Drooling

furballsmeow · Mar 29, 2015

My cat has been constantly drooling and her chin is always soaked.

Is there some reason behind this drooling? She's never been like this before.

Would a constantly wet chin cause skin problems?

detmut · Mar 29, 2015

Dental disease such as gingivitis, stomatiis, or periodontal disease
Other diseases of the mouth such as oral ulcers, cancer, or a foreign body in the mouth
Nausea or pain associated with gastrointestinal disease or pancreatitis
Motion sickness
Kidney disease
Liver disease
Salivary gland disease
Heatstroke (hyperthermia)
Receiving medications with a bitter taste
Ingestion of something caustic
Certain pesticides such as organophosphates or permethrin
Ingestion of certain insects or toads
Inability to swallow caused by rabies, tetanus, other neuromuscular disease (eg., facial nerve paralysis, certain types of epilepsy), foreign body in the esophagus, or other condition
Other esophageal diseases
Some cats may drool while they are kneading, perhaps as a sign of contentment

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=1+2122&aid=3602

mwallace056 · Mar 29, 2015

Well Detmut beats me to it

How old is she?

furballsmeow · Mar 29, 2015

She's 11, I'm also concerned because she is spending most of the day and night on my bed when she was normally outside lots.

She has also been puking a fair amount. I am starting to get worried.

mwallace056 · Mar 29, 2015

I would take her to a vet, Only a vet can make a diagnosis, not bunch random strangers on the internet.

When you say spending most of the time on the bed, do you mean she sleeping more then usual? Is she eating normal or drinking water?

furballsmeow · Mar 29, 2015

I keep the radio on because it seems to relax her, she'll curl up on the bed and listen for hours with me.

I don't know how much that would make a cat drool out of contentment.

She doesn't seem to be in any pain.

She is eating just fine.

She is drinking a regular amount.

She keeps herself fairly well-groomed.

Her teeth look OK.

BUT

She doesn't seem to be washing her front paws.

She has lost interest in the milk ring.

She still has some scabs from fleas.

She has been puking.

She has lost her appetite for cheese (not that it makes me wish she would eat it, but she used to go crazy about it. she thought it was the greatest thing....)

She has been getting lazier.

furballsmeow · Mar 29, 2015

She has been dozing off a fair amount, she's awake most of the time though.

She sits there and grooms herself, curls up and lets me comb her fur, eats coconut oil....

She hops off to eat and drink several times a day, her dishes are in the same room, so it's not much trouble for her.

We do have a toddler in the house though, she might be hiding away from him.

furballsmeow · Mar 29, 2015

Also, there is a window right beside the bed with a perfect view of her backyard, she likes to sit and look out.

furballsmeow · Mar 29, 2015

NEWS FLASH

A few days ago I fed her some coconut oil, which seems to help heal just about any minor problem. (I also put some on her scabs.)

Her chin is completely dry, hasn't been for a whole week.

I'll see how she is tomorrow.

pinkdagger · Mar 29, 2015

Puking and drooling aren't normal. I would take her to a vet - this is around the time a geriatric blood panel is recommended (starting at age 9 is when vets prefer), and this can help isolate issues like kidney function and the health of other organs to determine if something internal is causing her to feel unwell and to drool. Drooling can commonly indicate nausea or dental issues, so best to get those out of the way first. They are very uncomfortable for her and can be easy to treat if caught early. There are cats who drool out of contentment, or who are just inherently drooly cats (we have one), but we could only determine this was the case after our vet gave him a thorough examination and blood work to make sure.

Changes in behaviour like not grooming certain areas would be a red flag for me too. I would not chock these changes up to a stressful household. Sometimes very drastic changes will scare a cat out of pattern, but the combination you describe and her age would warrant a vet visit. Cats being prey animals makes them experts at hiding pain, so unless they're on death's door, they'll make sure we don't have a clue how crummy they really feel.

I'm all for holistic approaches to help our cats as long as it's done under the care of a holistic vet. There are many things that people can try at home, some potentially very harmful and some potentially completely irrelevant to the issue at hand. At the end of the day, I still say go to the vet as soon as possible.

fhicat · Mar 29, 2015

FurBallsMeow said:
I keep the radio on because it seems to relax her, she'll curl up on the bed and listen for hours with me.

