Q:  My dog has been drooling excessively, and we don't know why. It began two days ago when he also vomited and had diarrhea. Then the next day he was fine. But, today he is drooling again but no vomiting or diarrhea. He is a male Shih Tzu who is 10 months old. Please help!

A:  Excessive drooling, technically called ptyalism, may result from a multitude of causes including stomach inflammation, esophagus inflammation, a foreign body stuck in the mouth or esophagus, pancreatitis, kidney disease, liver disease, rabies and neurologic disease. Thus, as you can see, I can't begin to tell you the exact cause of your dog's symptoms without examining him myself. I can tell you, however, that it is very important not to let this go on for very long because your dog can develop water and electrolyte imbalances due to the losses of water from saliva, vomiting and diarrhea. Thus, I would advise you to take your dog to the vet so that this problem can get resolved before more serious problems develop.  

Your question has been answered by the following veterinarian:
Daniel Lauridia, DVM

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