When you see a Golden Retriever, it allures us with its beautiful appearance and warm personality. But as an owner, you need to face a lot of problems, it can be related to diet, exercise, and some habits. Most commonly, drooling is something you usually see in bigger dog breeds like Golden Retriever. Drooling dogs are often seen as comical, slobbery messes. But why do you think Golden Retriever drool?
Like most dogs, Golden Retrievers also drool but not to an excessive degree. In fact, there are certain conditions when your Retriever might drool a lot. Such as when they are feeling hot, soon after they eat or drink, after an intense exercise, and during excitement. Moreover, the anatomy of Golden Retriever, especially their larger jaw, cause them to drool a little more than those with smaller jaws.
But if your dog is experiencing excessive drooling, it might be a serious problem indicating illness, dental issues, hunger, and even poisoning. Therefore, you must be conscious and consult with the Vet when you notice your pal drooling a lot.
However, I get that it might be a little challenging to know everything if you are a novice. Luckily, I researched on this topic and this article comprises all my findings for causes and solutions.
Why Do Golden Retriever Drool? What To Do?
Like babies, drooling is not unusual for dogs, specifically for one with a huge body frame. Moreover, if you have been a happy Golden Retriever owner for quite some time, you might notice your friend drooling once in a while.
But if you have just adopted one then believe me, when I say it is common and healthy for your Golden Retriever to drool. Some of the common reasons why dogs drool are excitement, hot weather, hunger, and intensive exercise. In addition, most dogs also drool when they rest after eating or drinking.
However, excessive drooling is a sign of severe health problems like dental issues, liver diseases, poisoning, kidney problems, motion sickness, allergies, etc. Therefore, you must immediately consult with your Vet if you see your pal drooling a lot.
Nevertheless, just knowing the problems can only take us halfway through. So, now we will dig deeper into all these issues to find out solutions to each one.
Anxiety And Excitement:
Golden Retriever is one of those dog breeds that are very social. It loves and enjoys being around people. So, simple things can excite them, such as seeing their favorite person, treats, games, and petting. And, to tell the owner, they are happy, they stretch their tongue out and drool.
Drooling due to excitement does not seem to be a problem. But sometimes, Golden Retrievers might be drooling due to anxiety. When they are nervous or scared, their face falls down and they start drooling. You can distinguish this type of drooling by analyzing their behavior. During anxiety, they will be more restless, trying to hide, and their pupils will be dilated.
Solution:
Once you notice your pal showing such behavior, you must consult with the Vet. Besides this, it is very important to provide a continuous supply of safe drinking water if your Golden Retriever is drooling a lot. It helps to keep them hydrated. In addition to this, don’t forget to shower love and give time to your pet. This will make them feel safe and happy.
Anticipating Foods:
Golden Retriever just loves to eat. I must tell you they are a huge foody. My Retriever always gets super active and happy with its sees food, mostly its favorite ones. I don’t find it a problem if your pup drools seeing food. It is normal for dogs just like humans. Just picturing our favorite dishes waters or mouth. Isn’t it?
I know it is quite creepy to see your dog drooling while you eat your meal. But it is common and you must adjust to it. Still, if you think your Retriever is drooling a lot while anticipating foods. Then, I have some solutions for you.
Solution:
First of all, make sure to feed your Golden Retriever regularly. I suggest giving them frequent small meals. When they are full, they will be less interested in food.
Then, it is better to sit in another room far away from your pal while eating. Your dog’s saliva contains various bacteria resulting in various health issues. So, sharing food with them must be strictly prohibited.
Allergy By Heat/ Sunstroke:
Golden Retriever is loved for its dense and shiny fur. But its wonderful skin coat has some fallout too. Golden Retriever’s thick hair can be a huge problem in summer or when you are out in the sun. Due to the double coat, these dog breeds are more likely to feel extreme heat and drool in heat.