I don't know how much that would make a cat drool out of contentment.

She doesn't seem to be in any pain.

She is eating just fine.

She is drinking a regular amount.

She keeps herself fairly well-groomed.

Her teeth look OK.

BUT

She doesn't seem to be washing her front paws.

She has lost interest in the milk ring.

She still has some scabs from fleas.

She has been puking.

She has lost her appetite for cheese (not that it makes me wish she would eat it, but she used to go crazy about it. she thought it was the greatest thing....)

She has been getting lazier.

To be blunt, none of us here is a veterinarian. You should not be diagnosing your cat by yourself, much less on the internet from random strangers. Please take her to the vet. Drastic changes in behavior should always be checked out by a veterinarian first. Early treatment may very well save you from expensive bills down the road when things get much worse.

From the TCS forum rules:

No online advice can replace direct veterinary intervention. If you suspect that your cat may be ill, please contact your vet immediately. You are welcome to look for advice in the health forum while waiting for that appointment, but never delay proper veterinary care waiting for Internet advice. Remember that cats, and especially kittens, are very adept in keeping pain to themselves and delaying treatment may cause irreversible damage.

mwallace056 · Mar 29, 2015

Even if one of us were a vet, we can't make a proper diagnosis unless we saw her in person and took blood tests.

furballsmeow · Mar 29, 2015

Okay, I'll see what I can do.

mwallace056 · Mar 29, 2015

Is there a reason why you cant take her to a vet?

furballsmeow · Mar 29, 2015

Yes, unfortunately.

I don't like to give too much info, but I am under 18. My dad is more of a fish person, and refuses to 'waste' his money on the vet. We got the flea medicine from my grandmother.

On a salary of 40 dollars a year, I couldn't possibly pay for it myself.

So, sad to say, poor Laura only went to the vet once in her life, to be spayed.

We were trying to explain to my younger sister the expenses of a dog, and I included vet bills. Immediately my dad said "No vet!"

I wish I could get her to the vet, I really do, but my father is a major cheapskate.

mwallace056 · Mar 29, 2015

Well there really nothing you can do other then take her to a vet. Is there a family member that will pay for it and figure out a plan where you pay them back?

MoochNNoodles · Mar 29, 2015

That does tie your hands a bit. Is there anyone you can do odd jobs for? I'm not sure what your weather is like; but things like shoveling and yard work? I know some people who hire a teenager to help them clean up their yards in the spring; things like weeding and clearing out old plants, laying new mulch, etc. Maybe you can find something like that to do to earn a little money for vet costs.

I agree with pinkdagger's post above so I won't repeat what was said there. (And good call on not revealing too much online; that's always wise.

)

I'm going to move this post to the Health forum; my experience says this would be a health issue before a behavioral (as others have expressed already). Perhaps we will get more input on this for you too.

furballsmeow · Mar 29, 2015

My parents don't let me go anywhere off the street. Have to stay in sight of the house, we live in a wacky neighbourhood.

So, even though most people younger than me can go mowing lawns and such, I'm not permitted.

My neighbours are going away for the summer, though, and they asked if we could come everyday to turn on the sprinkler for their garden and check on their cats. Said they would pay.

I'm the cat lover in my family, so I see myself refilling the food dish, and being the only one to consent to cleaning out a litterbox.

My dad helps out a couple of old ladies, he told me that when I got my license I could take that over.

And my mom's all for me making money online.

My little sister got us to collect pop cans for her so she could get money for her dog, but my mom got tired of her not helping out and stopped.

I could possibly start my own collection, but I would have to keep it somewhere separate so I wouldn't lose it all to a sibling. l....o....l.....

I'll try getting her to the vet as soon as I can.

mwallace056 · Mar 29, 2015

Could one of your parents come with you?

Hopefully she won't go down hill pretty fast where it would be a emergency

furballsmeow · Mar 30, 2015

Okay, here is some great news.

My dad DID exaggerate! I though a check-up would be 300 dollars. It's only on average 30-40 dollars.

I have 230 dollars, so I CAN afford it after all!

I was going through the phonebook last night and picked out a couple vets in the area I could look into.

We don't have a pet carrier, so I plan on building one myself. I'm looking up stuff for that as of now.

BTW. Do vets sue you if your cat skins them?

Drooling

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