TL;DR: Teeth grinding and drooling in cats are signs of significant oral pain or nausea and should be evaluated by a veterinarian within 24 to 48 hours.
Why is my cat grinding their teeth and drooling?
Teeth grinding, medically known as odonterism, combined with excessive drooling (ptyalism), is typically a sign that your cat is experiencing significant oral pain or severe nausea. Unlike humans, cats rarely show discomfort until an issue is advanced. These symptoms often point to dental disease, oral lesions, or even systemic issues like kidney disease that cause mouth ulcers.
Is my cat grinding their teeth and drooling a medical emergency?
- The urgency level for a cat grinding their teeth and drooling is classified as Medium.
- While this is generally not a life-threatening emergency, it is a sign of distress and pain.
- You should aim to have your cat evaluated by a veterinarian within 24 to 48 hours.
- Seek care more urgently if your cat is unable to swallow, has a visible growth, or is acting extremely lethargic.
How can taking a photo or video help my veterinarian triage my cat?
- Capturing a clear photo of your cat’s mouth or a short video of the grinding behavior can be incredibly valuable for your veterinary team.
- These visuals allow a professional to look for signs of inflammation, broken teeth, or "red spots" on the gums without initially stressing the cat further.
- In a triage setting, this helps determine if the cause is a dental fracture, an oral tumor, or a foreign object stuck in the roof of the mouth.
Clinical Context (Merck Veterinary Manual)
Halitosis and drooling are common signs of oral inflammation, such as caudal stomatitis or glossitis, and saliva may be blood-tinged. Affected animals may paw at their mouth and resent oral examination due to pain, and regional lymph nodes may be enlarged. Causes of drooling include oral foreign bodies, neoplasms, injuries, or other mucosal defects, infectious diseases (e.g., rabies), convulsive disorders, motion sickness, fear, nervousness, excitement, reluctance to swallow or interference with swallowing, sublingual lesions, tonsillitis, administration of medicine (particularly in cats), conformational defects, metabolic disorders (e.g., hepatic encephalopathy or uremia), and abscess or other inflammatory conditions of the salivary gland. The possibility of rabies should be eliminated before oral examination. Feline stomatitis is a relatively uncommon but serious condition characterized by progressively worsening inflammation of oral mucosal tissues. Uremia can cause stomatitis and oral ulcers.
Chapter: Dermatology
Source: The Merck Veterinary Manual, 11th Edition (Page 362)