Why is the cat drooling? Causes of excessive salivation. Drooling in cats: causes and treatment

The reasons why a cat is drooling are related to either a disease or an anomaly. It's worth finding out in advance what it is. Otherwise, the consequences may be dire. The causes of hanging salivation can be divided into 2 large groups.

The first group is causes that are not dangerous to the health and life of the pet. The cat is drooling from its mouth if this is due to psychological aspect. For example, your pet is about to receive an injection or has just been given a pill. This will cause drool to flow. You can also notice something similar if you stroke the cat, caress it, or give it something to eat.

Just as an unconditioned reflex is triggered in humans when they see or pronounce a product, the same thing happens in cats. An example of this is lemon. When a person sees, smells or hears about lemon, he notices that his blood pressure reflexively begins to increase. salivary secretions in the mouth. And the cat begins to produce saliva.

If none of the reasons are present, and the cat has saliva from the mouth, then this can cause the disease.

Common reasons:

Foreign object in the mouth;
Problems with the oral cavity (teeth, stomatitis, dental abscess, etc.);
Damage to the salivary glands;
Abscess;
Heart attack;
Leukemia;
Rabies;
False rabies;
Oral cancer;
Heatstroke;
Gastrointestinal diseases;
Nausea;
Botulism;
Tetanus;
Insect bites (bees, wasps).

Excessive salivation is not always a signal of a cat’s illness, if like water, however, if detected this symptom, you should pay attention to the accompanying signs; there may be nothing.

More dangerous reasons are divided into 3 types, according to the nature of origin.

Physiological reasons:

Reaction to feeding. Perhaps the appetizing aroma or sight of food triggers reflexive salivation.
Growth and change of teeth in a kitten. With this process, in addition to hypersalivation, inflammatory processes occur in the gums and an unpleasant odor appears, causing bad breath.
The period of estrus or reaction to the owner's affection. The most susceptible to such manifestations of feelings are cat breeds with a long muzzle, as well as sphinxes and Persian pets.
Reply to reception medicines with an unpleasant taste.

Psychological:

Overvoltage nervous system. When in a state of nervous excitement, cats automatically lick themselves, and white saliva is actively released.
Transportation. The process of traveling by train, car, plane, ship and other means of transportation causes motion sickness and stress in the pet.
Stressful state when communicating with children.

Non-contagious representatives of the diseases were:

Portosystemic shunt.
Diseases gastrointestinal tract.
Lesions of the oral mucosa.
Diabetes.
Traumatic brain injuries.
Kidney dysfunction.
Tumor formations in the mouth.

Other causes of hypersalivation:

Finding a foreign object in the mouth or esophagus. Inability to delete on your own foreign body leads to frequent reflex secretion of saliva, Murka does not eat anything, drinks a lot and sits.
Allergic reaction of the body.
Accumulation of hair in the stomach and intestines after licking
Violation of the position and integrity of the jaw.
Overheating in the sun.
Contact with poisonous insects, amphibians and reptiles.
Injury to the salivary glands.
Worms.

It is important to determine how serious the problem may be. Factors influencing increased salivation can be divided into physiological, pathological and psychological.

In the first case, there is no reason to worry, while in others, specialist intervention is required.

The general condition and behavior of the animal has great importance. It is necessary to observe what changes in behavior have arisen, whether others have appeared alarming symptoms. These data will subsequently help the veterinarian determine the exact cause of changes in the functioning of the pet’s body.

Causes of hypersalivation in cats

If you notice excessive saliva in your cat, do not immediately panic. Saliva may appear in slightly larger quantities as a result of some natural reactions, For example:

if the cat smelled or saw food;
during feeding;
suspended secretion of transparent saliva can be observed while chewing food to make it easier for the animal to swallow it;
if you are treating your pet, then taking unpleasant and bitter-tasting medications will also cause excessive salivation;
Your cat may drool a lot when you pet him. Any strong emotional experience can cause a similar reaction in the body.

But, if clear saliva drips from your mouth for more than 10-15 minutes and you have not found any of the above reasons, you should start worrying. It is necessary to immediately contact a veterinarian, as this may be one of the symptoms of illness or injury.

The reasons for salivation can be very diverse. The above lists natural irritants that will not cause any particular inconvenience to the cat and will not affect his health in any way. Otherwise, the release of clear saliva is a sign of improper functioning of the animal’s body, which can have unpleasant consequences.

The only good news is that a large amount of clear saliva is not a sign of rabies. This disease has no cure and is fatal, and if your pet catches it, the saliva will look like foam. The cat will be afraid of the light, become more aggressive or, on the contrary, affectionate and behave unnaturally.

But, nevertheless, you should not relax - other reasons that cause excessive salivation are just as unpleasant. So, why can a cat experience intense salivation:

The most common cause is the accumulation of hair in the stomach. Cats are very clean animals, and when licking themselves, they always swallow a small amount of hair. Over time, all this fur collects in a lump, which is often quite large in size, and the animal begins to need to regurgitate it. Without a lot of saliva, this is very difficult to do.
Transparent salivation is a manifestation of poisoning. Cats are predatory animals, but sometimes what they “catch” is not entirely useful, and sometimes it is extremely dangerous for their health.
A lot of drool can be a sign of an allergy.
Another popular cause is a foreign object in the mouth, stomach or digestive system.
Problems with teeth, mechanical damage in the mouth - all this also contributes to the abundant production of saliva.
Viral and oncological diseases.

Naturally, the worst thing about listed list– oncology. Therefore, if you want your pet to live as long as possible, carefully monitor its condition, and at the slightest suspicion, consult a doctor.

Hypersalivation in cats develops according to various reasons. Some of them may not require contact with a specialist, while others can have a detrimental effect on the animal’s health. The first group includes physiological and psychological causes that are not associated with diseases, the second group includes pathological ones that require treatment. Let's look at why a cat's mouth is drooling.

TO physiological reasons relate:

The reaction of the cat's body to food. The pleasant smell and appearance of food help enhance the function of the salivary glands.
Change of teeth, their growth. Sometimes they are accompanied by inflammation of the gums, then the cat drools and has bad breath.
The period of estrus, as well as the response to the owner’s affection. Excessive drooling in this condition is typical for sphinxes and some long-faced breeds. When stroking or scratching behind the ears, the cat literally drools with pleasure.
Taking certain medications. Anthelmintic drugs, No-spa, can cause a similar reaction; they taste unpleasant to animals.

Psychological causes of severe drooling are:

Nervous overstrain. If your pet is very nervous, he begins to lick himself frequently to calm down. This promotes increased secretion of clear saliva.
Traveling in transport. In this case, the cat is drooling because it is seasick or is stressed.
Active communication with children can also cause severe stress in the animal.

Exist pathological causes, because of which the cat or tomcat drools. These are contagious and non-contagious diseases. Hypersalivation may be accompanied by damage to the nervous system, which is observed during the development of infections. Contagious diseases include:

Rabies is a deadly disease that is contagious to humans. Its signs are: increased aggression, inappropriate behavior, fear of water and light. Foamy saliva drips from the animal's mouth. With most other infectious diseases, salivary secretions from the mouth remain clear.
Viral leukemia (feline leukemia). Affects the hematopoietic system and affects the immune system. The main symptoms include chronic stomatitis, gingivitis, and complete loss of teeth. In addition, the cat is drooling.
Tetanus. Manifested by the following signs: tension and impaired muscle mobility, difficulty moving, muscle spasms, convulsions.
Infections respiratory tract(calicivirus, rhinotracheitis). In addition to drooling, it is accompanied by sneezing, fever, discharge from the nose and eyes, and the appearance of ulcers and erosions in the mouth.

