Ask a PetDoc: Black lab drooling during walks

Question: Black lab drooling during walks

I have an 8.5 year old female Black Lab. She weighs 70 pounds – a little overweight, but not a lot. I have noticed lately that when we take her for a longer walk, she starts to drool excessively when we get home. This lasts about a couple of hours. Is there anything I should be worried about? We adopted her from the Seeing Eye facility in Morristown, NJ when she was 3 years old and I do have all of her medical records. She is a treasured family member, so if you think I should take her to the vet, just say the word.

Thanks again, Deb

Dr. Jim says:

Deb,

I can’t think of any disease condition or anatomical problem that would occur only after some exercise. Most conditions involving the salivary glands and excessive salivation are due to exposure to insecticides, damage or infection of the gland or its duct. In these cases the salivation is continuous.

Try to recall if anything happened during the longer walk:

• Was she panting more, thus drying the oral mucosa?
• Did she do anything different towards the end of the walk, like maybe nibble on some grass?
• Does she have access to fresh water after each walk?

When you take her for a longer walk take along a bottle of water and give her a drink a couple of times during the later part of the trip. You can get a pet water bottle with drinking cup attach at a pet store. It has been shown that dogs that periodically get to drink fresh clean water perform better and longer. If this doesn’t help then a trip to your veterinarian would be advised.

Dr. James Sokolowski, DVM, PhD is a veterinarian with 40 years in the pet industry. He has appeared extensively on radio and TV including CNN, Fox, ABC and other national and local radio and TV programs. Dr. Sokolowski is a recipient of veterinary professional awards for his contributions to the veterinary profession. Read his full bio here.

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