Why Pets Drool: Stomatitis and Periodontal Disease

1 Stomatitis in Cats and Dogs

Some forms of stomatitis are contagious because they are triggered by viral infection; once a cat catches it, it is often never fully cured. A red line appears where the gums meet the teeth, and drooling is a daily symptom.

As the disease advances, ulcers enlarge and the gum line at the tooth base shows obvious rotting, redness, and heavy drooling, with an inability to eat and clear oral pain — the cat shakes and scratches its mouth, and eventually loses spirit and wastes away. Many causes should be considered, including immune problems (FeLV, FIV, diabetes, Cushing’s). Signs: thick cloudy saliva, severe bad breath, and pain-induced refusal to eat; some animals run a fever and lose weight.

2 Periodontitis

Bacteria and toxins usually arrive with tartar; FeLV/FIV or calicivirus make cats prone to periodontitis. Both dogs and cats are affected, showing bad breath, mouth discomfort, refusal to eat, difficulty swallowing, drooling, and lost teeth. A detailed oral exam under anesthesia, plus biopsy, routine blood work, and jaw X-rays (including tooth roots), should be standard diagnosis.

3 Diagnosis and Care

Treatment is both symptomatic and specific. Rinsing the mouth with an antibacterial solution helps; a little mild salt water can soothe slight inflammation, but established ulcers need medication. For periodontitis, remove tartar and polish the crown, use antibiotics such as amoxicillin, clindamycin, or metronidazole — simple cases are usually controlled this way — but severe tartar-driven periodontitis may require extraction.