Non-contagious diseases that can cause hypersalivation in cats:

Portosystemic shunt. This is a circulatory abnormality in which some of the blood enters the systemic circulation, bypassing the liver. The lack of physiological detoxification leads to the development of hepatic encephalopathy, accompanied by disturbances in the functioning of the central nervous system and hypersalivation.
Gastrointestinal diseases (inflammation or tumor of the esophagus, hernia hiatus, ulcers, flatulence).
Diseases oral cavity(stomatitis, caries, gingivitis, tartar, etc.).
Diabetes.
Chronic renal failure.
Traumatic brain injury.
Neoplasms in the oral cavity, salivary glands.

Other conditions accompanied by drooling:

Poisoning by toxic substances, medications, household chemicals, flea drops (if used incorrectly). A cat can become poisoned by eating low-quality foods, food not intended for its stomach (for example, chocolate), as well as some indoor plants.
Foreign object in the oral cavity (bone, etc.).
Trichobezoars. These are hairballs that accumulate in the large intestine. Most often they come out on their own; if the natural process is disrupted, they develop pathological symptoms, including increased salivation.
Dislocation of the jaw, in which the cat is unable to close its mouth.
Heatstroke. It can develop in hot weather during a walk, after active games.
Eating certain types of toads, lizards, and insects.
Bites of some insects.
Salivary gland injuries.
Allergic reactions.
Helminthic infestations.

The first two do not require medical care. The third includes diseases and injuries that are diagnosed in a clinic and treated under the supervision of a doctor.

Physiological

Salivation increases due to external stimuli:

Salivation returns to normal 15 to 30 minutes after the irritant is eliminated.

Psychological

Saliva is produced at moments nervous tension, provoking factors include:

moving, changing the usual environment;
the appearance of other animals in the apartment;
contact with an unfamiliar dog;
games with children;
visiting a veterinary clinic, medical procedures;
travel in transport.

Hypersalivation goes away when the cat calms down and returns to its usual conditions.

Pathological

When there are no apparent reasons for ptyalism, one suspects internal violations, they are accompanied by other unpleasant symptoms:

Viral infections. Saliva is produced profusely when infected with rabies. The animal's coordination is impaired, swallowing muscles fail, convulsions occur, behavior changes - the cat hides or becomes aggressive, is afraid of light and water. With calcivirosis, the virus affects the mucous membranes and worsens health. In addition to saliva, the cat produces mucus from the nose, tears flow, and diarrhea occurs. Ulcers spread on the tongue and palate. Body temperature increases, which provokes thirst and nausea. The animal looks depressed and loses its appetite.
Food intolerance. The reaction occurs when the food is changed, in addition to profuse salivation, the cat begins to have diarrhea and vomiting.
Foreign body. Swallowed objects and bones injure the esophagus, stomach, and throat. The pet refuses to eat, constantly drinks, tilts its head unnaturally, coughs, and rubs its cheek on objects.
Poisoning. Nausea with excessive saliva production is caused by spoiled food, household chemicals and cosmetics, poisonous plants and insects. With severe intoxication, vomiting and diarrhea with blood begins.
Inflammation of the mucous membranes of the mouth, dental diseases. Hypersalivation occurs in response to the accumulation of bacteria. With stomatitis, ulcers and abscesses are noticed; with gingivitis, the gums turn red and bleed. The cat eats worse and chews food slowly. A repulsive odor appears from the mouth.
Chemical burn. Injury occurs when acid or alkali accidentally gets on the mucous membranes after licking off iodine. The visible surfaces of the mouth swell, turn red, the tongue becomes enlarged, areas with a whitish coating and blisters appear. Breathing and heart rate increase.
Organ diseases abdominal cavity . Constant drooling and the smell of rot from the mouth accompany gastritis, ulcers, colitis, pathologies of the spleen and gall bladder. The cat refuses to eat, which leads to exhaustion.
Other diseases. Hypersalivation sometimes begins with pyelonephritis, liver pathologies, malignant tumor, diabetes mellitus, helminthiasis.

Signs of hypersalivation in cats

Drooling is a natural process that a cat needs for normal functioning. A liquid such as saliva performs a number of important functions: it protects the oral cavity (in particular teeth, gums and mucous membranes) from mechanical damage. Saliva is necessary to make it easier for your pet to eat - to lubricate or glue it, to make it easier to swallow. The main function of saliva is bactericidal. But if an animal’s transparent drool flows continuously throughout the day, this is bad.

The process of secreting large amounts of saliva is called hypersalivation or ptyalism. This is the diagnosis that a veterinarian can make. As for symptoms, excessive salivation can be called a sign of some disease or damage to the cat’s oral cavity, stomach and gastrointestinal tract.

Only a doctor can carry out full diagnostics body of your cat, examine it and make a diagnosis. Do not forget that in addition to the amount of saliva produced, other symptoms usually appear.

Symptoms

If the cause is related to the stomach or gastrointestinal tract, then, as a rule, problems with appetite arise. Your pet will not want to eat something that it would previously have eaten with pleasure, and at the same time it will still secrete a large amount of saliva.
Saliva from a cat's mouth is a symptom of dental problems, the presence of ulcers, growths or injuries in the oral cavity or digestive system. The cat may refuse solid food, hold its head unnaturally or unusually, and pieces of food may fall out of its mouth.
An animal can change its behavior.
Nausea or vomiting may occur.
If observed problems with the digestive system or poorly healing wounds There is an unpleasant odor from the mouth.
The cat may rub its face frequently.

If you see that the fur around the cat’s mouth and neck is wet, this is a reason to worry. Take a close look at your pet - if you see one of the listed signs, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Excessive salivation in a pet is easy to detect. There are several visual signs of hypersalivation:

The chin, throat, and fur on the cat’s chest become wet.
The animal constantly swallows saliva and washes itself frequently.
The tongue may fall out of the mouth.
The wool forms icicles.
Wet spots appear on your pet's bedding.
The cat often rubs against furniture.

If the cat is drooling ( transparent drops like water, or foam coming out of the mouth), then this condition may be accompanied by other symptoms. Observe your pet; this will allow you to notice a developing disease in time.

Saliva protects the mucous membrane of the mouth, participates in the breakdown of food and thermoregulation. The process of its formation is called salivation, increased secretion– hypersalivation or ptyalism.

The norm is considered to be short-term wetness of the fur along the edge of the mouth; the following external signs indicate excess saliva:

chin and neck get wet;
tongue falls out;
stains form on the bed;
icicles hang from the mouth, on the chest;
the cat swallows more often;
constantly washes his face;
rubs his cheeks against the corners of the furniture.

The face, neck and chest look sloppy, even if the cat constantly licks itself and washes itself.

Any owner should understand that if a cat is drooling from its mouth, this is a physiologically abnormal phenomenon; there is always a reason, which is extremely important to determine.

