idea to consult with your vet to see if a different brand or a slight increase in your cats food might help. Of course, you should also check your cats weight before making any significant changes to their diet.
Swallowing A Foreign Object
If your cat has ingested something that tastes foul or toxic, one of its initial reactions may be drooling. Sometimes ingesting a toxin can also cause oral erosions, which can also result in drooling.
Swallowing a thread with a needle attached or a foreign body that can get caught in the tongue, the back of the throat, or the soft or hard palate can result in oral pain and drooling.
Your cat may also find it hard to close its mouth. If a foreign body, such as a fishbone, is lodged in the esophagus, saliva has no place to go. It will start pooling in your cats esophagus and spill out of its mouth.
If you notice a string hanging out of your cats mouth, avoid trying to pull it out. The string can wrap around vital organs, such as the stomach or intestines. Pulling on it can result in significant, irreversible damage.
If swallowing is uncomfortable, your cat may paw at its mouth and try to vomit. The inability to swallow properly may cause a lack of appetite and unexplained weight loss in cats.
Cat Emergencies That Need Immediate Vet Attention
In my role as an emergency veterinarian I treat some very sick cats. And I also meet some cat owners who feel very guilty. They wonder whether their cats might not have gotten so sick if they had recognized earlier that a problem was developing. Although some cat emergencies come on suddenly and are anything but subtle, it is true that many other cat emergencies start with vague symptoms.
It is certainly true that early recognition of subtle cat emergencies will improve the chances of a good outcome. But owners should not feel guilty if they fail to recognize these subtleties cats dont come with warning labels, and a person who doesnt know the symptoms cant be expected to recognize them . For instance, I owned cats including males for 25 years before I knew that any urinary irregularity whatsoever in a male cat could be an emergency.
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Why Is My Cat Drooling In The Car And What To Do About It
Kidney And Liver Disease
With kidney and liver disease toxins build up causing nausea. Other signs may include: behavioral changes, poor appetite, weight loss, excessive thirst and urination, vomiting and diarrhoea. Cats with liver disease may have yellow tinged gums or skin. With kidney disease toxins can cause ulcers in the mouth. These are often painful and cause drool that is foul smelling.
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Is Cat Drooling An Emergency
Sometimes, but not usually. Cat drooling should be followed up on with a vet appointment relatively quickly, but it doesnt always mean you need to rush your cat to an emergency room.
If its during normal working hours, call your vet for some advice. Theyll ask about your cats condition and other possible symptoms to help you decide if you need to take your cat in right away.
If youre consulting about your cats drooling, you should also ask about what signs and symptoms are most worrying and could turn a stable situation into an emergency.
Your Cat May Be Experiencing Stress Anxiety Or Depression
Cats have emotions too, and there can be several emotional or behavioral causes of loss of appetite.
Losing a beloved family member, whether animal or human, can cause some cats to stop eating due to anxiety or depression.
Stress or anxiety can also be caused by changes in the home environment. These changes may seem insignificant, but they can cause a lot of stress for cats, which can cause your cat not to eat.
Such changes include:
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Reasons Why Your Cat Is Not Eating
Adrienne Kruzer, BS, RVT, LVT, has worked with a variety of animals for over 15 years, including birds of prey, reptiles, and small mammals.
The Spruce / Ana Cadena
It’s common for a cat to suddenly decide it doesn’t want to eat a certain food or treat anymore. But sometimes a cat stops eating for a more serious reason. You should be aware of the potential causes and concerns for a cat’s food aversion. There may be things you can do at home to help your cat regain its appetite, but sometimes veterinary intervention is necessary.
Abnormal Urination In Male Cats
This has the potential to be a symptom of one of the most serious cat emergencies any feline faces: urinary obstruction. This condition, which is fatal if not treated, occurs when cats are unable to urinate. For anatomical reasons, it occurs almost exclusively in males.
Cats with the condition suffer agonizing pain, and then rapid progression to kidney failure, potentially bladder rupture, and high blood-potassium levels that cause cardiac arrest. Initial symptoms may be subtle: Affected cats may urinate outside the litter box, strain but produce only small quantities of urine, vocalize, or groom their genitals excessively.
