Foaming From the Mouth

Seeing your pet foam at the mouth might be frightening at first, bringing up thoughts of rabies, but there are many other reasons why your dog or cat might be in this state. At Animal Emergency Care of Braselton, this is just one of the many common symptoms we treat each day. Don’t approach a strange animal that’s foaming at the mouth, especially an aggressive one, but if it’s your pet the odds are good that one of these reasons apply:

Reasons Your Pet Might Be Foaming at the Mouth

• Upset stomach If your pet eats something that doesn’t agree with it, it’s likely to pant, spit and do anything else necessary to get rid of that taste. Many pets delight in sneaking spoiled or forbidden food, which can make them sick to their stomach. If your pet is nauseated, that can cause excess salivation and foaming, as well.
• Overexertion If your dog is working or playing hard, it’s likely to pant. That panting can cause the saliva in its mouth to foam up. As soon as it drinks water and settles down, the foaming should go away. This is one of the most common reasons owners see foam in their pet’s mouth.
• Seizures Dogs that suffer from seizures can foam at the mouth. Sometimes seizures are obvious, with a dog falling down and twitching its legs. Other times the symptoms are more subtle, and can include foaming at the mouth. If you suspect your dog or cat is suffering from a seizure, call our office immediately for advice.
• Stress Excess stress can cause a pet to foam at the mouth. This can be seen in pets from abusive backgrounds, very frightened lost or abandoned animals or very high strung pets.
• Dental problems If your pet is suffering from dental infection, cavities or oral pain, that can cause panting and salivation, which combine to create foaming at the mouth. Always keep your pet’s teeth clean and bring it in for a dental checkup at least once a year. Dental problems can spread to the rest of your pet’s body, causing widespread disease, so good dental hygiene is one of the keys to keeping your pet happy and healthy.

While rabies is among the least likely of reasons why any animal you see might be foaming at the mouth, any time you see this happening to your pet should be a cause for concern. If the most obvious reasons (upset stomach or overexertion) don’t apply, call our office at (470) 209-7222. We’ll give you advice about the best way to treat your pet and alert our veterinarian in case you should bring your dog or cat into the office.

Foaming from the Mouth Emergency in Braselton

Foaming at the mouth in dogs may be a reason to bring your pet to our Animal Emergency Care in Braselton. Dogs engaged in vigorous physical activity may foam at the mouth and drool simply because they are breathing heavily and taking in more oxygen than usual. This causes his saliva to foam up and appear outside his mouth. After resting and drinking water, his panting should slow down, which will eliminate foaming and drooling.

Upset Stomach and Foaming from the Mouth in Dogs

If a dog eats something that tastes terrible, he will naturally try to spit it out, pant, cough and do anything else necessary to get it out of his mouth. Foaming at the mouth and excess salivation will worsen the more distressed the dog becomes. Eating something spoiled may also cause nausea, salivation and foaming. When the dog finally vomits, he should feel better and stop foaming around the mouth. If the foaming doesn’t stop, seek emergency care at our Braselton animal hospital as soon as possible.

Stress and Illness

You may see foam around a dog’s mouth if he is under physical or emotional stress or sick. Heavy breathing provoked by stress, fever or seizure will produce foaminess around the dog’s lips and drooling. Dental problems such as gingivitis, tooth decay and painful cavities can increase salivation and panting, which quickly turns into foaming from the mouth.

Rabies

Signs of possible rabies infection in dogs include fever, extreme behavioral changes, disorientation and sensitivity to sounds. Foaming from the mouth occurs when rabies causes paralysis of the dog’s jaw and throat muscles.

A vaccine against rabies is available to prevent your dog from contracting rabies. Ask your Braselton vet about starting your dog on a regimen of rabies vaccinations.

Why Would a Cat Foam from the Mouth?

Like dogs, cats experiencing nausea, illness or stress may salivate excessively and foam at the mouth. Roaming cats are more likely to eat spoiled or toxic items, which could cause foaming at the mouth. Topical flea treatments, seizures, dental issues and rabies are other reasons you might see cats with foam around their mouth.

If your pet is foaming from the mouth and you aren’t sure why, please bring him to our Animal Emergency Care of Braselton for immediate, professional treatment. You can contact us at (470) 203-2011.