Signs increased salivation, in science called hypersalivation, are:

Continuous swallowing of saliva.
The regular process of wiping the muzzle on furniture or a person.
Increased licking process.
The wool mats and loses its shine even with regular grooming.
The tongue becomes flaccid and often falls out of the mouth.
Wet spots appear on your pet's sleeping place.
The fur on the face, chest or neck is constantly wet.

Hypersalivation in an animal quickly attracts the attention of the owner and often causes his anxiety. You can tell if your cat is producing too much saliva based on several signs:

the pet swallows drool too often;
wet spots remain on the animal’s sleeping place;
the cat constantly rubs its face against corners and furniture;
the animal washes itself frequently;
untidy appearance of fur on the pet’s face, neck and chest, even with constant care;
the tongue periodically falls out of the mouth and looks sluggish;
Icicles appear on the wool.

If these factors are present, you should carefully monitor general condition pet. But you shouldn’t wait long, and if there are other manifestations of health problems, measures must be taken immediately.

There are many reasons for hypersalivation, but serious illnesses usually accompanied by other symptoms. Often, in combination with excessive salivation, the cat develops bad breath, watery eyes, foam, snot, and may have other ailments.

Diagnosis of the true causes of excessive salivation

It is impossible to independently determine why a cat is drooling. One can only guess. Do not self-medicate your pet. Contact a specialist. When you apply, please provide as much information as possible. Tell us about the accompanying symptoms, maybe you noticed something unusual about your pet.

Will definitely hold comprehensive examination neurological system and physical condition. This will require an ultrasound and x-ray. An ultrasound is necessary to determine possible problems with the liver and other organs. If found concomitant disease, the veterinarian will order a biopsy of the infected tissue.

The veterinarian makes a diagnosis taking into account the symptoms associated with salivation:

Rabies – high aggressiveness, fear of light and fear of water, deviant behavior of the pet.
Leukemia – tooth loss, chronic course stomatitis or gingivitis.
Tetanus – dysfunction of muscle activity, lethargy, involuntary muscle contractions.
Infectious diseases of the lungs - ulcers in the mouth, sneezing, discharge from the eyes.
Portosystemic shunt is a genetic abnormality that disrupts the functioning of the central nervous system.
Diseases digestive system– inflammatory processes and neoplasms in the gastrointestinal tract.
Lesions of the oral cavity are dental diseases, which are caused by a violation of the integrity of the oral membrane.

The veterinarian's process of diagnosing the causes of salivation occurs in several stages:

Visual examination of the oral cavity.
Search for inflammation of the oral mucosa.
Additional research.
Analysis decoding.
A set of symptoms other than hypersalivation.
Establishing diagnosis.

The specialist makes a diagnosis based on studies that are carried out sequentially. Sometimes this happens quickly, other times it will take full examination cats. An appointment with a veterinarian takes place in several stages:

examination of the pet, starting with the oral cavity;
Ultrasound of all digestive organs to exclude a foreign body;
urine, blood and stool tests.

Each disease requires an individual approach and careful planning of therapy. Most commonly used medications can be purchased at pet stores. Examination of your pet by a specialist is a necessity, since it is impossible to independently diagnose and prescribe the correct treatment.

Non-contagious causes

The following are the reasons why a cat drools profusely from its mouth and which requires mandatory intervention owner, including contacting veterinary clinic. An alarm signal can be:

Independence of salivation from time or any environmental conditions.
The cat drools spontaneously and each time in different volumes.
The volume of saliva secreted increases every day.
The attack of drooling continues for more than an hour and a half.
In addition to hypersalvation, other symptoms occurring in parallel are observed.

Accumulation of hairballs in the stomach and intestines

If the lumps increase in size and are not able to squeeze through the intestinal lumen, then this state dangerous to the health and life of the cat. However, it is not possible to determine it at home, so a visit to the doctor is required. The presence of large trichobezoars in a cat's digestive tube can easily be diagnosed using x-rays or ultrasound.

Alternative external signs may include:

refusal of food;
high need for drinking;
bloating;
regurgitation of shreds of wool soaked in feed;
absence of stool for a long time;
presence of fur in feces.

Poisoning

Adult healthy cats are rarely poisoned due to their intelligence, sense of smell and self-sufficient attitude towards the world around them. But in some cases this is still possible, especially when the toxic substance does not have a repulsive odor or taste, and can also lure the animal. Much less common is poisoning when a cat licks a toxic substance from its fur.

Most often cats can get poisoned the following substances and objects, and in each case the cat drools profusely:

Plants that are poisonous to their body.
Pesticides intended for rats and mice.
Medicines that have a pleasant smell and taste.
Chemical industrial liquids and household chemical products - most often when they are licked from the fur.
Low-quality and heavily spoiled feed.
Mercury.

Read more about cat poisoning and first aid in this article.

Salivary gland cyst, or mucocele

Mucocele of the salivary gland in cats is relatively rare due to anatomical features salivary glands and the physiology of food absorption and chewing. However, this disease does exist.

The basis of the disease is excess accumulation saliva in the salivary gland and its ducts due to a violation of the integrity of the tissues of this organ. There are cervical, sublingual, pharyngeal and zygomatic mucoceles, depending on the affected salivary gland. In addition, complex mucocele occurs when two or more organs are affected.

Saliva accumulated in large quantities presses on the boundaries of the salivary gland and extends beyond its limits, soaking nearby surrounding tissues. As a result, granulation formation is observed, which in its type resembles an inflammatory process, since saliva has an irritating alkaline environment and contains a number of digestive enzymes.

This article describes salivary gland mucoceles in cats in more detail.

Gingivitis

Gingivitis is the common name for inflammatory phenomena leaking in the gum area. As in all animal species, gingivitis in cats can affect the area around one or more teeth. On early stages inflammation, pathology affects the outer mucous membrane of the gums and the tissues located under it.

Read more about the causes, symptoms and treatment of gingivitis in cats in this article.

Dental abscess

The alveolar process is the upper part of the jaw bone, which contains the roots of all teeth. The cause of most cases of dental abscess is a violation of the anatomical integrity of the external tissues in the area of the roots of the tooth, or tooth enamel. Microflora penetrates through damaged areas, which causes the development purulent abscess either around the roots of the tooth or in its cavity - the pulp. Drooling in a cat with a dental abscess is a reflex process that occurs in almost all diseases of the animal’s oral cavity.

Read more about the causes, signs and treatment of dental abscess in this article.

Stomatitis in cats

There are quite a lot of resources online that describe stomatitis in cats. The predominant number of them, including quite authoritative ones, describe the disease in the classic way– the way it would occur in humans, for example, or other animal species. This is not entirely correct, or rather, a radically wrong approach. By at least in the context of medical practice.

Cats are one of the mammal species in which inflammatory processes in the oral cavity are extremely rarely caused by standard causes, for example, due to physical damage to the mucous membrane. The predominant number of cases of the disease that occur in practical veterinary medicine is based on autoimmune etiology.

In other words, extensive inflammatory areas arise due to the rejection of tooth roots by relatives protective forces body. Immune cells perceive periodontal and dentin tissues (the surface of the tooth root adjacent to the gums) as foreign structures and begin a “war” against them, similar to how they would start it against a virus, bacteria or foreign body.

This phenomenon causes extensive inflammatory processes throughout all dental arcades, which goes deeper into the gum tissue and reaches the jaw bones. The worst thing in all this is the animal’s severe pain, which causes the cat to stop eating and quickly lose weight. Death is very common due to starvation and debilitating painful sensations. Throughout the illness, the cat drools from its mouth - this is characteristic feature stomatitis.

