excessively drooling - Pet forum for dogs cats and humans

Lukka'sma · #1 November 30th, 2007, 11:09 PM

I got home from work about an hour ago and noticed Lukka is drooling. Not something I have ever seen in her before. I checked her mouth as much as she would let me, don't notice anything wrong. She just ate her food with no obvious problems. Any idea's what could be causing this?

hazelrunpack · #2 November 30th, 2007, 11:39 PM

How is her heart rate? Are her pupils normal? Any vomiting? Do you think she could have gotten into something?

If she starts showing any other symptoms, I'd take her to the e-vet asap. But sometimes drooling can come in mysterious but benign episides...

Ember had a similar episode when he was about 6 months old. Drooling buckets...went through a bunch of towels trying to keep things dry. I worried about something toxic, but his heart rate was normal...his pupils were normal...no other symptoms at all...just gobs of drool. We hauled him in for the obligatory vet visit and they were stumped, too. After about 36 hours the drool faucet started to close and after about 72, he was pretty much back to normal.

However, since then , he's been the sloppiest drinker we have. He drools almost as much into the water bowl as he drinks out! Takes him twice as long to polish off a bowl as any of the others. We don't know if he was always that slobbery and we just didn't notice it before, or if it had something to do with whatever made him drool for those couple of days.

I hope Lukka is okay!

Luba · #3 November 30th, 2007, 11:41 PM

Some dogs drool a lot but if it's unusual for your dog, it may be nothing or something. It can be neurological and with larger breeds it could be bloat. bloat is dangerous and life threatening.

If there are any other symptoms present get to a vet ASAP please.

Lukka'sma · #4 November 30th, 2007, 11:51 PM

No vomiting, bowels working fine, no coughing or moving the tongue around as if to dislodge something. She doesn't seem restless at all. I don't know of anything in our yard for her to get into, her enclosure is fenced completely and we don't have things in her yard in the way of piles of wood etc. It's just a plain grass area.

hazelrunpack · #5 November 30th, 2007, 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lukka'sma

No vomiting, bowels working fine, no coughing or moving the tongue around as if to dislodge something. She doesn't seem restless at all. I don't know of anything in our yard for her to get into, her enclosure is fenced completely and we don't have things in her yard in the way of piles of wood etc. It's just a plain grass area.

Any chance someone might have thrown something over the fence?

Lukka'sma · #6 December 1st, 2007, 12:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hazelrunpack

Any chance someone might have thrown something over the fence?

I guess anything is possible, Lukka is friends with each neighbour that borders our yard and none of these families have children. I guess I will have to check in the a.m. and if I see it continue I will have to take her to the vet. It makes me so nervous when I see her acting out of character. Hope nothing is wrong and it's just one of those things like Ember had.

chico2 · #7 December 1st, 2007, 07:40 AM

Oh our beautiful Lukka,hope nothing is wrong

Lukka'sma · #8 December 1st, 2007, 09:54 AM

No drooling at this time but something is wrong, she tilts her head to one side for a couple of seconds and does those little corn cob bites, whimpers a bit. Her appointment at the vet is in 1/2 hour. I hope it is ear related rather than tooth, because that would mean surgery for my baby girl. I will update when we get back from the vet.

Winston · #9 December 1st, 2007, 11:17 AM

Lukka'smom! I hope all went well at the vet...Your poor girl! The drooling would worry me! Glad you were able to get in to the vet right away! Let us know how you make out!

Cindy

hazelrunpack · #10 December 1st, 2007, 11:56 AM

We've got our

s crossed and

for it just being a bit of an ear ache!

Lukka'sma · #11 December 1st, 2007, 12:46 PM

OK, so the vet just called. He gave her an anaesthetic and had a good look in her mouth and throat. He say's it appears to be a chemical burn on the back of her mouth and slightly down her throat on one side.

He say's it's not fresh from yesterday but looks to be a few days old. I just can't figure that out for the life of me. Anyway he coated the area with a Topical analgesic, gave her a shot of demerol, and said I could pick her up about 2:30.
I was supposed to work at 3 today but I called after we took her in and cancelled my shift. I know my head nurse wasn't happy, but Lukka will need me to be home with her for the evening and nothing will stop me from doing just that.
Thanks for everyones concern

hazelrunpack · #12 December 1st, 2007, 12:59 PM

Now I wonder what that could be from! But the rest of her checked out okay, so it's just a throat burn and no other consequences?

She isn't taking any antibiotics, is she? I've heard that if an antibiotic capsule sticks in the throat it can cause a burn like that.

I wonder if hand soap could do that? Or a piece of house plant? She hasn't been noshing on hot pizza, has she?

Big

s to Lukka! Poor dear!

Lukka'sma · #13 December 1st, 2007, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hazelrunpack

Now I wonder what that could be from! But the rest of her checked out okay, so it's just a throat burn and no other consequences?

She isn't taking any antibiotics, is she? I've heard that if an antibiotic capsule sticks in the throat it can cause a burn like that.

I wonder if hand soap could do that? Or a piece of house plant? She hasn't been noshing on hot pizza, has she?

Big

s to Lukka! Poor dear!

We are shaking our heads trying to come up with a reason for this.

