Nothing is worse than having a dog that drools a lot. If you’ve wondered “do Pugs drool,” you’re in the right place. All canines drool to some extent, today, we’re going to look at what causes Pugs to drool.
Why Do Pugs Drool?
This brachycephalic breed tends to slobber quite a bit, because of their compressed jaws, large loose lips, and exposure to heat. It’s totally normal for Pugs to drool on occasion, especially, if they’ve overheated.
However, it is NOT normal for Pugs to drool excessively aka Ptyalism. If your Pug is drooling more than usual, it can be other problems. (we’ll take a deeper look at this below.)
What Is Dog Saliva?
Nothing is worse than having your dog slobber all over your leg, furniture, car, and etc. It’s even worse when your Pug licks your leg when they are slobbering.
However, their saliva plays a vital role in their health and it’s important some things about doggie spit.
Basically, your dog’s saliva has various functions for canines that relate to mouth health, smell, taste, and digestion.
Antiseptic: If your pooch has ever been wounded, it’s not unusual for them to lick their wounds. (the licking process helps them clean their wounds and preventing infection.)
Lubrication: Plays a vital role in moving food down your dog’s esophagus.
Moisture: Used to break down food. (dog saliva does not contain enzymes as human saliva does, this is what allows them to swallow larger pieces of food without chewing. This is also what causes many of them to eat extremely fast.)
Mouth Health: Your dog’s saliva helps prevent doggie cavities better than that of human saliva. The reason being is that human saliva contains a PH of 6.4 to 7.
A dog’s saliva and other carnivores contain an alkaline of around 7.5 to 8. This is the main reason that your dog doesn’t get cavities as often as humans do.
The downside is that the higher alkaline level in a dog’s saliva produces bacteria that causes their enamel to erode away. This is the main reason you want to ensure that you brush your Pug’s teeth on a regular basis.
Is A Dogs Mouth Cleaner Than A Humans?
I’ve heard people say that a dog’s mouth is cleaner than ours. If you think about where a dog’s mouth has been or what’s been a dog’s mouth it’s hard to imagine it being cleaner than ours.
Dog’s are known to raid garbage cans, lick their butts, other dog’s butts, eat poop, and chew on disgusting things.
Not only that, but a dog’s saliva contains a mixture of more than 600 different types of saliva.
It makes you wonder why Pug owners don’t get sick when their dog slobbers on them. Well, the truth is that the bacteria that can make a dog sick are not transferable to you.
However, studies have shown that dogs can transmit unpleasant commuters to you such as roundworm.
If your Pug has roundworm and licks their anus after having diarrhea, then kisses you. The roundworm eggs can attach to his/her tongue and pass onto you through their slobbery kiss.
When you touch the infected saliva, you may not even realize that you’ve accidentally given yourself roundworm.
If you do suspect that your Pug has roundworm, you need to consult your veterinarian immediately for treatment.
Why Do Dogs Salivate?
We’ve all heard about the “dog salivate experiment” by Pavlov. There’s nothing unusual for dogs to salivate if they’re anticipating something delicious.
Saliva plays a vital role in your pup’s digestion. When they see or think about eating a delicious piece of food, like a piece of steak, their mouth will water.
It’s no different than a human’s mouth-watering when they think about eating a piece of lemon. At least my mouth tends to water when I think about eating some lemon.
Just like your Pug’s mouth will water when they think about eating something tasty. Their mouth will also salivate if they taste something they don’t like medication. Read this article to find out if you can give Pugs aspirin.
Their salivary glands enable them to secrete saliva when it is required.
It’s normal for dogs to salivate. It only becomes a problem when they can not swallow normal amounts of saliva or they start producing too much of it.
How Much Do Pugs Drool and What’s Considered Normal?
Now that you understand that Pugs are going to drool, let’s take a look at what’s considered normal.
As I mentioned above, drooling will normally revolve around:
-
- Food
- Injuries
- Overheating (it’s important to keep your Pug cool, especially, in the summer)
- Or any of the reasons above
What’s Not Normal
Some dog breeds tend to drool quite a bit such as the English Bulldog, Mastiff, Shar Pei and etc. Your Pug should not be slobbering over everything that gets in their way.
If you’ve noticed that your Pug has suddenly started drooling for no reason at all, it could be one of the following reasons:
Possible reasons for excessive drooling:
Dental disease: If you’ve never brushed their teeth, they could have rotten teeth or cavities that require attention.
Tasted or ate something bad (something like eating a bad bug or a bee sting can cause them to drool)
Foreign object: Maybe your dog ate something he wasn’t supposed to and now that object is stuck in his mouth. Check the inside of their mouth to make sure they don’t have lodged between their teeth.
Consumed an irritating substance: Maybe they licked something like a cleaning product or ate a plant outside that irritated the tissues of their mouth.
Reaction to flea products: Some flea products have been known to cause reactions to dogs. I’ve put together some of the best flea and tick medications I used to use on Mindy my black Pug.
Immune type diseases: Certain types of gum diseases and dental disorders can cause your pooch to salivate. If you’ve noticed that your Pug has started drooling all of a sudden, check their mouths for sores or gum issues.
Tumors: Any tumor type of growth in their mouth can cause them to create more saliva. (if this is the case, contact your vet right away)
There are probably other reasons that can cause a Pug to drool excessively, but these are some of the most common reasons.
If you notice anything abnormal in your dog’s drooling behavior, then you should definitely contact the veterinarian. If there are no abnormalities in their mouth, the veterinarian may need to do some blood work to find out what’s causing the excessive drooling.
Final Word On Why Pugs Drool
Hopefully, this helped you answer the nagging question “why does my Pug drool?” As I’ve mentioned, it’s totally normal for Pugs to drool, and there’s nothing to worry about unless your Pug is slobbering excessively.
Mindy my Black Pug would only drool when she would get really hot. Let me tell you, there’s nothing pretty about having your dog lick you when they have excessive saliva running out of their mouth.
Related Articles On Pug Dog:
Related Questions On Pugs Drooling
Why is my Pug suddenly drooling? There can be several reasons that are causing this. Most likely, it is something that your dog came into contact. You may also want to check to see if they have anything stuck in their mouth. (just make sure you don’t get bit.)
Why does my Pug drool in their sleep? Maybe your Pug is dreaming about eating a big fat juicy steak? It’s not uncommon for dogs to drool in their sleep, especially, since we know that dogs’ dream.
References and Further Reading
Saul McLeod – Simply Psychology – Pavlov’s Dogs
Krystie Vermes – PetMD – Dog Saliva: 5 Facts You Should Know About
MD. Neil T. Bennett, Ph.D. Gregory S. Schultz – Science Direct – Growth Factors and Wound Healing: Part II. Role In Normal And Chronic Wound Healing 1
Laurie Ann Walden, DVM – Mallard Creek – Bacteria In Dog Saliva
Europe PMC – Zoonotic Roundworm Infections
Merck Manual – Veterinary Manual – Disorders of the Mouths In Dogs
I don’t know much about pugs (I’m a German Shepherd Dog kind of gal), but I do know they drool. This is an informative post. It’s obvious you’ve done your research, and you know the breed. All the best!