What Does It Mean If My Dog Wont Stop Drooling?

Unfortunately, dogs drool. It's just what they do. They salivate when they're hungry or even in the presence of food. However, some dogs can have naturally over-active saliva glands. It's a genetic trait that comes as a result of generations of breeding. A veterinarian will be able to check your dog out if it's more than just the occasional bit of drool though.

The problem with excess drooling is that saliva requires a lot of water to create it. If all the water the dog takes in is spent on producing saliva, then the rest of the body will start to dehydrate.

Foreign objects implanted in the dog's body can be a cause of this; the body tries to use the healing benefits of saliva to heal any wounds or remove an object. The following foreign objects are commonly found:

• Wood Splinters
• Fish Hooks
• Bone Fragment
• Plant Matter (e.g. Thorns or seeds)
• Fabric (e.g. Cotton or nylon)

In the case of fabric or plant matter, these are quite simple removals should they be there. However, splinters can lodge themselves deeper causing more pain if not correctly removed, and a fish hook can equally be a difficult challenge. If in doubt, consult a vet.

Aside that, look for any other sort of wound. A cut or scratch could cause the increase in saliva production, but so could an infection. Bad breath is a tricky one to tell with dogs but in these cases the owner can often distinguish between dog breath and infection smell. Any seepage of yellow or green pus is an instant giveaway, but dogs commonly do get gingivitis and, depending on the scale, it could be that too.