Furthermore, there are higher chances of your Golden Retriever suffering from sunstroke if you keep them in sun for a long time. Sunstroke also leads to vomiting, fever, and redness in the tongue. It is necessary to keep your pet safe from extreme heat.
Solutions:
Remember not to keep your Retriever in sun for more than thirty minutes. If you want to take your dog on walks, it is best to do it in the morning. That’s what I do mostly. Also, don’t forget to use dog-specific sunscreen when you take your pet out in the day.
Trim your Retriever’s hair regularly. Give them frequent baths during summer. It is best to keep water bowls all around the house to encourage your pal to drink more water.
Remember not to use ice and cold water because it may cause shock to them. You can use a wet towel. You can also place your dog under the air condition or breeze of the fan.
Poisoning:
”Human explores the world with their hands and dogs explore the world with their mouth”. Sometimes it may cause problems. Not everything presents out in open are good to eat. Usually, dogs have weak digestive systems, and their reckless eating habit might be life-threatening. And, the most prominent sign of poisoning in Golden Retriever is excessive drooling.
Furthermore, many of the foods including some human foods are poisonous to dogs. Here, I have some common foods that can poison your friend and make them ill.
- Chocolate
- Onion
- Garlic
- Avocado
- Caffeine
- Alcohol
- Items prepared from milk
- Fruits (Cheery, Peach, Apricot)
- Walnuts
- Grapes
Solutions:
The best and safest option is to keep these foods away from the reach of your Golden Retriever. Also, ask your visitor not to feed your dog recklessly. And, monitor your pal 24/7.
However, if you suspect your dog has taken something poisonous and is drooling, take medical aid immediately.
Stuck Objects:
Dogs are very curious by nature. They try and want t experience everything they can get hold of. So, they chew and lick the objects around them. Food items like bone, string, wires, and fishhooks are harmful to Golden Retrievers. These items may stick in your dog’s teeth or gum and cause a lot of pain, which leads to excessive drooling.
Solution:
If your Golden Retriever is drooling a lot, check the mouth. There may be harmful stuff is stuck in the mouth. My Retriever often comes to with a similar problem. I have taken out many weird things from my pal’s mouth from erasers to bones and even stones. Just ensure you are gentle when you remove these things.
Rabies:
Rabies is a deadly virus for both humans and animals. It is quite common in street dogs. But sometimes your negligence can lead your beloved pet to suffer from rabies. Pets like dogs, cats, rabbits, and mice suffer from rabies when they are bitten by street animals.
Generally, the Rabies vaccine expires in a year. One of the most common signs of rabies in Golden Retriever is excessive drooling and taking out their tongue. Since the rabies virus triggers the salivatory mechanism, rabid dogs produce more saliva and drool a lot.
Solution:
Don’t forget to vaccinate your Golden Retriever. I know you might forget it sometimes. So, it is best to mark the date in the calendar so that it can alarm you.
Liver Problem:
It is a little sad to hear this. But your beloved Golden Retriever is prone to various hepatic issues. Especially, they suffer from a condition called portosystemic shunt (PSS). This issue deprives the liver of getting sufficient blood to function properly. As a result, your pal might experience excessive pain and salivate a lot.
While the reason is anonymous, drooling is a common sign of liver problems in Golden Retriever. While other signs are:
- Immobility and fatigue
- Uncoordinated movements
- Refuses to play due to pain
- Changes in Behavior
- Stops showing interest in food
Solution:
Once you notice all these symptoms, immediately consult the health professional. There are higher chances of cure and better treatment in your pal is diagonised early. In addition, it is best to take your Golden Retriever for regular health checkups even though it appears healthy, just to be safe.
Motion Sickness:
Being a hunting dog, Golden Retrievers like exploring everything on food. Furthermore, nowadays these dog breeds are house pets. Their traveling is limited to walks, hikes, jogging, and running. They are less likely to travel longer distances. So, they will suffer from motion sickness when they are traveling with you by bus or car.
Moreover, buses and vehicles are congested, Golden Retriever might be nervous and sick. As a result, it starts drooling.
