I doubt there is anything more embarrassing than your dog drooling all over himself and his crate, your hunting gear, shoes, and people. One shake and the drool flies everywhere. Your idea of your next gundog was function, minus the drooling bit. You have a Hungarian Vizsla, and it starts drooling excessively, and it is out of the ordinary. You need to know immediately; do Vizslas drool? What is normal and what isn’t.
Vizslas do drool. Normal drooling for a Vizsla would be when it is expecting food or gets excited when in the field hunting or in a stressful situation like being at the vet. Abnormal drooling in a Vizsla outside of these parameters could indicate poisoning, mouth injury, or illness.
Seeing your Vizsla drool more than usual can be quite alarming since there is always the chance that the dog has ingested something poisonous or is causing an allergic reaction. Vizslas do not always start drooling at a specific age; it is rather individual and can be triggered at any moment. There are instances where the drooling is excessive and is cause for concern. We will have a look at when to know the difference.
Why Does My Vizsla Drool All Of A Sudden?
The name Vizsla means “tracker” or “searcher.” Because they have a highly developed sense of smell, they track and point out a variety of game and are experts at retrieving the game back to the hunter, whether shot or still alive. You might find that your Vizsla starts to drool while out in the field to enhance his sense of smell.
Normally a Vizsla will drool quite a lot when it is going to be fed; when it smells something delicious, it starts to produce more saliva to ready its mouth and body for the food that is on the way. The saliva helps them break down food and triggers the liver and gallbladder to release bile.
When your Vizsla is presented with an activity that makes him happy, you might find that drooling can happen spontaneously. This is quite common in Vizslas and is something that can develop as your dog gets older. Puppies can drool when busy cutting their teeth on a bone or a dog-safe chew toy.
When Is It Normal Drooling For A Vizsla?
Drooling is a physical reaction in all dogs; the gastric system starts to get ready to digest the next meal. Let’s look at situations considered normal when your Vizsla is drooling;
- Food. A Pavlov reflex happens when your dog is presented with food or at a specific time of the day when he knows it is mealtime. The saliva that gets excreted tells the gastric system to expect food.
- Excitement. Dogs get excited about various reasons like going for a walk, playing, or exploring new areas. They will start to drool spontaneously when happy.
- Sexual arousal. When your Vizsla is in heat or when your male smells a female in heat, he will start to drool quite a bit due to being excited. Male dogs will tend to drool more than females.
- Stress. Vizslas can get stressed quite quickly, and some dogs deal with the stressful situation by drooling spontaneously. Usually, this anxiety is accompanied by a cowering demeanor and shivers.
- Cutting teeth. Your Vizsla puppy will drool all the time when busy cutting his teeth. This assists in cleaning the mouth as well.
When Is It Abnormal Drooling For A Vizsla?
Your Vizsla is one of the breeds known for drooling; however, some situations can be considered abnormal;
- Poison. Usually, a dog will drool more than usual when it has ingested either a poison through malicious intent or caught a frog, moth, or gecko that excretes poison as a defense mechanism. If you suspect poisoning, please take your Vizsla to the nearest emergency vet.
- Nausea. When your Vizsla is nauseous, he will start to excrete copious amounts of saliva and be drooling all over before vomiting.
- Obstruction. Excessive drooling could be an indication of a block in the stomach or intestine.
- Fever. If your Vizsla feels abnormally hot to the touch, has pale gums, and is drooling more than usual, take your dog to the vet as soon as possible.
- Rabies. Although extremely unlikely if your Vizsla has had all of his vaccinations, excessive drooling accompanied by foaming around the mouth is one of Rabies’ symptoms.
- Mouth Ulcer. Because dogs like to chew things and sometimes bite down too hard on a stick or a bone, they are likely to hurt the inside of the mouth or gums. Sometimes an ulcer can form, and the dog will excrete a lot of saliva. Check the mouth for any sores or cuts.
What Is The Difference Between Normal And Abnormal Drooling?
Even though your Vizsla might be an excessive drooler and be perfectly healthy, there are usually one or more symptoms that accompany the drooling that will indicate when it is a cause for concern, for example;
- High fever above 102,2F
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Lethargy
- High pulse rate
If your Vizsla displays any of these symptoms accompanied by abnormal bleeding, please see your vet.
What Is Hunters Drool In Vizslas?
Certain Vizslas display what is called “field drool” or “hunters drool.” They start to drool quite excessively when in the field and busy hunting. They do this to enhance their sense of smell and find the prey much more effortless.
Do Older Vizslas Drool More Than Puppies?
You can expect a Vizsla puppy to drool up to around six months of age when their permanent teeth should all be set in. Usually, they will drool from time to time, as discussed.
Since Vizslas are high-energy dogs and require a great deal of exercise, they can drool a lot, even as older dogs when they want to play, eat, or even when they are in the field working. You might find that as your Vizsla gets old, start losing teeth or even get ill, and they might drool more than usual. Older Vizslas will drool more than puppies in this instance.
What Can You Do To Control Your Vizslas Drooling?
There are not many things to be done for a Vizsla that drools for no apparent reason and has good health. Unless you are concerned there is an underlying reason. A Vizsla that drools a lot while hunting is a normal reaction and a sign that the dog is doing a good job searching for prey. This is one instance where you want him drooling to his heart’s content.
One way of helping your Vizsla control drooling is by giving him plenty of attention. As a high energy breed, they need a good few hours of hard work, running, or long walks. The Vizsla is known to suffer from separation anxiety, which will cause stress and drooling. One way to combat that is to ensure your dog has a trust relationship with you and spends sufficient time doing stimulating activities.
Ensuring your Vizsla is always in good health will ensure that your dog does not drool more than usual. Keeping a good dental health routine is an essential aspect of your dog’s health. Tartar build-up can cause teeth to rot, and abscesses could form. Feeding a good quality kibble will assist in keeping your dog healthy.
Hypersalivation is a medical term vets use to explain excessive drooling in dogs caused by fear and anxiety. If this seems to be the case, your vet might be able to prescribe certain medications to help combat the condition.
Conclusion
The Vizsla is one of the happiest and high energy dog breeds. Their tendency to drool more than other dog breeds is one aspect that most Vizsla enthusiasts choose to overlook. As long as the dog is healthy, happy, and active, the drooling is of no concern.
The Vizsla needs to have loads of physical and mental stimulation to keep them satisfied and contented. Intelligent breeds like the Vizsla can be adversely affected by separation and stress, and this will cause them to turn into a shivering, drooling heap.
