Drooling- Isolated episodes 3 nights in a row...

jennyjen

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Hi everyone,

I've been in contact with my vet throughout these incidents and have an appointment today. I hate when I leave my vet and then end up wishing that I'd suggested or inquired about something, so I'm posting to see if anyone has had a similar experience or has any input.

For the past 3 nights, my 11-year-old cat has had isolated incidents of severe drooling. On Monday and Tuesday, she started drooling at 11:30pm and stopped within about 5-10 minutes. Last night, she started drooling at about 1:00am (the drooling was not severe last night). During these episodes, she appears uncomfortable and acts anti-social. She shies away when I try to pet her. Sometimes her mouth is closed and it just pours out, and other times it looks slightly open. The drool is clear, kind of slimy, and has no scent. Although I canâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t say she hasnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t been drooling during the day when Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m not home, I have been keeping a very close eye on her and have only witnessed these 3 occasions. This is something that she has only done once before, and it was right after a move into a new apartment over 2 years ago (the emergency vet chalked it up to the stress of moving). My cat is definitely not a drooler, and the behavior she has exhibited while drooling is peculiar. I donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t think that these episodes are stress-related, because sheâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s been getting stressed out almost daily by me giving her lactulose (which she HATES), and she has never drooled or acted so bizarre after.

On Monday night, I originally thought she mightâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve gotten some Frontline Plus in her mouth (I put it on her at about 7:00pm on Monday). She was completely fine in the morning on Tuesday, so I figured she was okay. Then she did the same exact thing at the same exact time on Tuesday night. Then I realized that the drooling started within a couple minutes of being on my bed both nights, so I thought it mightâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve been my bedding. My boyfriend washed my bedding Sunday night, and I had just put it on Monday. He used a different detergent that I normally do, so I thought that mightâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve been the cause (both nights she stopped drooling within 5 minutes of being off my bed). I called the vet yesterday to see what they recommended. They advised me to keep an eye on her and thought she may have had a reaction to the detergent used on my bedding. I kept her COMPLETELY out of my room last night, and then she started drooling and acting weird at 1:00am. She was fine this morning, but I called the vet anyway since sheâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s been fine every morning, and they scheduled an appointment for today at 4:30.

Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m really confused about this. In addition, she seems to have been less affectionate over the past few days and has been eating less than normal. I did change her dry food almost 2 weeks ago since she had gotten bored with it (sheâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s an extremely picky eater), but sheâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s barely been eating the new one either. I havenâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t changed her staple wet food (which was not part of the recall). She WAS getting some of the recalled food (about 3 pouches per week), but I took her to the vet 2 weeks ago to get a urinalysis and bloodwork done, and the lab results indicated normal kidney function (thankfully). She also had her thyroid tested, which came back normal. Also, I normally give her Advantage during flea season, but my vet stopped carrying it, which is why I used Frontline this time. This is the first time Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve given her any flea treatment since September. I think itâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s interesting that the drooling started the same night I put the Frontline on, but I find it even MORE interesting that the drooling has come back late at night every night since putting on the Frontline. On all 3 nights, the drooling started immediately after she had been sleeping (in my view) for at least an hour.

Does this sound familiar to anyone, or is my cat just a weirdo? Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m very worried about her, and Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m hoping to know more when I take her to the vet. Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve searched through the forums and havenâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t been able to find anything that sounds similar. Could she be having an adverse reaction to the Frontline? Or mild seizures? Would it make sense for it to be due to oral problems if the drooling started right after she had been sleeping?

I would be interested in any input or additional suggestions to discuss with my vet tonight. I want to do everything I can to make sure she's healthy and happy.


Thanks everyone!
JennyJen
 

berylayn

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I wish I had an answer but I don't I just wanted to send you vibes and wish you luck with the vet appt. today. Sounds like you're doing all you can right now and have been keeping a watchful eye out for anything out of the ordinary. Keep us posted.
 

beandip

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That is very puzzling...I am not sure what it could be. It sounds like you've covered all the bases and that's good that she's going to the vet today.

