What to Do When a Cat Breathes Through Its Mouth and Drools

1 Overview

1. Causes of Mouth Breathing and Drooling in Cats

Cats breathe through the mouth mainly when a nasal blockage from respiratory infection, labored breathing from various illnesses, or a rapid heartbeat after intense exercise occurs — but these rarely come with drooling. If mouth breathing is accompanied by drooling, the open mouth may signal more than breathing trouble. Possible reasons include:

1. Cleft palate: usually caused by trauma (falls from height, being dropped), preventing normal breathing and keeping the mouth from closing, so the cat can only breathe through its mouth.

2. Heatstroke: in high temperatures, cats can suffer heatstroke. With few sweat glands, a cat whose body overheats will pant to release heat. If you see conjunctival and oral-mucosa congestion, drooling, lethargy, reduced appetite, and a preference for lying on the floor, heatstroke is likely.

3. Oral disease: ulcers, gingivitis, cavities, and other oral problems cause heavy drooling and mouth breathing, along with reduced appetite, painful cries while eating kibble, bad breath, and lethargy.

2. What to Do

First identify the specific cause. You can make a preliminary judgment from oral symptoms; if unsure, take the cat to a veterinary clinic or consult an online veterinarian promptly.

Once the cause is known, treat injuries per a veterinarian’s plan. For mild heatstroke, give the cat a pet electrolyte solution and keep the room around 23–25°C.

Oral disease is the trickiest, but severity matters. For mild cases, metronidazole tablets can reduce inflammation, and an oral antiseptic spray can inhibit bacteria in the mouth. For severe cases, a veterinary dental cleaning or tooth extraction plus anti-inflammatory and pain medication is advised, with fluid therapy for cats that refuse food. Afterward, clean the cat’s teeth daily and watch oral hygiene.

The causes and solutions above cover only common cases, not every possible cause. If these symptoms do not help you judge the situation, take the cat to a veterinary clinic promptly.