What is Excessive Production of Saliva?
The causes of drooling are many, so when you notice a sudden change such as excess drooling, getting a proper diagnosis is essential. It’s best to take your pet to the veterinarian so he or she can conduct a proper investigation to discover the cause and give you an accurate diagnosis and timely treatment.
The salivary glands constantly produce and secrete saliva, but when there is an excessive amount, especially when your cat suddenly starts drooling, it may be a sign of a serious problem. Excessive saliva can indicate an infection, injury, inflammatory disorder or tumor in the mouth of the cat.
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Symptoms of Excessive Production of Saliva in Cats
Excess drooling is an important symptom by itself and is often not accompanied by other symptoms. In some cases, it can go together with behavioral or physical changes, such as:
- Excitement
- Fear
- Low or no appetite
- Depression
- Fever
- Nausea
- Bad breath,
- Difficulty swallowing
- Approaching but then avoiding food
Causes of Excessive Production of Saliva in Cats
Most reasons for excessive saliva secretion are non-threatening and short lived. However, there are many reasons for your cat’s excessive drooling, and even though many are simple, non-serious causes, some reasons could indicate a serious disease. For your peace of mind, err on the side of caution and take your pet to see your veterinarian. The causes of excess drooling in cats can include:
- Exposure to toxic pesticides and insecticides or poisonous plants
- Reaction to medications
- A piece of a stick or bone stuck in the mouth
- Rabies, heat stroke or oral cancer
- Inadequate oral health and gum disease
- Pain and swelling in the mouth
- Wounds caused by self-trauma
- Ulcers
Diseases of the mouth that are not very common, but can cause drooling, include:
- Salivary Fistula: Caused by trauma to the sublingual salivary glands as a result of a serious injury such as a bite.
- Feline Stomatitis: A severe painful inflammation of the gum and upper throat. Caused by oral infections and some viruses and most often seen in adult cats.
- Tumors in the Salivary Gland: Tumors are rare in young cats but can develop in cats over 10 years old.
- Sialadenitis: Inflammation of the saliva glands caused by systemic infection. In such cases, symptoms also include swollen glands, fever, depression and pain.
Diagnosis of Excessive Production of Saliva in Cats
Excessive production of saliva can be a symptom of a larger, more serious health issue, so your veterinarian will want to analyze every detail of your pet’s physical condition as well as understand behavioral changes. Your veterinarian will want to know the complete history of your cat’s health, including:
- Vaccination status
- Current medications
- Possible exposure to poisons
Your veterinarian will ask you to remember all the details you can of how and when the drooling started and any other unusual symptoms or signs you thought were surprising for your pet.
The doctor will then conduct a thorough oral exam and continue with a full physical and neurological examination of your cat. The doctor may recommend an ultrasound or x-ray to eliminate the possibility of liver and kidney disease and any issue with other organs.
Examining the blood lets the veterinarian have a clear idea of the cat’s overall health and allows him or her to quickly pick up signs of dehydration and infection. Medical tests the veterinarian may conduct include:
- A complete blood count (CBC)
- A biochemical profile
- Urine analysis
If the veterinarian suspects the cause is related to the immune system, he or she will also conduct a biopsy of cells and tissues.
Treatment of Excessive Production of Saliva in Cats
Treatment for excessive drooling depends on the cause. Some common causes and their treatments include:
- Poisoning: Pumping the stomach, administering activated charcoal and sometimes induced vomiting. Most patients will be hospitalised on a fluid drip and may require intravenous medicine such as ant acids and anti nausea drugs.
- Poor oral hygiene: Dental cleaning, pulling out a tooth and antibiotics in cases of infection
- Tumor: In cases of a tumor, surgical removal of the tumor is necessary. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy may also be discussed.
- Respiratory infections: Antibiotics and supportive care such as oxygen and nebulisation.
- Heat stroke: reducing body temperature, administering electrolytes and providing supportive care
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Recovery of Excessive Production of Saliva in Cats
Depending on the cause and the subsequent treatment, the recovery and management process will differ. If the cause is a serious disease, you’ll have to have regular checkups as your doctor will want to continue to monitor blood, urine, internal organs and any details specific to the cause.
Many cats will have a reduced appetite so do ensure they are eating well and not losing weight. You may need to provide a soft diet that is highly palatable and easy to eat.
You’ll need to discuss feeding, environment, or activity changes required after treatment with your veterinarian. Each cat’s needs will vary, and to ensure your pet is on the right track for a complete recovery, you should follow the recovery plan your doctor provides. It’s important to stay in regular communication with your veterinarian so you can inform him or her of any new developments as quickly as possible.
Excessive Production of Saliva Average Cost
From 472 quotes ranging from $500 - $2,500
Average Cost
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Top
Excessive Production of Saliva Questions and Advice from Veterinary Professionals
Cat
3-4
9 found this helpful
9 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Greenish And Foul Smelling Drool
I have vet appointment for Kevin in 6 days. My question is, should I wait 6 days or try to have him seen sooner? Here’s the situation, Kevin was a stray cat I took in about 3 months ago. He is FIV+. A few days ago his chin became swollen. He’s still eating well and drinking. Today I noticed greenish drool coming out of his mouth. It has a terrible smell.
