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Why is my dog suddenly foaming at the mouth after sniffing outside?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Male | neutered | 7 months and 5 days old | 27.5 lbs

I have a terrier mix and last week I was taking him for a walk by the beach parking lot. There was a lot of poison ivy which I knew to stay away from. He was sniffing under some brush and then he started shaking his head like a fly got in his ears and foaming at the mouth. I started racing home. I was going to take him to the vets. by the time we got home he was fine. What could cause the foaming at the mouth?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Summer Walker, DVM, MS

Veterinarian

Published on June 15th, 2017

How cute is Buddy! It is possible that Buddy may have came in to contact with a bug, frog/toad, or some foreign material in his mouth while he was sniffing underneath the bush that caused him to foam at the mouth. Some frogs or bugs will release an irritating substance when they feel threatened by a predator; this can cause excessive salivation and "foaming" if it comes in to contact with the mouth. Typically these are harmless, but there are some toxic toads (i.e. Bufo toad)depending on your location. There is the potential that Buddy could have been stung by an insect that caused these signs, too. Since Buddy was back to normal by the time you arrived home, I would suspect it was harmless. I would just keep a close eye on Buddy when he is nosing around the bushes again.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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