Excessive Drooling
When cats drool, we should always wonder what is causing this symptom. Although some cats will drool when they are purring excessively and really comfortable, most drooling cats are having a problem that needs our attention. An outdoor access kitty may have some of the most serious culprits to blame such as a broken jaw, or some other head trauma, including battles with other animals. Indoor only cats can avoid these episodes but may still have reason to drool excessively. In many cases the drooling is directly due to pain, so it should be addressed immediately.
Dental disease is the most common reason to drool for indoor only cats. This type of drooling is often associated with a foul odor and sometimes even blood in the drool. These additional findings at home absolutely dictate that the cat be examined immediately. Most cats are not receiving home care (getting their teeth brushed daily!) and most owners do not inspect their cats teeth with any frequency at all. Genetics are the primary factor in a cat’s tendency to develop dental disease and some studies indicate as many as two thirds of cats have dental lesions by age 3. Resorptive lesions of the teeth are the most common type of dental disease in a young cat. In addition to these common resorptive lesions, we also see classic periodontal disease of the mouth where tartar has invaded the gum line and destroyed the periodontal ligament. The difficulty of home care and the reluctance of cats to allow oral inspection dictate that they have an oral exam often; and, that we are proactive with dental prophylactic cleanings to identify and minimize these problems. Drooling will commonly be seen with all forms of dental disease, including infectious stomatitis, peridontal disease and odontoclastic resorptive lesions.
Another cause of drooling in an indoor only cat would include an oral mass. We do see mouth cancer in cats and early treatment is crucial to success. Unfortunately many oral cancers do not leave us with favorable treatment options. These cats often have swelling of their face, and sometimes even a deviation of their normal jaw alignment. If your cat allows, open and close their mouth as you look from the front. The jaws should “go together” nicely and then we know the cat has proper dental occlusion. Sometimes, periodontal disease will cause swelling of the face and poor dental occlusion. A veterinarian can help you differentiate these causes upon oral exam. Any excessive drooling should be seen by the doctor, especially if poor dental occlusion is noted. Mouth cancer is most common in older to middle aged cats, rarely seen before about 7-8 years of age.
Indoor only cats sometimes get bored and I have seen foreign bodies lodged in the oral cavity. I removed a sewing needle that had imbedded in the hard palate of a bored indoor only kitty. I also removed a very stubborn twigg that had lodged in an outdoor access cat’s mouth. Both if these cats had excessive drooling and the drool had begun to smell foul. Fortunately, they both recovered very well. It is worth mentioning that all causes of excessive drooling seen in the indoor only cat can also be seen with outdoor access kitties.
The final cause of drooling to cover is drooling due to nausea. Many cats are nauseous, even though they do not vomit. Some cat doctors even go as far as to say that inappetance or anorexia is the most common sign of nausea. Many of these cats will drool either periodically or consistently. If a cat drools when food is placed in front of them, and they then do not consume the food, nausea should be considered. Causes of nausea are numerous and many cases have multiple causes. As you can see from this blog, a drooling cat should be seen by a veterinarian very soon after the symptom is noted.
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