July 29, 2020
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
9 Recommendations
Thank you for your question. It would probably be best to bump that appointment up for Kevin and have him seen earlier if that is the situation. If he is eating and drinking, and seems otherwise okay, he may be fine for the six days until the appointment, but he would probably be much more comfortable starting treatment before that. I hope that all goes well for him.
July 29, 2020
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Domestic shorthair
Walnut
10 Years
7 found this helpful
7 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Diarrhea
Vomiting
I adopted my cat a week and a half ago. But I volunteered at the shelter for four months. At the shelter he was healthy. At home the first week he was okay and then he started having diarrhea. I switched his wet food from in gravy to patè. Then when it didn’t get better I just had him eat dry food. He still is having diarrhea. Yesterday night/morning he threw up three times but that could be because it was the only night he wasn’t with me. I noticed about a week and a ago that he has a lot of saliva in my his mouth. He’s always liked his face rubbed but now when I rub it, there’s spit on my hand as well as he’s swallowing a lot. He doesn’t drool though. I don’t know if all of this is from stress or something bigger. I took him to the vet yesterday and they gave him an injection for diarrhea and needed a fecal sample for anything else. I haven’t been able to turn that in because he hadn’t pooped since yesterday morning. Which concerns me as well. Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated. Walnut means the world to me. He is my first pet that isn’t a family pet and I’ll do anything for him. I’m not sure what his condition would be so I put the middle one.
Aug. 25, 2018
7 Recommendations
Diarrhoea and excessive saliva production is most likely attributable to some gastrointestinal upset, however without examining Walnut I cannot narrow in on a specific cause; infections, parasites, poisoning, dietary intolerance, stress among other conditions may lead to similar symptoms. Wait for him to pass some faeces and have a test done to rule out parasites. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
Aug. 26, 2018
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Aspin
Min
3 Years
13 found this helpful
13 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Drooling, Can'T Stand And Eat
My cat is drooling too much when I try to give him some water. Also he can't stand on his own and he didn't even eat for three days until now. What should I do?
June 22, 2018
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
13 Recommendations
Min should see a veterinarian as soon as possible. He may have a dental problem, or a foreign body, or a systemic disease. Without seeing him, I can't determine what might be happening, but drooling is a sign of nausea, and if he is weak and not eating, he needs medical attention. I hope that he is okay.
June 22, 2018
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Persian
Dodo
4 Years
10 found this helpful
10 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Fatigue
My cat has saliva dripping from his mouth, all of a sudden today. He was all normal yesterday.
Today was very hot in the city and he was out.
When he came back he became very lazy and i saw the saliva dripping out.
June 9, 2018
10 Recommendations
There are many causes for increased salivation which may include dental disorders/trauma/pain, poisoning, licking something, salivary gland disorders, nausea among other conditions. You should rinse Dodo’s mouth out with water and monitor him for the time being, if other symptoms present or the drooling continues you should visit your Veterinarian for an examination to be on the safe side. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
June 10, 2018
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moggy
Ted
2 Years
10 found this helpful
10 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Excess Saliva
Smelly Mouth
Clicking Jaw
I was wondering what is wrong with my cat whether he needs a trip to the vets. He has wet all around his mouth which is foul smelling. I bathed him last night and it has come back straight away.
May 14, 2018
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
10 Recommendations
Cats can develop dental disease and growths in their mouths that can smell quite terrible. From your description, it seems that something may be going on with Ted's mouth, and I do think a trip to your veterinarian would be a good idea, to have a good examination of his mouth, and check for any other signs of systemic disease that might be causing the odor and drooling.
May 14, 2018
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Persian
Caramel
11 Months
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Excessive Saliva
My cat caramel was absolutely fine this afternoon, she was happy and cuddling with me, then she sat down beside me and around 30 minutes later, I found her with excessive saliva around her mouth. She was doing this thing with her tongue which looked like she was trying to swallow something. I first thought she had something stuck in her teeth but upon inspection I found there was nothing in her mouth that she could be trying to swallow. So I wiped her mouth and offered her some water which she drank and she was alright after that. No more excessive saliva and she was cuddling with me again. But then a few minutes after she’d stopped playing, she started doing it again, making a swallowing motion with her tongue that produced excessive saliva. So I again wiped her mouth and gave her some water. She is alright for now, she is resting beside me after some cuddling but I’m worried she might do it again. I want to know if this is serious enough for me to take her to the vet immediately. I have read that this could result from cats consuming something poisonous, I don’t really think that’s what happened to caramel but if that is the case, could this be fatal for her?
Blue tabby
Katniss
2 Years
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Not Eating
Salivation
Not Grooming
Sleepiness
Yesterday night my cat started making vomit noises. Today she didn't wake up in the morning which is unlike her. She drooled everywhere, and the sides of her mouth are drenched. She is an indoor and outdoor cat but her mouth looked like it might have blood around it which doesn't happen to her after killing a rat. She is about to be two years old and was in great health before this. She won't eat or drink either. I'm worried about her...
Excessive Production of Saliva Average Cost
From 472 quotes ranging from $500 - $2,500
Average Cost
$850
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