Excessive drooling.

Dr. Marie replied:

Hmmm...this is a tough question to answer!

It is quite unusual for a dog this young to have drooling that lasts for this long. Usually if a young dog has excessive drooling I wonder if the dog has eaten something like a toad. But, this really would only last for a few hours.

Have you recently used any over the counter flea products? Some will contain chemicals like organophosphates that can definitely cause excessive drooling. If this is the case, then I would give Elsie a bath using some Dawn dish detergent. (And if this is the case, then I would get her on a prescription flea product. For more information see this article.)

A dental problem is a possibility as well, but again, uncommon in such a young dog. And, you said that you are not able to see any issues with her mouth.

Have a good look at the roof of her mouth. I have seen dogs that have gotten a stick wedged across the roof. This could definitely cause drooling.

And see if you can have a good look under her tongue. A foreign object like a thorn or splinter under the tongue could cause drooling as well.

Another possibility is something called a liver shunt. This is a serious liver problem and it can cause drooling. It would be a little bit unusual to see issues just now though rather than throughout Elsie's life. Most dogs with a liver shunt are smaller than normal.

There are some salivary gland disorders that could cause this as well such as sialadenitis or sialadenosis. These are rare. They are treatable, but you would obviously need to see your vet for treatment.

Unfortunately, if things are not improving it does sound like she will need to see the vet. I'm sorry I can't give you a solution!

Dr. Marie.


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Dr. Marie replied:

We don't tend to see a lot of dogs with allergies that cause a runny nose. It can happen, but not often. And, this really wouldn't explain a runny nose.

We can see some respiratory viruses (i.e. sort of like a cold) such as kennel cough. Not all dogs with kennel cough actually have a cough. However, again, this wouldn't explain the drooling.

Here are some criteria to help you decide whether to see the vet:

-If she starts to feel sick (i.e. not eating, lethargic)
-If she has any discharge that is green or yellow (as this would mean she has an infection and needs antibiotics).
-If she is still doing this after the weekend and there hasn't been much improvement.

I hope she's ok!

Dr. Marie.

Dr. Marie replied:

Ah, that would make sense. If there is a sticker in there, hopefully it has come out and hasn't migrated to her nose! Worst case scenario would be if it sets up infection in her nose. If so you'll see a snotty green/yellow discharge and she'll need to see her doctor for antibiotics.