Solution:
Excessive drooling while traveling can be a huge mess. So, you can give your Golden retriever some medications, if you are your pal with you for traveling. OTC medications help your Golden Retriever with motion sickness. Just remember that the medicines must be as per the recommendation of the Vet.
Dental Issues:
The intrusive habit of Golden Retriever leads them to several issues. Most specifically, bite and chew everything they get, dental issues like tooth decay, tartar, gingivitis, or tooth fracture are more common. These issues can make your Golden Retrievers drool.
Furthermore, sometimes your overactive pal might injure its mouth. It can lead to bleeding, swollen mouth, and cause drooling.
Solution:
You must brush and clean your Golden Retriever’s teeth regularly to avoid such problems. In addition to this, training and supervising them can also reduce the chances of dental issues.
Usually, dental issues are hard to recognize and mostly resemble the signs of pain. However, if you notice strange behavior in your pet, then take them to the Vet immediately.
Digestive System Issues:
As a Golden Retriever cannot resist food, they will eat almost everything, whether it is for them or not. Their love for food leads them to various digestive issues, like bloating, constipation, Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus(GDV), allergies, etc.
Especially, condition like GDV causes twisting of the stomach, blockage in the intestine, and vomiting of food or water trapped in the stomach. And your pal will begin to drool.
Solution:
You have to keep an eye on what your pet eats, check if its tummy is swelling. It can cause excessive pain to them and thus, you Golden Retriever will cry out loud in digestive issues. So, take your pet immediately to the Vet when you see your dog drooling or barking a lot.
Bloating:
Most owners take things lightly when their Golden Retrievers bloat. But actually, bloating can be fatal to the Golden Retrievers within a few hours. There will be decreased blood flow to the stomach and intensive when your pet is bloated. As a result, your Retriever experiences breathing difficulties, its stomach lining tears up, and it starts drooling excessively.
So, be careful of these things that can cause bloating in your Golden Retriever:
- Lots of exercise after eating
- Eating too quickly
- Drinking too much
Solutions:
Every minute counts when your dog is bloated. If your dog’s abdomen looks unusual, leave everything and rush them to the Vet as soon as possible. Please do not neglect this problem. It needs immediate action.
Kidney Issues:
Another common cause of drooling in Golden Retriever is kidney problems. With age issues in kidneys are common in dogs. Besides this, sometimes the kidney fails to function properly due to various factors like kidney cirrhosis, tumor, lack of blood supply, and many more. All these problems affect Golden Retrievers usually, due to their complex anatomy. And, your pal ends up drooling excessively.
Other signs of kidney problems are pain, swollen stomach, howling, immobility, and lack of interest in food and games.
Solution:
Kidney issues appear all of a sudden so it is important to regularly take your pal for health checkups. Besides this, you also must report any unusual behavior quickly to the Vet. Curing kidney problems seems unapproachable. So, preventing them is the best option.
Do Golden Retrievers Drool Excessively Than Other Breeds?
Golden Retriever does drool quite a lot. These dog breeds have loose flesh on the cheeks and throat called jowls. Due to the larger jowls, loose mouth skin, and short snouts, they cannot hold saliva for a longer time. As a result, they drool more than the dogs with smaller jowls, such as Leonberger, Corgi, Chihuahua, Siberian Husky, etc.
Moreover, you will see a Golden Retriever drooling mostly after they eat, drink or exercise. But drools of these dogs are easier to handle and manage. But, there are some dog breeds like The Mastiff, Bulldog, Great Dane, Bernes Moutain Dog, Bloodhound, and Saint Bernard that drools much more than Golden Retriever.
If you ask me, then I must say that my Retriever is not much of a drooler. While it does salivate when it seems food or guests, I haven’t experienced any mess caused by drooling to this date. But, some Retriever may experience excessive drooling quite often naturally. If you are experiencing problems due to frequent drooling, my advice to you is to see the Vet.
Why Do Male Retrievers Drool More Than Females?