Read more about the causes, symptoms and treatment of stomatitis in cats in this article.

Treatment

Excessive drooling is a sign of a wide range of disorders in the functioning of the body. If you notice anything, it is best to immediately consult a doctor rather than treat yourself by reading “advice” on forums. Only a specialist will be able to assess the situation completely, prescribe a course of treatment and give useful advice and recommendations that will help speed up the recovery process.

All that is required of you is to be a good owner, recognize the presence of problems in time and do what the veterinarian says. During treatment, spend more time on your cat, it is as important and necessary for him as proper care.

Excessive drooling in a cat, which develops due to the influence of physiological and psychological reasons, usually goes away on its own. This condition does not require treatment. After suffering stress, physical activity it is necessary to give the pet a rest.

If your cat is drooling, examine the animal. If you find a foreign object in your mouth, try to remove it from there (with your hands or using tweezers). Then treat the mucous membrane with Miramistin or Chlorhexidine. If your cat produces excessive amounts of saliva after interacting with frogs, lizards, or insects, thoroughly rinse your pet's mouth.

Pathological causes require contacting a veterinary clinic, where they will perform diagnostic studies and prescribe the appropriate treatment for the cat. For possible detection inflammatory processes, the doctor examines the animal's oral cavity. X-rays and ultrasounds are done if there is a suspicion of a foreign body in the esophagus.

Diseases accompanied by excessive salivation require treatment, which depends on the diagnosis. Worm infestation treated with anthelmintics. In case of damage to the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, the cat is prescribed a diet and drug therapy. Diseases and injuries of the oral cavity are treated with external medications (ointments, drops). If neoplasms are detected, surgery may be prescribed. If rabies is detected, the pet cannot be helped; it will be euthanized.

At home it is impossible to identify the cause of ptyalism, and without an accurate diagnosis it is impossible to cope with the underlying disease.

Losing time can lead to complications, including the death of your pet:

Rabies cannot be treated; if infection is suspected, the cat is isolated and changes in health are monitored. If this is not done on time, the virus is transmitted to others through the bites of a sick animal. A person can only be saved by a course of injections of an anti-rabies vaccine to produce antibodies to the virus. Delay with injections leads to death.
For calcivirus infection, a complex of drugs will be required. The disease goes away in 7–10 days if it is diagnosed in time and treatment is started. At an advanced stage they join secondary infections, pneumonia develops.
When an object gets into the throat, the pet's larynx suffocates. They urgently take the cat to the clinic and do not try to remove it themselves. A foreign body in the stomach or intestines causes tissue necrosis, mucosal ruptures, and obstruction. It is detected using x-rays or ultrasound and can only be removed surgically.
Severe forms of burns caused by chemicals toxic shock, disrupt breathing functions. Without emergency assistance, suffocation occurs and the animal dies.
Inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract do not go away without medications and a therapeutic diet; they exhaust the cat and shorten its life. Drugs are prescribed only after identifying the cause of inflammation and making a diagnosis.
Gingivitis, stomatitis without proper treatment go to chronic form, when inflammation begins from the slightest irritant, it is not completely cured. The animal experiences constant pain, and because of this, its character deteriorates. With chronic gingivitis, diseased teeth have to be removed.
When poisoned, a cat loses fluid, and in severe cases, dehydration occurs. Due to the wrong choice of medications, intoxication increases, the gastric mucosa becomes inflamed, bleeding begins, and toxins affect internal organs.

Treatment is good when established correct diagnosis Why does a cat salivate a lot from his mouth? The worst thing that can happen is rabies.

During rabies, the cat must be urgently quarantined and not disturbed. Unfortunately, this disease progresses so quickly that it will not be possible to save your pet. Besides large discharge drooling, rabies is accompanied by increased affection or aggression. At the same time, the cat refuses to eat, drink, and convulses.

Poisoning. This does not mean that you are not feeding your cat fresh food. He could easily have eaten something on the street or been poisoned by medicines, chocolate, household chemicals. In this case, discharge from the mouth is accompanied by diarrhea, low fever, and weakness. If it's poisoning difficult character(poison, mercury), then the symptoms will become stronger. It will be not only drooling, but also convulsions, fever, paralysis, dilated pupils.

When establishing the non-physiological nature of the origin of increased drooling, the veterinarian determines the disease and prescribes appropriate treatment.

For injuries, ointments, creams and drops are prescribed. In cases of illness internal organs complex treatment is prescribed, up to surgical intervention. For psychological causes of hypersalivation, the cat is prescribed sedatives.

In other cases, if the cat drools a lot, foamy drooling, treatment is prescribed on an individual basis and occurs under veterinary supervision.

Examination of an animal’s mouth allows a specialist to assess the severity of damage or inflammation:

1. Inflammation of the lips in a cat can be eliminated at home. It is necessary to wash the affected area with an antiseptic solution 2 times a day and use an ointment containing an antibiotic. Therapy lasts until symptoms disappear completely. If an animal has a complication in the form of periodontitis, dental treatment is carried out in the clinic under anesthesia.
2. The inflammatory process of the gums occurs from daily treatment of the entire oral cavity with an antibiotic drug. Experts often prescribe Amoxicillin, Oxytetracycline, Clavulanate. Any product can be used strictly following the instructions and only after a prescription from a veterinarian.
3. Infection of the tongue or inflammation due to a burn chemicals requires the use of antibiotics; topical agents are most often prescribed. It is necessary to rinse the animal's mouth several times a day with a weak antiseptic solution. The cat's food should be soft to avoid additional injury to the mucous membrane and tongue.
4. Stomatitis in a pet is treated in a hospital under general anesthesia. The specialist cleans the oral cavity, removes tartar and diseased teeth if necessary. Further therapy includes taking antibiotics, regular mouth cleaning with an antiseptic and diet.
5. Thrush often occurs as a complication after long-term treatment potent drugs or for inflammatory processes in the cat’s mouth. You can get rid of it antifungal agents local application and taking high doses of vitamin B. The drug can be selected after tests and determination of the strain of the causative agent.

Ranosan and Levomekol ointment, Exalet hydrogel, ASD 2, Zooderm, Vetericyn spray are often used as healing and disinfecting agents. antiseptic solution Migstim, Alusprey. Before use, you should consult a specialist.

Diseases viral in nature In cats, treatment is quite difficult and time consuming. IN in this case therapy is aimed at eliminating pathogens, strengthening immune system the animal's body and restoration of the protective functions of the mucous membranes. The pet needs to be picked up proper diet, which will allow the body to be saturated with vitamins and all the necessary elements.

At the initial stages of the disease, the following are used:

serums and globulins: Vitafel-S, Vitafel;
interferon preparations: Neoferon, Kamedon, Maksidin 0.4%;
immunostimulants: Mastim, Immunofan, Anandin, T-activin.

If treatment begins late, then these drugs are not recommended for use. Doctors prescribe Gamavit and Fosprenil.

Problems with the gastrointestinal tract in animals occur quite often. Gastritis requires proper treatment to avoid complications. Specialists usually use:

antispasmodics: Papaverine, Spasmolitin;
painkiller Baralgin;
enveloping to restore the mucous membrane: Kvamatel, Zantac, Gastrocepin;
Dexamethasone and other anti-inflammatory drugs;
Sinulox is an antibiotic prescribed for high fever;
intravenous drips and injections are used for severe dehydration;
antiemetics: Metoclopyramide, Cerucal, Chlorprosmalin;
sedatives: valerian or “Cat Bayun”.

