TL;DR: Excessive drooling and lip smacking in dogs often indicate nausea or oral discomfort and require immediate veterinary attention if accompanied by unproductive retching or a distended abdomen.
Why is my dog drooling excessively and smacking their lips?
When a dog begins drooling excessively (a condition known as ptyalism) and frequently smacking their lips, it is often a sign of nausea, oral discomfort, or irritation. While some breeds naturally drool more than others, a sudden change in behavior usually indicates that your pet is experiencing discomfort, either from an upset stomach, a dental issue, or the ingestion of something with an unpleasant taste.
When is sudden excessive drooling and lip smacking considered a veterinary emergency?
- Monitor your dog closely, as the urgency level for these symptoms is generally considered Medium.
- Seek immediate veterinary intervention if the drooling is accompanied by unproductive retching (trying to vomit), a distended abdomen, or extreme lethargy, as these could indicate a life-threatening emergency like bloat (GDV).
- If your dog remains alert and active, it may indicate a less urgent issue like mild nausea or a minor mouth injury.
How can taking photos or videos of my dog’s behavior help with triage?
- Provide high-quality images of the mouth area so your veterinarian can look for foreign objects or dental fractures without stressing your dog.
- Record a video of the lip smacking to allow the vet to see the frequency and intensity of the behavior.
- Use visual aids to help the vet differentiate between a behavioral quirk, a focal seizure, or physical nausea.
Clinical Context (Merck Veterinary Manual)
Excessive drooling (ptyalism) and lip smacking in dogs can stem from a variety of causes including oral foreign bodies, neoplasms, injuries, infectious diseases such as rabies or the nervous form of distemper, convulsive disorders, motion sickness, fear, nervousness, excitement, reluctance to swallow due to esophageal irritation or obstruction, gastrointestinal stimulation from gastritis or enteritis, sublingual lesions, tonsillitis, medicine administration, conformational defects such as heavy pendulous lips, metabolic disorders such as hepatic encephalopathy or uremia, and salivary gland issues like abscesses or inflammation. Necrotizing sialometaplasia, seen mostly in small breeds such as terriers aged 3-8 years old, can also manifest as lip smacking along with depression, nausea, anorexia, salivary gland enlargement, weight loss, retching, gagging, regurgitation, and vomiting. Rabies should be ruled out before any oral examination.
Chapter: Neurology, Gastroenterology, Infectious Disease, Dentistry, Emergency, Toxicology
Source: The Merck Veterinary Manual, 11th Edition (Page 368)