Many people associate dogs that are foaming at the mouth with the disease Rabies. While foaming at the mouth is a symptom of Rabies, this is a disease which is actually fairly uncommon today, so if your dog is foaming at the mouth, there are a number of other, less extreme ways to explain this, so please do not be alarmed.
One reason why dogs have been reported to foam at the mouth is due to excitement or anxiety. For example, many owners of show dogs claim that their pets foam at the mouth before a show, when they are experiencing a lot of tension. This is due to an overly high rate of activity in the glands within the dog's mouth which produce saliva, and will clear when the dog's heart rate reduces and the dog becomes calmer.
Foaming at the mouth in dogs can also occur if the dog gets too hot. Dogs left in hot cars for a period of time, or who exercise heavily, can foam at the mouth as a way of cooling themselves down. You may have noticed that your dog pants, with its tongue hanging out of its mouth. This is the dog's way of cooling itself down, and the excess saliva which can be confused with foam is an aid in this procedure.
Dogs can also foam at the mouth because they have put something into their mouth which they shouldn't have. Some toads and snakes emit a gas or liquid as a defense mechanism when picked up by a predator such as a dog, and the dog will produce excess saliva as a way of clearing this unpleasant substance from its mouth, and of preventing it from entering the stomach. While the substance emitted by the toad or snake is usually harmless, you should contact your vet if your dog demonstrates any unusual symptoms or behavior within the following days.
Dogs with allergies can also foam at the mouth as part of an allergic reaction. For example, if a dog is allergic to mushrooms, and picks a mushroom up in its mouth, the dog's defenses will mistake the mushroom for something deadly, and react in a way to prevent the mushroom from entering the body. The foaming at the mouth is a symptom of this.
One reason why dogs have been reported to foam at the mouth is due to excitement or anxiety. For example, many owners of show dogs claim that their pets foam at the mouth before a show, when they are experiencing a lot of tension. This is due to an overly high rate of activity in the glands within the dog's mouth which produce saliva, and will clear when the dog's heart rate reduces and the dog becomes calmer.
Foaming at the mouth in dogs can also occur if the dog gets too hot. Dogs left in hot cars for a period of time, or who exercise heavily, can foam at the mouth as a way of cooling themselves down. You may have noticed that your dog pants, with its tongue hanging out of its mouth. This is the dog's way of cooling itself down, and the excess saliva which can be confused with foam is an aid in this procedure.
Dogs can also foam at the mouth because they have put something into their mouth which they shouldn't have. Some toads and snakes emit a gas or liquid as a defense mechanism when picked up by a predator such as a dog, and the dog will produce excess saliva as a way of clearing this unpleasant substance from its mouth, and of preventing it from entering the stomach. While the substance emitted by the toad or snake is usually harmless, you should contact your vet if your dog demonstrates any unusual symptoms or behavior within the following days.
Dogs with allergies can also foam at the mouth as part of an allergic reaction. For example, if a dog is allergic to mushrooms, and picks a mushroom up in its mouth, the dog's defenses will mistake the mushroom for something deadly, and react in a way to prevent the mushroom from entering the body. The foaming at the mouth is a symptom of this.
