TL;DR: Obsessive lip licking and drooling in cats often signal nausea, pain, or toxin exposure and should be treated as a high-priority situation. Seek immediate veterinary care if these symptoms are accompanied by lethargy or difficulty breathing.
What does it mean if my cat is obsessively licking its lips and drooling?
- These behaviors are typically physiological responses to nausea, oral pain, or irritation.
- Unlike dogs, cats do not usually drool out of excitement or anticipation of food.
- Licking and drooling often indicate a reaction to a physical obstruction, a chemical irritant, or a systemic illness requiring professional attention.
Is obsessive lip licking and drooling in cats a veterinary emergency?
- Urgency Level: High. This should be considered a high-priority situation.
- While these symptoms can stem from chronic dental disease, they are frequently associated with acute emergencies like toxin ingestion (e.g., lilies, cleaning chemicals), heatstroke, or a foreign body lodged in the throat.
- Seek emergency veterinary care immediately if your cat is also lethargic, hiding, or struggling to breathe.
How can taking a photo or video of my cat help the veterinarian with triage?
- A quick video allows the vet to see the frequency and intensity of the licking, as cats often stop the behavior once they reach the clinic due to stress.
- A clear photo of the mouth helps identify visible swelling, ulcers, or foreign objects before the physical exam begins.
- Visual evidence serves as an invaluable tool for more accurate and efficient triage.
Clinical Context (Merck Veterinary Manual)
Halitosis and drooling are common signs of oral inflammation, particularly with caudal stomatitis or glossitis, and saliva may be blood-tinged. Affected animals, especially cats, may show anorexia and paw at their mouth, resenting oral examination due to pain, and regional lymph nodes may be enlarged. Potential causes include oral foreign bodies, neoplasms, injuries, infectious diseases such as rabies, convulsive disorders, motion sickness, nervousness, excitement, reluctance to swallow due to esophageal irritation or obstruction, sublingual lesions, tonsillitis, medicine administration, conformational defects, metabolic disorders such as hepatic encephalopathy or uremia, and salivary gland issues. Feline stomatitis, while relatively uncommon, can cause progressively worsening inflammation of oral mucosal tissues. In advanced cases of stomatitis, cats will strongly resist oral examination. Rabies should be ruled out before proceeding with an oral examination.
Chapter: Dermatology
Source: The Merck Veterinary Manual, 11th Edition (Page 362)