The animal needs rest and a strict diet. Pain syndrome eliminated by dry heat, such as a heating pad. Sometimes after treatment the cat needs to be given periodic enveloping agents(Maalox, Almagel, etc.). They can be replaced traditional medicine, marshmallow root helps a lot, flaxseeds, potato starch and licorice. Treatment can begin only after consultation and examination of the pet by a veterinarian.

Cancerous growths in cats require timely intervention, since final stages their development is not amenable to any treatment. On initial stage The disease can be cured by surgery; as a rule, the animal makes a full recovery. Nutrition is of enormous importance; the majority of your pet’s diet should be fats and proteins, and the amount of carbohydrates should be kept to a minimum.

Prevention

Preventive measures for excessive salivation in cats include the following:

Regular cleaning of the oral cavity, including teeth and tongue.
Apply flea treatment to areas that the cat cannot reach. A protective collar can be used.
Quarterly deworming.
Timely vaccination against rabies and other viral diseases.
Providing adequate nutrition. The food should not contain bones.
Storing medications, household chemicals, and toxic substances in places inaccessible to animals.
Limiting your pet's access to indoor plants.

To prevent food poisoning, keep the trash can closed. Do not give your cat food from the table, especially sweets, pickles or smoked meats. It is necessary to regularly bring the animal to the veterinary clinic for periodic examinations. Timely preventive measures will prevent your pet from getting sick.

If you have encountered a problem, have undergone treatment, it’s time to learn about preventive measures. To avoid a relapse of the disease and unnecessary drool appears. To do this, you must constantly follow the following rules.

Watch what your cat eats. It's not just the quality of the food. Inspect the oral cavity for damage. About the quality of feed. If you feed your pet store-bought food, monitor its quality. If storage is violated or the quality is not proper, there will be a hanging amount of saliva and bad breath.

Follow safety precautions when using cosmetics. If you need to do prevention or get rid of fleas, follow the instructions. The cream should be applied strictly to places inaccessible to animals for licking.

Household chemicals, cosmetical tools Keep it out of reach of the cat. Make sure that he cannot get into the means and open them. Some animals have a desire to drink water from the toilet. Limit his access to this kind of water, as we use household chemicals there. And after drinking it, your pet will not only cause an increased amount of drool, but will also “earn” stomach problems if they didn’t exist before.

To prevent hypersalivation, the following measures are taken:

At regular tracking the pet's health status, the risk of diseases and disorders of the pet's body will be minimized.

The health of a pet directly depends on the care and knowledge of its owner. Timely appeal in a veterinary clinic in case of excessive salivation of a dangerous nature, it will help to cure the pet and prolong its life for many years.

The most common causes of the disease can be prevented by simple but regular actions. It is necessary to choose the right food for the animal that is appropriate for its age. Cleaning teeth and tongue by special means The cat needs them quite often.

It is necessary to use household chemicals and cosmetics in the absence of an animal. It is worth protecting the cat from severe stressful situations and regularly showing it to a veterinarian. Many problems can be eradicated at an early stage with the right approach and responsible attitude.

Saliva performs a series essential functions: protects teeth, oral mucosa and gums from mechanical damage, envelops and softens food for easier swallowing, stimulates tongue receptors and much more. But if a cat drools so profusely that the owner notices this process, there is clearly something wrong with the pet. Increased salivation or salivation is almost always a sign of malaise, and the cause must be determined as soon as possible.

Signs of excessive salivation: the chin, throat and fur on the chest are wet, the cat constantly swallows saliva and rubs its muzzle on the furniture, and washes itself frequently. Wool, especially long wool, becomes icicles in a matter of hours. There are visible wet spots on the bedding where the pet slept. As a rule, increased salivation is accompanied by other signs of illness. Therefore, it is important to take a closer look at your favorite, because... The mere fact that a cat is drooling from its mouth will not help determine the cause of the illness.

Most terrible diagnosis- this is rabies. A sick cat cannot be saved; it must be urgently quarantined, avoiding any contact. With rabies, in addition to drooling, a sharp change in behavior (aggression or excessive affection), perverted appetite, convulsions, and hydrophobia are observed. But rabies is not the only virus that causes cats to drool. During an infection accompanied by elevated body temperature, the pet consumes a lot of water, which causes nausea. And nausea causes drooling.

A viral infection is suspected if the following symptoms occur: decreased appetite, apathy, weakness, elevated temperature, gastrointestinal disorders, discharge from the eyes and nose, sneezing and coughing.

Read also: Stronghold for cats - drug review

Poisoning

One of the most common reasons why a cat drools is poisoning. And it’s not necessary we're talking about about stale products that your pet is unlikely to get at home (but it’s easy to pick up some nasty stuff on the street). A cat can be poisoned by medications, flea treatment if used incorrectly, household chemicals, chocolate, and other food that is not intended for the stomach of a small predator.

When poisoned, the cat drools heavily, experiences vomiting and diarrhea, emetic convulsions, increased thirst, weakness, rising temperature. IN severe cases fever, convulsions, paralysis develop, pupils are dilated (in case of poisoning with pesticides, mercury, etc.).

Gums and teeth

With age or poor care, your cat's teeth wear out and her gums become inflamed. Some oral problems arise as a result of hidden chronic illness. If a cat drools, chews with caution, and does not allow its head to be touched, it may be tormented. constant pain, caused

The secretion of saliva is an important physiological process in the body of cats, necessary for proper digestion. Saliva moistens the swallowed food, thereby improving the chewing process. In addition, in the oral cavity, food is exposed to food enzymes contained in saliva and contributing to the primary breakdown and further digestion of feed.

An increase in the amount of saliva secreted in a cat can be physiological or pathological.

Physiological reasons:

feeding time is approaching;
the sight and smell of food;
the process of chewing food.

As a rule, it is difficult, if not impossible, to notice a visual physiological increase in the amount of saliva. Yes, and by and large this should not worry the cat owner.

Pathological causes

Visible profuse drooling can be caused by a wide variety of diseases of the oral cavity and digestive system:

wounds, bruises in the lips or cheeks;
, gingivitis, glossitis, etc.
the presence of neoplasms in the oral cavity;
liver disease.

But in addition to problems directly related to diseases of the oral cavity, there are other causes of hypersalivation (increased salivation):

foreign objects entering the oral cavity, larynx or esophagus during rapid and greedy swallowing of food, resulting in the cat choking. An animal can choke on anything: from bones to accidentally swallowed objects during games.
poisoning, nausea, vomiting;
chemicals, toxic substances, medicines, bitter foods, household chemicals that get into the cat’s mouth in the most unimaginable ways.
improper, uncontrolled use of medicinal sprays, ointments, flea and tick remedies. While washing, the cat licks them from the fur, which leads to increased salivation;
Rabies is a dangerous disease not only for cats, but also for other animals, including humans. With this disease, foamy discharge from the mouth can often be observed. Therefore, if it is not known for certain what could have caused the increased secretion of saliva in a cat, special care must be taken when interacting with such an animal. In addition to excessive salivation (salivation), a cat may experience photophobia, hydrophobia (the animal refuses to drink water), and causeless aggression.