I had one experience with severe drooling that went on for days. In Beandip's case, he had an ulcer on his tongue (or throat? can't recall) that caused him to drool. From memory, I believe the vet said it was caused by calicivirus...but I'm not sure now. He had a short course of zithromax (antibiotic) and was in good shape within a couple days. In his case, he was leaving drool spots on my bed that were 6 inches in diameter...he was miserable.

I hope the vet has some answers for you. Let us know how it goes if you can. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
 
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jennyjen

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Originally Posted by beandip

I had one experience with severe drooling that went on for days. In Beandip's case, he had an ulcer on his tongue (or throat? can't recall) that caused him to drool. From memory, I believe the vet said it was caused by calicivirus...but I'm not sure now. He had a short course of zithromax (antibiotic) and was in good shape within a couple days. In his case, he was leaving drool spots on my bed that were 6 inches in diameter...he was miserable.
Yeah, I'm actually starting to lean toward some type of oral issue. That would explain why she hasn't been eating as much, and I just remembered that she has NOT been happy when I've wiped the drool off the outside of her mouth. At first, I was thinking it wouldn't make sense, but I know toothaches in people can come and go. Plus, when I was having back issues, it hurt more at night. I guess it's possible. I really hope they can figure something out tonight. I HATE having to wait for results, and last time she had blood drawn on a Thursday, I didn't get the results until the following Monday


Thanks for your thoughts!
 

althekitty

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When I got my little Kitty Alan from the rescue home he had bad cat flu so was quite unwell and I noticed that he was dribbling a bit. I thought that it was just due to the cat flu. He was on antibiotics when we got him but we took him to the vet to have a check and the vet just opened his mouth and he had an ulcer on his tongue, it was bright red! Poor little chap. He got a longer course of antibiotics and in a few days the ulcer had cleared up! He was a little sensitive around his mouth too. I hope that it is something minor that can be treated, best wishes for you and your kitty.
 

jellybella

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Stanley had some drooling problems when he had a sore on his tongue and some tooth issues. Sounds like a mouth problem, but I know people can drool when they're nauseous. I wonder if drooling can be a sign of nausea in cats?
 
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jennyjen

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Originally Posted by JellyBella

Stanley had some drooling problems when he had a sore on his tongue and some tooth issues. Sounds like a mouth problem, but I know people can drool when they're nauseous. I wonder if drooling can be a sign of nausea in cats?
The vet said it could be a sign of nausea when I called them. Still though, Bailey's had a history of digestive issues, so I would think she's been nauseous many times in the past. I'm so worried!
I'm taking her to the vet right now, so I'll post an update when I get back.
 
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jennyjen

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Well, there's nothing obvious causing her drooling, I guess. Her vet said that her gums look irritated and that she could use a cleaning. One of her canines is a little loose and the gum is swollen above it. He said it doesn't appear to be a significant threat, she would probably benefit from having it removed since the root could be rotting. He also found a blockage in her right ear very close to her ear drum. He said neither of these things are likely causes of the drooling, but that it was possible (especially her teeth). Basically, he said that when he's dealt with cases where animals were drooling due to oral issues, the cause has been obvious upon an initial examination (like a very obvious rotted tooth or badly diseased gums, etc.). So he said that some watchful waiting is the best idea right now, but that he does want her to go back in the near future so that he can anesthetize her, clean her teeth, remove that tooth, check to see if she has any sores/ulcers in her esophagus, and use an endoscope to investigate the blockage in her ear. I told him I was concerned about anesthesia because she hasn't reacted well to it in the past, and he said he could do the procedure using gas only.

I really don't know how I feel about it. I guess if it's necessary, then it's necessary, but I don't really want her to be having teeth removed if she doesn't really need to. Right now I'm waiting for my bedding at the laundromat, because I decided to wash everything with dye-free, fragrance-free detergent just in case that might have been the cause of her drooling.

I'm really not sure what to do. I'm not concerned about cost, because I want her to be healthy. I just don't want to put her through unnecessary stress. What does everyone think?
 
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