No house plants in here, she is never left to roam on her own, never off leash, never at the dog park, only Mike and I living here. She never eats human food of any kind, no pizza bites or stuff like that, we never got her in the habit of sharing our food so she just doesn't even pay attention to what we eat. She doen't counter surf and shows no interest in doing so even with meat sitting out.
No antibiotics, and all soap in this house is pump style.
I don't have any cleaning products on the main floor where we live, it's all in the basement, and Lukka doesn't do stairs so she has never been down there.
I guess I will just chalk it up to one of those things

She's home, tired from the sedation (we had to lift the big girl out of the truck when we got her home

)
As long as she doesn't show any other symptoms all will be fine, the vet did take blood but hasn't run it yet, waiting for a call from me in the a.m. to let him know her condition and I guess he will decide whether to run the test or not at that time.

luckypenny · #14 December 1st, 2007, 01:55 PM

That must be frustrating trying to figure out what must have happened to her. More

s to her hoping she's better really soon.

Lukka'sma · #15 December 1st, 2007, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luckypenny

That must be frustrating trying to figure out what must have happened to her. More

s to her hoping she's better really soon.

It sure is......nothing laying around this house that I can pinpoint as the cause, but on the other hand it had to come from somewhere

rainbow · #16 December 2nd, 2007, 02:28 AM

How is Lukka?

Lukka'sma · #17 December 2nd, 2007, 07:17 AM

This morning she seems fine rainbow. I just took her out for a pee and poop, she's was running circles around the yard (so happy with some fresh snow)
The vet said she could resume eating today, I am going to give her just small portions for a couple of day so her throat doesn't get too irritated.
Thanks everyone for all the well wishes.

rainbow · #18 December 2nd, 2007, 02:18 PM

Glad to hear that Lukka has recovered.

It's times like this that we wish that they could talk.

chico2 · #19 December 2nd, 2007, 03:42 PM

Lukkas mom,maybe she just had an infected throat,like people get???
I don't know if dogs get that,but it can look really red and inflamed,probably similar to a burn.
Anyway,I am really glad to hear beautiful Lukka is feeling better

Lukka'sma · #20 December 2nd, 2007, 05:37 PM

Thanks Chico, she is eating very slowly and it's quite obvious that she has pain on that side of her mouth. I guess we just will never know what happened.

Frenchy · #21 December 2nd, 2007, 08:41 PM

Poor Lukka :sad: Your vet didn't offer more help to figure this out ? This is so weird

speedy recovery beautiful Lukka.

hazelrunpack · #22 December 2nd, 2007, 10:09 PM

I'm glad she's eating again, anyway.

s for Lukka from hazel and slobber from the Pack. (It's that magic healing setter spittle...good for what ails ya, Lukka!

)

gomez · #23 December 3rd, 2007, 08:37 PM

Good to see she's feeling better!

Love the pics in the snow also, looks right in her element!

Luba · #24 December 3rd, 2007, 08:51 PM

Quote:

She never eats human food of any kind,

NO harm in 'human' food for your dogs.
Dog food is garbage.

I wonder what could have caused the burn? Any greenies bones or rawhide or toys that have been chewed apart? Flea prevention?

Lukka'sma · #25 December 4th, 2007, 06:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luba

NO harm in 'human' food for your dogs.
Dog food is garbage.

I wonder what could have caused the burn? Any greenies bones or rawhide or toys that have been chewed apart? Flea prevention?

No greenies bones or rawhide for her. Her toys seem to be intact. She has had a couple of drool episodes over the last couple of days and just doesn't seem herself.
The blood work will be back today so I am anxious to hear what the vet has to say.

Frenchy · #26 December 4th, 2007, 11:50 AM

Good luck with the blood test result ... it's only 12:50 so I guess you don't have any news yet. Keeping my

for you and Lukka.

chico2 · #27 December 4th, 2007, 12:18 PM

Oh no LM,I thought she was ok again,maybe it's weather-related

beautiful Lukka will be ok.
There seem to be a lot of illness lately and worse on the Forum:sad:

Lukka'sma · #28 December 4th, 2007, 12:35 PM

Blood work came back normal so at least no infection and all organs working as they should
Vet has put her on ten days of Metacam.
She was so restless last night and she almost acts worried at times. She will walk by me and have that look in her eye of a dog that just been badly scolded. She still turns her head on an angle and her tongue pokes out like she has pain in her mouth. Anyway, this med should help reduce swelling and give her pain relief

luckypenny · #29 December 4th, 2007, 12:47 PM

Lukka'sma, has she gotten any new toys lately? Any new balls? I was thinking perhaps something toxic in the materials used

. Have you taken her elsewhere where she may have chewed on other objects, toys, bones, etc., that were not her own? Lucky would always get diarrhea when I brought him to a friend's to be babysat. I finally discovered he was chewing on her dog's rawhide bones.

I'm sure you've already thought of most of these... when this started, did you happen to open a new bag of food? Did you wash any of her blankies or toys with a new detergent (if she chews on them)? Could she have access to bleach, disinfectant wipes, or paint thinner (also on old rags)?

Just trying to brainstorm here...whatever it is she managed to get a hold of, I'm hoping it's not inadvertently still available to her

.