Therefore, any male cat with any urinary irregularity whatsoever should be checked by a vet immediately. Be aware that female cats with urinary irregularities should also see the vet. They are not likely to die from the problem, but they are likely to be suffering from discomfort that warrants treatment.
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What Is Normal Drooling In Cats
Your cat may drool when they are putting or kneading. Drooling in cat refers to the sign of contentment and relaxation so generally, cat drools when they feel relaxed and happy.
In some cases, due to fear and stress, cats may start to drool, and this may be during any loud events, vet visits or car rides. If you notice that your cat often starts to drool due to stress, then you might call your vet to establish whether it is a usual drool.
Ask A Vet: Cat’s Drooling Could Have Many Different Causes
My 13-year-old cat has been drooling off and on for a few weeks. She is eating, but not as much as usual. What could be the problem?
The most common cause for her to be drooling would be some type of dental disease. She could have dental tartar, gum inflammation, infection or more serious periodontal disease . These painful conditions could be causing her to drool.
In addition, a resorptive lesion of one or more of her teeth could be a problem. This results in the tooth eroding away to the sensitive pulp, most often at the gum line. It is estimated that 50 percent of cats will have this condition in their lifetime.
Cats suffering with tooth resorption may show excessive salivation, bleeding from the mouth or have difficulty eating. However, many affected cats hide their pain and continue to eat.
At 13 years of age, another cause of drooling that should be ruled out is a tumor in the mouth. These may be benign or malignant, with squamous cell carcinoma being the most common type of cancerous tumor.
Have your veterinarian examine her mouth the best she can while your cat is awake. It is possible that a likely cause will be detected.
Dr. Francine Rattner is a veterinarian at South Arundel Veterinary Hospital in Edgewater. Please send questions to or to .
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Do Cats Drool While Stressed Pets
Why is My Cat Circling Me? Some cats like to circle their owners as a greeting. If the cat rubs against your legs after circling, this is likely. Your cat is expressing joy in your presence. It is asking for attention, so offer light petting and engagement. Perhaps your cat is herding you in a particular direction POISON, TEETH, DISEASE ? In cats, it is important to rule out stuff that they might have eaten, because cats salivate really excessively as the result of ingesting several medications and flea sprays. We have also seen salivation after ingesting small lizards and toads. Most cats will leave toads alone so we see this more.
Direct Trauma To The Mouth
Cats are very agile creatures and rarely suffer trauma to the mouth especially due to a fall. Nevertheless, they can be involved in unprecedented accidents such as being knocked over by a car, a bicycle or a frustrated kick from an angry person.
Some people may also throw objects at your cat which may injure the head or mouth. Such trauma may cause uncontrollable secretions by the salivary glands leading to excessive drooling. You may not identify the cause especially if the trauma is not penetrative. However, your veterinary officer can help you make a profitable diagnosis to help with treatment.
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Tooth Decay And Mouth Diseases:
Tartar build-ups are known to cause tooth decays or mouth diseases in cats. You need to check your cat lip to confirm whether the cat has some problem with the lips. Especially check if the lips look brown. Are the gums swollen, bleeding or red? Does her tooth look like concrete? If you notice any of these signs, then you can follow the below treatment.
Start with a professional cleaning make sure you brush your cats teeth daily. If that does not appear to work, take your cat to the vet to check for gingivitis, mouth ulcers, and tumors.
Cat Drooling Is Typically Associated With Pain
If swallowing hurts, a cat will just allow the saliva to leak out of her mouth instead. Lots of things can cause mouth pain in cats, including dental disease or a broken tooth, exposure to toxic chemicals or plants, tumors inside the mouth, a string or other foreign body trapped under the tongue and ulcers in the mouth, which are sometimes caused by kidney disease. Other clinical signs that may accompany drooling include halitosis , decreased appetite, weight loss, reluctance to eat hard food or dropping food while eating, says Cindy Charlier, DVM, Dipl. AVDC, of VDENT Veterinary Dental Education Networking & Training. If a cat is drooling and the saliva is thick, discolored or blood tinged, or is accompanied by a mouth odor, then a medical reason for drooling should be considered.
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Your Cat Is Enjoying Being Pet
This is the least concerning the reason for your cat to start drooling. A really good pet and scritch session can leave your cat slightly drooly, especially if you rub their cheeks or ears. This kind of drool should clear up within a few minutes of stopping petting.
