Yes, German Shepherds do drool. But they’re by no means heavy droolers like Bulldogs or other notorious drooling breeds. In fact, excessive drooling in German Shepherds may indicate health issues that need to get checked out.
In this article, I’ll share the different normal and abnormal reasons why German Shepherds drool as well as what you should do about it.
Why Do German Shepherds Drool?
German Shepherds may drool due to different reasons. Some of which are normal, whereas others may be concerning.
Normal Drooling
Normal drooling refers to non-concerning and non-health related reasons for drooling. They are as follows:
Anticipation Or Excitement
German Shepherds can drool when they’re anticipating or excited over something delicious. This is as the sight of a tasty steak may cause their digestive system to start running and lead them to salivate.
Apart from food, German Shepherds may also drool with excitement over toys, friends, and events like playtime.
Resting
German Shepherds may also drool when it’s sleeping. Like with us humans, this is simply a matter of relaxed muscles, an open mouth, and gravity.
Abnormal Drooling
Abnormal drooling on the other hand, refers to health-related causes for drooling that you may need to get checked out. They are as follows:
Anxiety
German Shepherds suffering from anxiety may exhibit symptoms such as drooling and other distress behaviors like barking, chewing, digging, and destruction.
Dental Problems
Excessive drooling can also be a sign of dental problems such as gingivitis and tooth decay. Sometimes it may also be caused by mouth injuries, ulcers, or something lodged in a German Shepherd’s teeth, mouth, or throat.
Overheating Or Heatstroke
German Shepherds are generally well equipped to tolerate hot weather. But if you notice your German Shepherd drooling, excessively panting, and being in general discomfort during a hot day, act fast and cool your German Shepherd down as it may be overheating or suffering from heatstroke.
Stomach Issues
Stomach issues like nausea or gastric reflux usually cause a German Shepherd to over salivate and drool. Sometimes, drooling may also indicate serious and life-threatening issues like poisoning and bloat.
If you notice your German Shepherd drooling while also breathing heavily, vomiting or at least trying to, foaming, and being lethargic, take it to the vet immediately.
Allergies
Severe allergic reactions may cause increased drooling as well as other symptoms like itchiness, diarrhea, and vomiting.
Organ Disease
Finally, drooling is a symptom of various organ issues and may indicate the presence of liver and kidney disease.
What Should You Do About Your German Shepherd’s Drooling?
Unless your German Shepherd’s suffering from an underlying medical condition, you don’t really need to do anything other than grabbing a towel cleaning up saliva on your dog’s face or the floor.
But if you do suspect that your German Shepherd is drooling because of health-related reasons, then by all means consult with a veterinarian.
Sure, there may be some things you can handle on your own, such as maybe removing a tiny shard of bone lodged in your dog’s mouth, but most of these issues require the help of a vet, especially the life threatening ones like bloat, poisoning, overheating, and heat stroke.
Other than that, it all comes down to providing your German Shepherd with proper care. If you feed your German Shepherd right, provide it with shelter, keep up with its grooming needs, spend time with it, and take it to the vet regularly, you can pretty much prevent abnormal drooling.
Final Thoughts
German Shepherds drool but they don’t usually do it a lot. So if you ever notice yours salivating and drooling excessively, do your best to try and figure out the cause and if you suspect it to be medically-related, consult a vet immediately.
You may just end up saving your German Shepherd’s life or at the very least keep it healthy.