Golden Retrievers are a very enthusiastic breed. Smaller things excite them, whether it be their favorite person, guests, treats, toys, or just spending time with them. Most commonly, you will experience maximum drooling incidents when your pal sees the food.
I can’t even deny that my Golden Retriever is also fond of eating. I have two dogs male and a female Retriever. And, I notice the male ones drooling quite often, he is more active and impatient when it comes to food and toys. While on the other hand, my female pup seems calmer and more patient.
However, this does not seem to be true for every dog, and there is not any rigid scientific evidence to state this fact. But according to the experience of most owners, male Golden Retrievers do drool more than females.
Why Do Golden Retrievers Drool For No Reason?
Usually, Golden Retriever do not drool without reason. If you think your pup is drooling without reason then you might be wrong. For dogs to drool, there must be a triggering factor whether it be health issues, dental problems, excessive heat, intense exercise, hunger, or excitment.
However, after a little research I came to the conclusion that sometimes dogs like Golden Retriever, which has larger jowls and smaller snout and cannot hold saliva in their mouth for long might drool without any reason. But it is not common in every dog.
As per me, thankfully I haven’t had any such yuck experience with my two Golden Retrievers. But I can’t say it doesn’t happen. There are many Golden Retrievers owners complaining about their dog drooling without reasons.
I guess it might be something to do with hormones or overactive salivary glands. What do you think might be the cause? Does your Golden Retriever drool without reason?
How Much Drool Is An Issue For Golden Retrievers?
Golden Retriever is not much of a drooler. They do not drool a lot until and unless they are having some problem in their teeth or any illness. So, excessive drooling of Golden Retriever is a matter of concern. Usually, there is no fix amount of drool that you can consider normal in Golden Retriever.
Just make sure that any drooling that is unreasonable is excessive. If you see them drooling continuously and uncontrollably all the time, then you must be conscious about this issue. This kind of drooling can be an issue for Golden Retrievers and needs care and attention.
For example: If your Golden Retriever is drooling all the time in winter, even if you give them a balance diet and there is no any trigger factors. Then, please take him to the vet immediately.
What Are The Preventive Measure To Control Drooling In Golden Retriever?
The slogan “Prevention is better than cure”, is quite popular worldwide. And indeed, in our case of drooling Golden Retriever, preventive them from drooling will be more effective them curing. Especially, when your pal suffers from health issues, curing such problems take a lot of time and energy.
So, you much prevent your dog from drooling a lot before it starts it. For this, here are some of the best possible ideas that I use for my Golden Retriever. All these tips have helped me and most probably help any other dog owners too.
Keep Your Golden Retriever Cool
The double-coated skin coat of Golden Retriever heats them up. So, it is very crucial for them to cool down in summer. Furthermore, Golden Retriever are belongs to temperate regions and favors moderate climate.
Therefore, if you think your dog is feeling hot, then you can use some measures to cool them. The best possible advice from me is to invest in a air cooler if you live in a tropical area. Besides this, you can even place your Golden Retriever’s den in a shaded area and monitor the temperature of the place regularly.
In addition to this, you Golden Retriever needs to stay hydrated in hot weather. For this, keep water bowls in different areas of the house and frequently change the water. Further, preventing your Retriever from playing in sun and scheduled baths can also keep them cool.
Brush Your Golden Retriever’s Teeth
In most cases, dental issues might make your Golden Retriever to drool. Mostly, as these dog breeds chews everything teeth problems are common for them. Therefore, maintain dental hygieVetis an important step in you want to manage drooling dogs.
It is best to brush the teeth of your Golden Retriever regularly, at least once in a week or more. I usually, go for every adjacent day. MoreovVet check your pal’s mouth, teeth, and gums thoroughly while brushing. And, always use a dog-specific toothbrush and toothpaste for your Retriever.
Locate The Trigger
While some owners complains that their Golden Retrievers drool without reason. But it might not be true. There are some triggering factors that induces your Golden Retriever to drool. It might be excitement, hunger, exercise, anxiety, health issues, etc.
