What Causes Excessive Salvation in Cats?

Drooling doesn't necessarily mean your cat has a problem. A small amount of salivation is completely normal. If your cat's salivation becomes excessive, consult a veterinarian to ensure that your cat doesn't have a more serious condition. Injury, disease and poisoning are all possible culprits, and left untreated can lead to permanent illness or death.

  1. Teeth and Gums

    • Cats that suffer from teeth and gum problems may exhibit excessive salivation. For example, a cat that drools may have gingivitis -- inflamed gums. When caught early, home care may be sufficient to resolve the problem. In progressive cases, your cat may require the removal of affected teeth. Tooth resorption could also be the culprit. This disease occurs when lesions form, destroying the structure of a cat's tooth or teeth. If your cat suffers from tooth resorption, extraction is typically required.

    Disease

    • Many diseases and viruses cause excessive salivation in felines. Rabies, a virus spread through bites from infected animals, causes cats to drool from the inability to swallow during the paralytic phase. Feline respiratory diseases such as FVR -- feline viral rhinotracheitis -- cause running eyes, fever, sneezing and drooling. Diseases that affect the liver, kidneys, pancreas and intestines can also cause drooling.

    Substances and Foreign Objects

    • Your cat may drool because of a foreign object lodged in its mouth or esophagus. If your cat gets too hot, heatstroke can lead to thick, excessive drooling. The pesticides in flea and tick medications cause drooling when ingested. For example, if you misapply a spot flea treatment and the cat licks the area, it may begin to salivate excessively. Drooling may also indicate a more serious case of poisoning.

    Neurological

    • A cat that has seizures, whether from epilepsy, poisoning, a brain injury, a congenital brain defect or an infection, often drools. A grand mal seizure causes convulsions and loss of control for bodily functions, leading to involuntary drooling, urination and defecation. Most treatment for seizures involves managing the condition and keeping the cat calm.