Symptoms and diagnosis

Hypersalivation can be a symptom of various diseases in cats.

Drooling is rarely the only sign of some pathological condition in the animal. Increased salivation may be accompanied by additional symptoms that will help reliably diagnose a particular disease.

violation of food intake;
the presence of wounds in the lips or cheeks (very difficult to heal due to constant trauma during chewing);
with stomatitis, in addition, indigestion, loss of appetite, pain when chewing may be observed, the tongue is covered with a gray-white coating, sometimes small ulcers appear on the mucous membrane;
in case of dental diseases, in addition to drooling, bleeding and inflammation of the gums, bad breath, difficulty chewing, and damage to the integrity of tooth enamel may occur;
when foreign bodies enter the oral cavity, profuse salivation is accompanied by the urge to vomit, restlessness of the cat, attempts to remove the stuck body with its paws or by rubbing the cheek against objects;
if a foreign body gets into the larynx, then pain and swelling occurs, which makes breathing difficult, signs of suffocation may increase, a cough may appear, and the appearance of foamy discharge from the nose is added to salivation;
When a foreign body enters the esophagus, profuse salivation is accompanied by gagging and coughing. Signs of anxiety increase, the cat stretches its head and neck forward, and the act of swallowing is disrupted. Sharp objects entering the esophagus can cause perforation of its walls. Perforation (rupture) of the esophagus towards the chest is dangerous due to the possibility of injury to the heart, lungs and significant deterioration of the cat’s condition due to the development of pericarditis, pleurisy, pneumonia;
and finally rabies. In this case, you need to be especially careful and attentive. The main signs of manifestation are abrupt change The pet's character changes from friendliness to sudden aggression, perversion of appetite, signs of damage to the nervous system are increasing (impaired coordination of movements, nervous seizures of the epileptic type). As the process develops, paresis of the pharynx is observed, drooling appears, and the animal cannot drink (hydrophobia). In some forms of the disease, the excitation stage may be omitted.

Treatment

To eliminate increased salivation, the first step is to treat the underlying disease.
If a cat chokes, the foreign body is carefully removed with hands or tweezers, and the oral cavity is treated with a solution of potassium permanganate, a solution of Miramistin, or any other disinfectant solution. In case of damage to the mucous membrane, the injured area is treated with Lugol's solution until the healing process begins.
In all other cases of hypersalivation, it is better to entrust the treatment of your pet to a veterinary specialist.

Prevention

To prevent increased salivation, it is necessary to follow the rules of care and maintenance of animals:

store medicines, household chemicals and other substances hazardous to health (vinegar, paints, etc.) in places inaccessible to animals;
to prevent medicinal products from being licked from the fur after therapeutic measures It is recommended that the cat wear a special protective collar around its neck;
carefully monitor the quality of food, avoid feeding the cat bones, fish with a lot of small bones and other food that may contain sharp objects;
periodically examine the oral cavity for the presence of stomatitis and dental diseases;
periodically sanitize the oral cavity;
Timely vaccination against rabies.

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Oral cavity of cats

Causes of drooling in cats

Why does a cat drool from its mouth: the main causes and diseases that cause excessive drooling in cats. Links to descriptions of diseases are provided.

Increased salivation in cats and other mammals, which in medicine and veterinary medicine is also called hypersalevation or ptyalism, can be a consequence of various pathologies, both infectious and non-infectious in origin. In addition, ptyalism can be caused by reasons that pose absolutely no danger to the health of the cat itself or its owner. So why does a cat's mouth drool? Let's try to consistently identify the possible causes of this condition, dividing them according to their importance and severity.

Simple and harmless causes of hypersalvation in cats

The simple causes of increased salivation in cats include those that should not cause serious concern to the owner. Most of these conditions either go away on their own or require some attention. In most cases, a visit to the veterinarian is not required. However, do not underestimate such deviations - some of which may well result in a big problem.

The owner needs to remember that drooling in a cat is not normal and in the end you need to either independently determine the cause or consult a veterinarian. It is categorically not recommended to let the situation take its course.

Showing feelings of love and affection towards the owner

Some cats drool when they reach the highest point of positive emotions. Often this phenomenon can be observed in parallel with purring in overly spoiled animals. This phenomenon is especially common in purebred sphinxes and long-faced cat breeds. In this case, there is no danger to the pet’s health, and the only nuisance is soiled clothing and furniture upholstery.

Feeding reaction

Usually cats behave very restrained before eating food and during this process, however, there are individuals who do not restrain themselves either in behavior or in other reactions. Temperamental felines often drool profusely before feeding, especially if this process always occurs at the same time. In addition, one can note the reaction of ptyalism in cats to certain types of foods.

If you notice that your cat is drooling depending on the process of eating food, there is no reason to worry.

Reaction to stress

Cats are very sensitive to their environment. Although this is not noticeable at first glance, animals react sensitively to changes in living conditions, cold temperature indoors, proximity to dogs, eating disorders, changes in the owner’s relationship with her, and so on. Due to the resulting stress, some cats may begin to drool profusely. As you calm down, this phenomenon may disappear as imperceptibly as it appeared.

It is impossible for a person to determine a cat’s attitude towards a situation as stressful. The owner often does not notice that the animal may not like something. Additional feature Frequent and active licking of one's fur can cause nervousness.

If there are no others serious signs, such as loss of appetite, increased lethargy, abnormal bowel movements, hair loss and others - you don’t have to worry. It is enough to show increased care and affection to the animal and over time the drooling will disappear.

Reaction to medications

As noted above, cats are very sensitive animals. They cannot tolerate any treatment, injections spoil their delicate skin, and bitter medicines leave a long, unpleasant aftertaste. Many cats drool from the mouth in the moments before an appointment at the veterinary clinic, if the animal is undergoing a regular course of treatment for more than the first time.

Drugs such as no-spa or anthelmintics leave a certain feeling of numbness and a bitter taste in the oral cavity, thereby provoking profuse salivation.

If your cat drools when taking medications and never again, there is no cause for concern. This happens for reflex reasons.

Foreign object in the mouth

A cat will definitely drool from its mouth if it has a foreign object stuck between its teeth or between the left and right alveolar processes of its jaw. At first, the animal will actively try to get rid of the inconvenience on its own, but later it gets used to it and does not show any signs of anxiety. However, in any case, the general reflex reaction will affect in the form of increased flow of saliva. In this case, you need to open the cat’s mouth in compliance with all personal safety requirements and carefully examine it. In most cases, the owner is able to remove the foreign object, but sometimes the help of a veterinary surgeon may be needed.

Reaction to irritants

Sudden drooling in a cat may be a response to chewing on any insects or spiders. This living creature has some toxicity and a bitter taste, which causes irritation of the oral mucosa of cats and provokes profuse salivation.

As a rule, the amount of saliva secreted in this case decreases and hypersalivation stops on the second or third day. If this is so, and there are no other deviations in the animal’s condition, then there is no reason for concern. IN otherwise A more detailed examination by a specialist is required.

Motion sickness

Many cats, like people, suffer from motion sickness. In this case, drooling begins to flow profusely during transportation of the animal, often accompanied by nausea and the urge to vomit. There is no need to worry if the drooling stops upon reaching your destination.

