Physical or physiological characteristic

Dogs of the brachycephalic breed, which therefore have a “squashed face”, drool enormously and naturally. We can cite for example the dogue de Bordeaux or the French Bulldog. Their jaw is wide, their tongue long and the palate as well, which makes it more difficult for them to swallow the saliva they secrete. Some dogs with hanging lips will also drool a lot like the Dane or the Saint Bernard. For the dog that drools a lot belonging to one of these breeds there is not much to do, it is part of their charm.

Dogs can drool physiologically when excited or chasing potential prey. So a drooling dog may be hungry, saw or smelled something appetizing. Scientist Pavlov had studied this reflex of the dog when he expected to receive food.

Excessive salivation can be a symptom

Besides these quite normal causes of visible salivation, the drooling dog can suffer from various diseases.

All the causes of upper digestive obstructions, and in particular in the esophagus, will make the dog drool. Thus the presence of an esophageal foreign body or a stomach upset in the dog will trigger hypersalivation. Likewise, esophageal malformations or diseases such as the megaesophagus are sometimes manifested by a drooling dog.

The drooling dog may have pain or discomfort in the mouth. The presence of an ulcer, periodontal disease, a foreign body (such as a piece of bone or a piece of wood), or a tumor in the mouth can also cause the dog to drool in excess.

It is common for the dog to drool before vomiting or when he feels like vomiting.

Poisoning and in particular chemical burns of the mouth or esophagus (with caustic soda or hydrochloric acid, often used to unclog the pipes) can trigger ptyalism. The poisoned dog may drool and foam in the mouth. The drooling dog may also have eaten a poisonous or itchy plant or licked a toad (very, very poisonous). Likewise a drooling dog may have licked processionary caterpillars, their stinging pricks literally burn the dog’s oral mucosa.

In the event of strong heat and if it is locked in a poorly ventilated place the dog can do what is called heat stroke. The temperature of the dog then exceeds 40 ° C and it is necessary to act easily. Heatstroke may be noticed because the downed dog breathes quickly and begins to drool.

The drooling dog does not always have a disease. It should be checked for other associated signs pointing to a disease of the esophagus (such as difficulty swallowing), stomach (such as nausea or vomiting) or intoxication ( see the article on the poisoned dog).

If your dog’s excess saliva production worries you, in particular if there is an impairment of his general condition (tired dog, vomiting, dilated abdomen, etc.), take him to your veterinarian. Before leaving you can look around the dog to see if you can find a source of poison or if any objects have not disappeared.

Your veterinarian will do a complete exploration of the mouth (tongue, cheeks, gums, etc.) to check if the dog who is drooling does not have an object stuck in the mouth or at the back of the mouth. He will measure the dog’s temperature and check that the dog’s belly is not swollen or sore.

Depending on his clinical examination, he may decide with you to do additional examinations such as chest x-rays or / and an abdominal ultrasound.

The examination of choice in the case of esophageal disease is an endoscopy, the veterinarian will pass through the mouth of the anesthetized dog a camera and will go to the stomach to search for the cause of this excess of drool. We therefore introduce a camera into the dog’s esophagus. At the same time as it advances the camera, air is blown in to keep the esophagus wide open and observe the mucosa in detail. Lesions, a foreign body or even an abnormality in the natural movements of the esophagus can be spotted with endoscopy. With the camera you can also slide small forceps in order to remove tissue intended for analysis or to remove the foreign body without surgery. The same goes for the stomach.

If during these examinations an anomaly such as esophagitis, gastritis or gastric ulcer is detected, the dog may be administered anti-emetics, a digestive bandage and an antacid.

If the dog has an upset stomach the only treatment is surgery. After having probed the dog to deflate the stomach, having put it on a drip to fight against the shock, the surgeon will wait until the dog is stabilized before operating and putting the stomach back in place. Stomach dilation and torsion in large dogs is a life-threatening emergency.