As your dog gets older, his or her drooling can sometimes get annoying. Luckily, there are ways to manage this behavior! The best way is to determine what factors cause your dog to drool. If you know why your dog is drooling, then you can try to eliminate those reasons so that he does not have to work too hard to compensate.
Making sure your home is free of allergens such as pet dander may be one reason your dog has trouble controlling his saliva. If possible, remove all sources of allergy exposure for your dog so that he does not need to swallow or lick anything that contains allergens.
Another potential cause of excessive drooling could be due to health problems like hypothyroidism. Since dogs with hypothyroidism do not produce enough thyroid hormone, they will suffer from weight gain and/or loss depending on how much food they are fed.
Some dogs are just genetically predisposed to have more active glands than others, causing them to secrete more saliva. While none of these things are totally causal, addressing any one of these issues can help reduce your dog’s drooling.
They are not grooming enough
As mentioned before, your cat’s licks can tell you a lot about them! If they seem overly long and frequent, that may indicate they are trying to satisfy their oral needs.
Maine coons in particular tend to drool quite a bit. This is typically due to two things- stress or hunger. Since most cats are social creatures, they need close human contact to feel comfortable. When your feline companion feels uncomfortable or anxious around you, they will probably try harder to connect with you.
If your cat has been acting nervous or low of appetite, it might be time to give them some extra attention. Take them out for a few minutes at a time every couple hours until they appear more relaxed. Once they eat again, make an appointment at the vet immediately!
At the same time, if your dog or cat seems thirsty but is drinking plenty of water, then there isn’t anything wrong with the water. Make sure everything else is working normally though, and see a doctor if symptoms persist.
They are not eating enough nutritious food
As mentioned before, your cat’s luster of coat is due to their skin maturing and developing into a protective layer. This happens as they age and when they eat adequate amounts of nutrients.
However, if your cat is drooling excessively it may be because she does not have enough nutrition in her system. If this occurs during meal times then it is probably caused by hunger.
If you notice that her mouth seems more moist than normal though, then it could indicate something else. Due to the excessive moisture, her saliva has nutritional value! Therefore, even if your cat is hungry she should not feel discouraged from feeding her.
This article will discuss some potential reasons why your cat is having trouble controlling her saliva and what you can do about them.
They are not drinking enough water
As mentioned before, your cat’s larynx (the soft tissue that produces mucus) is comprised of fluid. When your cat is thirsty, she will swallow this liquid to drink.
However, some cats are constantly drooling which may indicate that they are not drinking enough water. If you notice your cat dribbling a lot of saliva, try offering her some food or milk first to see if this makes her stop.
If that doesn’t work, ask yourself why she might be experiencing dehydration.
They are not exercising
As mentioned before, your dog’s saliva contains trace amounts of cholesterol. When they drool, it is due to either poor blood circulation or hunger. However, as humans don’t have much muscle tissue, we usually can avoid this by eating foods that are rich in nutrition.
For dogs who are very active, having enough nutrients may be difficult if they are constantly moving around and chewing. This could possibly cause them to lack crucial minerals such as calcium and phosphorus. These missing minerals could potentially weaken their teeth, which would require surgery to fix!
Furthermore, since most dogs eat meat (especially carnivores like cats) dried food doesn’t soak up all of the liquid that has accumulated. If your dog eats too many dry kibbles, he might end up suffering from nutritional bone loss.
This could result in weak bones, serious dental issues, and even hip and elbow fractures. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to prevent your dog from drooling. Here are some tips for controlling canine salivation.
They are not sleeping enough
For many people, your dog’s constant need for attention is a source of stress. Not only do they feel overwhelmed by all of the drooling going on, but also frustrated that their beloved pet seems to be wasting away due to lack of sleep.
Many dogs who drool suffer from dry mouth caused by inflammation or infection in the glands that produce saliva. This can occur due to things like poor nutrition, oral health problems such as tartar buildup or gum disease, allergies, or other conditions.
If you notice your dog has more than normal amount of saliva, talk with your vet about potential causes before assuming it is just because he/she is hungry. Also see if there are any ways to help his/her lips relax so they will eventually drop!
Since most dogs spend lots of time lying down or sitting around, they are at risk of developing salivary gland hypofunction (SGH). If this happens, then their body no longer produces enough saliva to lubricate their tongue when they lie down or sit.
This could contribute to excessive drooling, making it harder for your dog to get adequate rest. Unfortunately, some owners may find this annoying, but ignoring the problem will likely make it worse.
You should definitely address how much sleep your dog is getting if his drooling becomes very bad. However, unless his symptoms improve even after doing these things, you may want to consider looking into whether oral supplements can help.
They are not using scent therapy
The other popular cause for drooling is so-called scent therapy, in which people who believe their cat has too much fur try to eliminate all of its smell by rubbing it with baby shampoo or use special brushes and towels that are scented neutral.
This may help reduce some of the drool because babies don’t have an odor they need to recognize and imprint onto like adults do.
However, this only helps if you can get your kitty without any kind of smell already! If your pooch doesn’t know what to look for, he might just decide that having more hair means he needs to drink even more liquids.
They are not using taste therapy
For many people, it is tempting to try to teach your cat to like certain foods by changing the shape or color of the food. If you have tried this, it probably did not work!
Maine cats are naturally drooling. They swallow less due to their longer digestive process, so they spend more time chewing what they eat. This stimulates saliva production.
If your cat does not seem to be hungry but still has some liquid in his mouth, he may just need to swallow it. He can also drink water if you notice that he is drinking less than normal and seems thirsty.
What should you do if your cat is constantly licking himself?
It could be that he is trying to cleanse his lips from something bitter such as milk or meat that he did not enjoy. Sometimes when dogs and cats growl or show signs of aggression towards each other, one party will get rid of its own scent by licking itself.
They are not using auditory therapy
If your dog is constantly licking his or her mouth, ears, nose, or eyes it can be very annoying to watch! This is called oral-motor activity, and it does several things for dogs.
Dogs use their tongues and mouths to breathe, so when they lick themselves, they are trying to keep themselves breathing. For some dogs, however, this goes too far; they will spend hours grooming themselves.
This is usually seen in young puppies that need extra attention, but as dogs grow up they should stop being obsessed with self-grooming.
For most dogs, just having occasional bouts of excessive tongue lapping is normal. However, if your dog is experiencing frequent episodes, it may indicate something more serious.
You should try talking to your dog about the reason for the behavior before doing anything else.