Non-contagious causes

Listed below are the reasons why a cat is drooling profusely from its mouth and which require the owner's intervention, including going to a veterinary clinic. An alarm signal can be:

Independence of salivation from time or any environmental conditions.
The cat drools spontaneously and each time in different volumes.
The volume of saliva secreted increases every day.
The attack of drooling continues for more than an hour and a half.
In addition to hypersalvation, other symptoms occurring in parallel are observed.

Accumulation of hairballs in the stomach and intestines

As cats lick, they gradually swallow hair by hair. As the gastrointestinal tract works, the hair accumulated in the stomach should come out, but it may be delayed and the intestines may become clogged with hairballs (trichobezoars), which is especially often observed in old animals in which intestinal motility weakens. Why does the cat drool from its mouth in this case? The process is purely reflexive - a hairball, mechanically acting on the mucous membrane of the stomach or intestines, causes such an effect. Moreover, small trichobezoars and individual hairs even contribute to normal digestion in a cat.

If the lumps increase in size and are not able to squeeze through the intestinal lumen, then this condition is dangerous for the health and life of the cat. However, it is not possible to determine it at home, so a visit to the doctor is required. The presence of large trichobezoars in a cat's digestive tube can easily be diagnosed using x-rays or ultrasound.

Alternative external signs may include:

refusal of food;
high need for drinking;
bloating;
regurgitation of shreds of wool soaked in feed;
absence of stool for a long time;
presence of fur in feces.

Poisoning

Most often, cats can be poisoned by the following substances and objects, and in each case the cat will drool profusely:

Pesticides intended for rats and mice.
Medicines that have a pleasant smell and taste.
Chemical industrial liquids and household chemical products - most often when they are licked from the fur.
Low-quality and heavily spoiled feed.
Mercury.

Read more about cat poisoning and first aid.

Salivary gland cyst, or mucocele

Mucocele of the salivary gland in cats is relatively rare due to the anatomical features of the salivary glands and the physiology of food absorption and chewing. However, this disease does exist.

The disease is based on excessive accumulation of saliva in the salivary gland and its ducts due to a violation of the integrity of the tissues of this organ. There are cervical, sublingual, pharyngeal and zygomatic mucoceles, depending on the affected salivary gland. In addition, complex mucocele occurs when two or more organs are affected.

The most common causes of mucocele are: mechanical damage salivary glands as a result of impact, penetrating trauma, fixation of foreign objects, for example, sharp fish bone, as well as the formation of sialoliths - stones that form in the salivary ducts and block them.

Dental abscess

The development of a dental abscess is another reason why a cat drools from its mouth. The course of the disease, as a rule, is more complex than gingivitis and may be its consequence. A dental abscess is based on the formation of a pathological cavity filled with pus, located in the area of the alveolar process of the upper or lower jaw. The alveolar process is the upper part of the jaw bone, which contains the roots of all teeth. The cause of most cases of dental abscess is a violation of the anatomical integrity of the external tissues in the area of the roots of the tooth, or tooth enamel. Microflora penetrates through the damaged areas, which causes the development of a purulent abscess either around the roots of the tooth or in its cavity - the pulp. Drooling in a cat with a dental abscess is a reflex process that occurs in almost all diseases of the animal’s oral cavity.

Read more about the causes, signs and treatment of dental abscess.

Stomatitis in cats

There are quite a lot of resources online that describe stomatitis in cats. The predominant number of them, including quite authoritative ones, describe the disease in a classical way - the way it would occur in humans, for example, or other animal species. This is not entirely correct, or rather, a radically wrong approach. At least in terms of medical practice.

Cats are one of the mammal species in which inflammatory processes in the oral cavity are extremely rarely caused by standard causes, for example, due to physical damage to the mucous membrane. The predominant number of cases of the disease that occur in practical veterinary medicine is based on autoimmune etiology. In other words, extensive inflammatory areas arise due to the rejection of tooth roots by the body’s natural defenses. Immune cells perceive periodontal and dentin tissues (the surface of the tooth root adjacent to the gums) as foreign structures and begin a “war” against them, similar to how they would start it against a virus, bacteria or foreign body.

This phenomenon causes extensive inflammatory processes throughout all dental arcades, which goes deeper into the gum tissue and reaches the jaw bones. The worst thing in all this is the animal’s severe pain, which causes the cat to stop eating and quickly lose weight. Death is very common due to starvation and debilitating pain. Throughout the course of the disease, the cat drools from its mouth - this is a characteristic sign of stomatitis.

Stomatitis in cats is very difficult to treat, especially in advanced stages. Sometimes the only way to save an animal from death is to remove all its teeth.

Read more about the causes, symptoms and treatment of stomatitis in cats.

Infectious diseases

In addition to the causes of increased drooling in cats, there are a number of contagious diseases that can cause feline ptyalism. Let's list the main ones.

Viral leukemia in cats

This type of viral disease is also called feline leukemia. The basis of the disease is the penetration of the virus into the animal’s hematopoietic organs, where not only red blood cells - erythrocytes - are produced, but also white ones, which are protective cells that organize the cat’s immunity - leukocytes. Under the pathological influence of the virus on productive cells bone marrow, it begins to generate immune bodies, which not only do not protect the animal’s body, but can also provoke the development of cancer.

Express diagnosis of leukemia in cats

The suppressed state of immunity is reacted primarily by tissues that most often come into contact with the external environment, rich in microorganisms, from which, in fact, the immune system should protect. Therefore, in these places, and these are mainly the organs of the oral cavity, intestines, and skin, complex inflammatory reactions begin to develop as a result of the influence of secondary microflora that enters here from the environment.

The consequence of leukemia in cats is difficult-to-treat stomatitis and gingivitis, which in turn are provoked by a situation where the cat constantly drools from the mouth. You can read more about feline leukemia in.

Rabies

The rabies virus affects many mammals, including humans. Considering that there is no treatment for this disease, sick animals must be destroyed, and humans must be destroyed. preventive measures. The only way to protect your pet– carry out vaccination against rabies in at a young age, however, such a hike does not always save.

The causative agent of rabies is a virus that passes its first stages of development after infection in the salivary glands, and then spreads through the blood to the brain, where it causes irreversible organic damage. Symptoms of rabies are almost always typical and should prompt the animal owner to immediately contact a veterinarian. These symptoms include:

Changing the cat's behavior towards increased aggression, fear, etc. negative reaction, including its owner.
The cat is constantly drooling from her mouth. Why this happens is written above - the virus actively multiplies in the salivary glands, which causes a corresponding ptyalism reaction.
Hydrophobia, which is aggravated by the sounds of gurgling iridescent liquid.

Pseudorabies, or false rabies, or Aujeszky's disease

Cats suffer from this disease relatively rarely, but are highly susceptible to infection by the virus if it enters their body, mainly through eating raw pork, since pigs are most often affected by this virus.

The virus enters the cat's body orally and multiplies in the tissues of the tonsils and pharynx. It then spreads to the brain through cranial nerves, where it causes non-purulent encephalitis, which is actually the main cause of mortality. The virus is excreted through copious amounts of saliva and nasal secretion. It is worth noting that such removal does not have epidemiological consequences, since the virus is not transmitted from cat to cat.

False rabies in cats occurs only sporadically, mainly in urban areas where cats eat waste pork meat. Like regular rabies, the incubation period of the disease is short, no longer than 2 days. The infection causes acute encephalitis, with excitement and clear signs severe drooling as the initial clinical symptoms. It is because a cat's drooling mouth is that Aujeszky's disease is often misdiagnosed as rabies.

