Why is my cat's chin wet and he's needy? Should I take him to vet?

I suggest taking your cat to your veterinarian or a 24-hour emergency clinic as soon as possible. Excessive drooling in a cat can be a sign of a number of problems including (but not limited to) nausea, dental disease. Ingestion of a toxin, foreign object caught in the mouth, salivary gland disease, ulcers in the mouth, cancer of the mouth, neurological disorders, or eating something that tastes very bad. Excessive drooling is also a symptom of rabies. Many cats will chatter their teeth while watching birds or other prey animals; however, chattering could alos be an indication of pain or neurological in nature.

Hi there. I am so sorry to hear about Habla's drooling issue. When any animal is drooling in an area where rabies is a possibility, I always check to make sure the animal is vaccinated against rabies, and doesn't have any potential rabies exposure, like going outside all the time where there are stray or wild animals around. This is the most important thing to touch on first, since rabies is transmissible to humans, and can be fatal. If Hebla doesn't have any possible exposure, and is also vaccinated, then let's move along to the first two things that come to mind when cats are drooling. I usually find that there are either dental issues - diseased or fractured teeth, or nausea - from eating something out of the ordinary, or from infection or metabolic disease. I think it would be best to have Hebla seen by her veterinarian as soon as you can. They can make sure she isn't eating something caustic that can bother her mouth, make sure she doesn't have an infection of some kind, and that she is healthy otherwise. The vet can also check her teeth and make sure she doesn't have any fractured teeth or dental disease. Some cats, even young ones, can develop dental conditions that can cause chronic mouth pain and drooling. I hope you find this answer helpful. Best of luck!

Thanks for your question, and thank you for the pictures - they are very helpful. When we see wetness around the mouth, chest, and sometimes even the feet, of chinchillas one of the first concerns that we have is that there may be some dental disease present. Chinchilla teeth are always growing (unlike ours) so they need to be eating a lot of fiber (mostly hay) to wear them down. If they don't eat enough fiber, or if their genetics are predisposed to having them develop dental issues, then their teeth grow abnormally, causing points and spurs to form. These can cut up the tongue and cheeks, and are painful, which results in drooling. This would be an important disease to rule out in Izzy. To do this, you will need to take him to a veterinarian, as it is very difficult to see all the way to the back of a chinchilla's mouth at home. They will also feel the jaw bones of Izzy, as often there are changes with the jaws when dental disease is present. Depending on what your vet finds, they may recommend diagnostic imaging, such as radiographs (x-rays) to further evaluate the teeth. I hope that gives you a place to start, and I wish you and Izzy the best of luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Drooling that lasts more than 2 hours is an indication to see the vet. Broken tooth, mouth ulcers, electrocution (does she chew cords?) toxin, GI upset, foreign body, and more can all cause this - and all need some degree of medical attention. Best wishes to you and Malsle!

The drooling can be a sign of nausea in cats, but given that Rex hasn't had a change in activity, appetite, or anything else, I would keep an eye on him for now. It could be chewing on those plants has upset his stomach, and I would keep them out of reach. Try feeding him a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken (no bones) in small amounts several times a day for a couple of days. Then slowly add back in his normal diet. If he's still drooling in another 24 hours after being on this diet or anything else changes from the normal, then I would have him seen by a vet.

Drooling can be a sign of dental disease, oral ulcers from ingesting toxins or from some medical conditions, or even nausea or pain. If you feel Leo's behavior is abnormal you should either recheck with your vet or get a second opinion elsewhere. A sedated oral exam might be helpful, or blood work might be recommended as well.

Constant licking of the lips is usually either a sign of nausea or a sign of dental disease, you should take him to the vet and get it checked, first the mouth then if nothing is found a blood test to try and discover what could be causing the nausea.