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My dog won't eat, drools, vomits, and avoids opening her mouth. Why?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Female | unspayed | 1 year and 11 months old | 30 lbs

Zoey did not eat her dinner tonight and has not drank any water since this morning. She is not lethargic and seems to want food and treats, but she does not even try to chew and just spits it out. She vomitted bile a few times and tries to eat grass, and avoids opening her mouth or using her tongue as much as possible. She was excessively drooling, and when she does open her mouth a bit to pant it looks like she is holding her tongue back towards her throat.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Kevin Sanada, DVM

Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on May 28th, 2018

It is definitely suspicious that something is hurting her mouth and causing her to not want to eat, but this would not normally cause her to vomit.

The bile staining in the vomit doesn't tell much other than she is vomiting on an empty stomach. This is not specific to any one disease, but indicates that something is either directly upsetting her stomach, or generally making her feel nauseous.

It would be best to first have a good look on her mouth using a flash light to see if there are any obvious injuries or something stuck in her mouth. I recommend having someone help you with this.

In order to discover the cause of this problem you will need to take Zoey to a veterinarian for an evaluation. They can help narrow-down the cause of this and provide treatment to at-least make her feel better.

For more information about vomiting, I recommend you read the article at the link below.

https://www.petcoach.co/article/diarrhea-vomiting-in-dogs-when-to-call-your-veterinarian/

If you have further questions or need further clarification, then you may consider having an online consult with one of our vets on Petcoach. This way, you can send unlimited pictures and have a text conversation with a vet.

I hope that helps and Zoey gets better soon.
Vote Icon1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Answered By Dr. Massimo Orioles, DVM, Cert AVP, MRCVS

    Veterinarian

    These signs are quite concerning and are suggestive of a problem inside her mouth, possibly a disease which is causing acute pain.
    On top of the list of differentials there is an acute salivary adenitis (inflammation of the salivary gland, possibly under her tongue).
    An immediate check up would be needed to confirm this clinical suspicion and treat appropriately.

    Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

    Vote Icon

    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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