Typically drooling will only happen sometimes while youre petting your cat if its a consistent problem, you might want to take them to the vet to be on the safe side. If your cat shows any other symptoms, there is still reason to be concerned.
Why Do Some Cats Drool When You Pet Them Is That Normal
Some cats drool when being petted because they are happy and relaxed. They may associate the owners affection with the contentment they felt as kittens nursing on their mothers. This can be normal behavior, and your cat may also purr, knead their paws, and/or rub their face/body on you or your furniture.
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What To Do If A Cat Is Drooling
If your cat is drooling suddenly, monitor its behavior carefully. Ensure they have access to plenty of food and water and check to make sure they havent gotten overheated .
Once overheat is eliminated, watch your cat for signs of pain or discomfort, including hiding from you.
Once you have a good grasp of your cats other symptoms, call your vet and talk with the receptionist or a vet tech about your cats symptoms.
Theyll help you evaluate whether the drooling is normal, a reason for concern, and an immediate emergency. From there, youll be able to decide if you need a vet appointment, an emergency room visit, or if your cat is alright.
Drooling When Sleeping Only
Drooling when sleeping is a common phenomenon in cats as well as humans. It has no pathologies associated with it. Actually, this manifestation is a mere indication of comfort and a relaxed mood.
Most commonly, you may observe that your cats pillow is always wet on a particular spot especially after sleep. This occurrence should not worry you because it clearly indicates that your cat is healthy and enjoying his or sleep. It is also a sign that you have maintained and sustained your cat well.
The major distinguishing feature of this type of drooling is that it occurs only when the cat is asleep. You may not easily observe the process of drooling unless you physically assess the process while the cat is asleep. These cats do not drool when they are awake.
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Causes Of Excessive Drooling In A Cat
Contents
Conveniently, cats do not drool as much as dogs. Sometimes drooling in your cat may go unnoticed unless you are focused in finding out if your cat is really drooling by scratching the chin or looking out for any damp spot in the place he or she had been lying.
A number of reasons can explain why your cat is drooling. These reasons can be classified into three major categories such as:
- Pathologic or disease conditions that affecting the digestive system can cause inflammation that manifests with pain and tenderness which ultimately hamper the swallowing process.
- Foreign or irritating substances in the gastrointestinal tract the body may need to clear these substances off especially when they occur in the proximal gastrointestinal tract. Drooling could be one physiologic response to correct such a situation.
- Emotional stimulation in cats has been known to stimulate drooling in cats.
The causes of drooling under the aforementioned categories are described as follows:
Cat Salivating After Medicine
Medication can also cause your cat to hypersalivate. One cats reaction to its medicine may be entirely different from anothers, and while one cat may not have any reaction, another may begin drooling.
In most cases, bitter medicines can cause your cat to drool. If youre administering a specific medication for the first time, find out about possible side effects, such as drooling, and what you should do about it.
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Cat Drooling Everywhere These Could Be The Reasons
In this blog we will discuss situations where it could be normal for your cat to drool, followed by some examples of when it may be more of a concern. If in doubt it is always best to get your pet checked by a vet.
It may be normal for your cat to drool when they are:
If your pets drooling is constant or other symptoms accompany it, there may be cause for concern.
What To Do At Home
What you do at home depends entirely on the treatment strategies from your veterinary officer. For instance:
If your cat underwent any surgical therapy for correcting any underlying conditions, you will have to follow the guidelines provided by the vet.
Part of the strategies involves close monitoring of the incision sites to watch out for any bacterial infection. You will also have to clean the stitch wounds to keep the infections at bay. Your vet will give you specific disinfectants for cleaning such wounds.
You will also have to be vigilant in administering painkillers and antibiotics which are usually prescribed for a daily dosing. Additionally, you may be required to take the cat back to the vet after some time for monitoring of the healing process of the stitch wounds.
In some cases, you may not have to visit a vet especially when your cat is suffering from motion sickness. You may opt to walk with your cat to relatively shorter distances instead of travelling by car. This proves to be helpful if the cause of drooling in your cat is nausea and vomiting that is triggered by motion sickness.
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