Subsequently, it is observed severe exhaustion cats, often accompanied by intense itching, leading to scratching, scratching and self-mutilation. Subsequently, even stronger salivation begins, and nervous signs become more pronounced. There is a lack of coordination and, finally, complete paralysis occurs.

Cats suffering from pseudorabies are rarely aggressive, and the progression of the disease is more rapid than in the case of rabies. The result is invariably fatal within 12 to 48 hours after the onset of clinical signs. Treatments for pseudorabies this moment does not exist.

Except everyone listed reasons increased salivation in cats, there are those that are extremely rare in this type of animal:

Heatstroke.
Cancers of the oral cavity, most often lymphomas caused by the leukemia virus.

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Increased salivation in mammals, which is commonly called hypersalevation, or ptyalism, may not always be a consequence of a complex pathological process. However, in any case, this phenomenon should attract attention - every owner should understand why the cat is drooling from the mouth, especially if this has never been observed before.

Read in this article

Should I be concerned if my cat is drooling?

Any owner should understand that if a cat is drooling from its mouth, this is a physiologically abnormal phenomenon; there is always a reason, which is extremely important to determine. This reason, in turn, may be simple and not require contact with a specialist, or it may be quite dangerous, capable of affecting not only the health of the animal, but also of all family members.

The first group included causes of severe salivation in a cat, which may not cause concern, the second group included the most complex causes, requiring urgent treatment in a veterinary clinic.

What is banal hypersalivation in cats?

Banal or routine hypersalvation refers to excessive salivation, which is mostly associated with the conditions of feeding and keeping the animal. Thus, there is no underlying pathological agent that can cause the symptom of drooling.

Excessive affection of an animal

Heavy salivation is common in Sphynx cats and some long-faced cat breeds. During moments of affection and love for its owner, as well as during periods of estrus, the only problem may be dirty clothes and furniture.

Before eating

Animals with high temperament, especially when feeding is confined to the same time of day, may secrete a certain amount of saliva, which hangs in a thin thread from the corners of the mouth. In this case, no treatment is required.

Increased sensitivity to stressful situations

It is believed that cats, unlike other domestic animals, are much more resistant to stress, but this is nothing more than an appearance. Internally, cats have a harder time withstanding changes in living conditions, changes in ownership, extreme cold or heat, close contact with dogs, medical interventions and other stressful circumstances for them. If suddenly, out of the blue, the cat started heavy salivation, and no other symptoms are noted - you should remember what could have changed in the environmental conditions for the animal.

Taking medications

Some medications, for example, no-spa or anthelmintics disrupt the sensitivity of taste buds in the cat’s mouth, which reflexively stimulates the process of profuse salivation after administration.

Presence of a foreign object

Cats always chew their food very thoroughly. However, given the narrow distance between the alveolar processes and the lateral internal surfaces of the dental arcades in this species of animals, large parts of food can get stuck here.

At first, the animal will try to independently remove the interfering object, but if this does not work, it quickly gets used to it. But this does not exclude the constant reflex release of a certain amount of saliva. Therefore, at the first signs of hypersalvation, the owner should examine the cat’s oral cavity and, if there is any foreign object- remove it.

Insects and spiders

It's no secret that inquisitive cats can become interested in any small living creature that crawls and flies quickly. Some insects and spiders contain highly bitter and toxic substances in their body juices, which, when exposed to nerve receptors in the oral cavity, can stimulate strong salivation in the cat.

As a rule, in this case, hypersalvation goes away on its own within 24 hours. If the process continues for more than 36 hours and is accompanied by additional symptoms of lethargy, loss of appetite, vomiting and diarrhea, it is recommended to seek veterinary help.

Motion sickness

Some cats, like people, do not tolerate long periods of movement, so if your cat is drooling during transport, there is no cause for particular concern.

Pathological hypersalvation in cats

Pathological hypersalvation in veterinary medicine is called increased secretion saliva in animals, which is stimulated by a specific reason that requires mandatory human intervention. This kind of condition is due to a number of distinctive features that every owner should be aware of:

Drooling occurs at different times and is independent of changes in the cat's environment.
The volume of saliva changes each time with a tendency to increase.
The duration of one attack of hypersalvation lasts more than 1.5 hours.
There must be additional symptoms.

Trichobezoars

Trichobezoars are balls of hair that accumulate, most often in the large intestine of an animal, since the contents there are always thicker and peristalsis is not as active. Each cat has individual hairs or small accumulations of hair in its intestines, which get there as it licks itself. Most often, this hair comes out on its own, but sometimes conditions can be created for a large ball of hair to pile up.

TO additional symptoms This pathological condition can be attributed to:

Loss of appetite and increased thirst.
Bloating of the large intestine, which is clearly felt when palpated.
Chronic constipation.

If there is a dense blockage of the intestinal lumen, urgent surgical intervention. Accurate diagnosis only on x-ray or ultrasound.

Poisoning

Poisoning among felines is rare, but still possible. Cats can be poisoned by some indoor plants, raticides, medicines, mercury, household chemicals and spoiled feed. Why does the cat drool from its mouth in this case? The body activates the digestive system to eliminate toxic substances as quickly as possible. For this reason, diarrhea and vomiting, in addition to hypersalvation, in the first hours after poisoning, are general symptoms. Subsequently, a picture of general intoxication develops, expressed in the form of signs of nervous, respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Poisoning in cats requires immediate attention to a veterinary clinic if symptoms worsen over the next 4 hours.

Oral diseases

If a cat is drooling from its mouth, this may be a consequence of a pathology that directly affects salivary glands:

. The disease is based on blockage of the salivary ducts, when saliva accumulates in excess in the tissues around the gland, thereby causing the formation of a cyst. Mucocele is usually accompanied by swelling and tenderness of the affected gland.
Gingivitis is a general name for complex inflammatory processes of the gums. May be contagious or non-contagious. It is easy to distinguish gingivitis by the characteristic swelling, redness and soreness of the gums at the site of inflammation.
A dental abscess is characterized purulent inflammation in the pulp of the tooth. Often observed with deep damage to tooth enamel. The affected tooth can be identified by the presence of chips, cracks and the formation of brown-black spots or carious perforations.

Complex infectious diseases

If your cat is drooling, this could be a sign of danger. infectious disease, which requires immediate contact with a hospital in the presence of the following diseases:

Feline leukemia, or viral leukemia- complex viral disease, in which the pathogen attacks one of the most important systems in the body - the hematopoietic system, thus directly affecting the animal’s immunity. One of the main symptoms of leukemia in cats are chronic stomatitis, gingivitis, ending total loss teeth. To date, there is no treatment against feline leukemia, and the life expectancy of animals is low.
Rabies is deadly dangerous disease carnivores and humans, the symptoms of which, in addition to drooling, are inappropriate behavior, increased aggression, fear of the sound of overflowing liquid. The disease is not curable, and given the possibility of human infection, the cat must be euthanized, and the corpse must be destroyed by burning.

All of the above reasons for severe drooling in cats are just the main ones, which are most often encountered in veterinary practice. We really hope that the information in this article will help our readers understand why their cat is drooling from his mouth, and the appropriate instructions will help him take correct solution. Take care of yourself and your pets!