You should figure out what exactly is triggering Golden Retrievers to drool. The first attempt can be to check if your dog has anything stuck inside the mouth. Carefuly remove the objects stuck in your pal’s mouth if any.
However, if you cannot address what’s wrong with your pet, then consult with your vet. Also, ask for suggestions how to control it.
Tie A Bandana Around The Neck
The excessive drool in Golden Retrievers is something that can be very uncomfortable for your dog. To get rid of it, you could tie a bandana around their neck and keep them from feeling sticky or wet with saliva!
While it may seem like a small detail, the cooling bandana around your dog’s neck can help control their body temperature and stop them from drooling too.
Reduce The Anxiety
Golden Retrievers are people pleaser. They loves being around with their owners and family members. But if you leave them all alone at house for an extended period, they become restless and suffers from separation anxiety. And, this could lead your Golden Retriever to drool.
Therefore, to reduce anxiety, it is very important to train your Golden Retriever from an early age. You can crate train your pet and keep various interactive toys or treats in their crate to keep them busy while you are gone.
Furthermore, regularly exercising with them and spending amble amount time with them also makes them lesser insecure. And, thus reduces the chances of them suffering from separation anxiety.
Avoid Food That Contains Posion Or Chemical
The skin of Golden Retriever is too sensitive, they tend to suffer from allergies for easily. So, you must always keep the household chemicals away from the reach of your dog. Further, your intrusive pal might lick or chew some posionus things. Hence, please supervise your pet 24/7.
Moreover, to avoid your Golden Retriever from running away and eating chemicals you can use fences in your backyard. Also, remember to check every ingredients your dog’s food. And, consult the Vet immediately if you have any confusion.
Is Drooling A Sign Of Stress For Golden Retrievers?
Sweating during stress or nervousness is not unusual for humans. But do dogs experience the same? I asked out to many of the dog owners mostly Golden Retrievers’ owners and here’s what I found. Majority of the owners says that their dog drools more when they come across somethings unexpected. More specifically, a Golden Retriever suffering from separation anxiety is more likely to drool a lot.
According to veterinarians, Golden Retrievers become hyperactive and their secretion increases during stress. So, they produce more saliva. However, since these dog breeds have larger jowls and smaller snout they cannot hold on to this excessive saliva for a long time. As, a result Golden Retriever may drool when they are nervous and stressed.
Moreover, there are other adjacent signs of anxiety or stress too. Such as howling, wagging of tail, change in ear movement, continuous blinking, wide-open eye and dilated pupils. If you ever notice these behavior in your Golden Retriever, try to manage a friendly and calmer environment to them.
Have you noticed these behaviors in your Golden Retriever? How do you handle it?
When To Rush To Vet?
You should always consult a vet if you are worried about your dog’s excessive drooling. You should figure out the most probable cause of drooling because it might be a sign of an hazardous issue.
If your Golden Retriever has started drooling a lot suddenly, acting weird, and you don’t have any idea about it. The best option would be to take it to the vet. You can get expert advice from the professionals that fit your Golden Retriever. It can help you to rule out its actual cause.
Furthermore, some issues you must be careful about and needs immediate help are:
- Visible pain (Swollen stomach, limping, rashes, etc.)
- Painful whimpering
- Difficulty in standing up
- Signs of tiredness
- Changes in behavior
- A smelly and bloody saliva
- Changes in their sleep routine
- Loss of interest in food and games
- Problems regarding potty
Final Perception: Conclusion
Drooling Golden Retriever is normal and it is nature of dogs to drool ones in a while. So, drooling cannot be eliminated completely. But you do can use the above tips to manage it if your Golden Retriever is drooling a lot.
Definetly, parenting a dog is a tough nut to crack. But with some research and guides, I bet you can have a happy friend around with you. I hope this article was helpful to answer some of your questions. If you have more unresolved issues, then please comment them below.
Thanks for reading! Have a nice day!
