My kitty is dripping

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Chelsea appears to be having a leakage problem, dripping what looks like saliva from her mouth (could also be a runny nose, but careful investigation of the drips suggests mouth). She doesn't seem to be bothered by it, though, just going about her regular kitty business. It's never been a problem before, and I only just noticed it today. I tried calling the vet, but they're closed already. Google searching leads me to believe it's either a tooth/gum problem or the flu. Any thoughts?

UPDATE: Kitty now appears to be making slurpy noises that precede lots of dripping, then it goes away for a little bit, then more slurping and dripping. She also seems to be mildly disturbed by her leaky face (licking it a lot once she realizes she's doing it), but is otherwise still behaving normally.

Comments

[alwaysjbj.livejournal.com]

An insect bite--Jkeira likes to eat spiders and other such creatures, and they often cause the symptoms you're describing. If she's still doing it tomorrow I'd definitely consult the vet.

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Hmm... she doesn't go outside, and it's winter, so not too many insects around. But I'll definitely try the vet again tomorrow. (And in the meantime, follow her around with a tissue, lol.)

[alwaysjbj.livejournal.com]

Ah, of course...one of those different weather things. LOL We get spiders in the house at all times of the year.

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Heh, yeah, it just got way freezing cold in the past week or so, so I think all the bugs have gone away. On the other hand, I wonder if it had something to do with me turning the heat on... could that make her sick? (I know I had a cold last week, lol.)

[alwaysjbj.livejournal.com]

If she's not off her food and not feeling lethargic I'd say the chances are pretty high that she isn't sick.
She might have a mouth ulcer, or could have scratched the inside of her mouth on something she's been chewing on.

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Yeah, she seems to be okay otherwise... do those types of mouth things usually heal on their own, or will the vet need to give her some meds?

[alwaysjbj.livejournal.com]

I think it will depend on what it is...Jkeira usually stops drooling after a few hours, so I have never worried about the vet.

If she is still doing it tomorrow I'd definitely phone the vet and ask their advice, if they are anything like the ones over here they will want you to go in. I imagine if it is a tooth problem the vet will need to intervene in some way, if it is something simpler it will probably fix itself.

Here's hoping she has stopped by tomorrow!

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Thanks for the advice! She's been doing it since lunchtime, so it's been about 6 hours... I figured I'd wait and see if it was still happening when I got home from work before I called the vet, which it turns out she is. (It also turns out the vet closed at 4 today, grr.) *crosses fingers she's better by tomorrow*

[bendy1.livejournal.com]

Did she eat a wasp?

Or it could be that her teeth need cleaning. If it isn't that bad, try dentabits or some other toothypeg food.

Lilycat drools like mad when she's asleep but it stops when she wakes up.

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Probably not a wasp. I did just buy Dental Diet cat food, since the last time she went to the vet, she had a little plaque. Now if only I could get her to stop throwing it on the floor... :-P

[bendy1.livejournal.com]

LOL yes, lilycat refuses to eat that stuff. Damn cats.

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Chelsea's not picky... she'll eat just about anything, but she prefers to eat it off the floor, apparently. Bowls are no good. She also likes to tip her water bowl over and lick the water up off the bathtub (which is where the bowl is, since I got tired of mopping up spilled water).

[bendy1.livejournal.com]

Well that's your own fault!

(I don't know why but it must be, cats have a way of telling you this)

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Of course it is, lol. I might as well just save us both time and leave the food directly on the floor and don't bother with the bowl.

[bendy1.livejournal.com]

In the shop the other day I saw this cat bowl with a rim about a foot wide to stop that, and I was just o_O where would I PUT IT? It's two feet wide!

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OMG you have no idea! I have gone through increasingly bigger bowls, thinking that would stop her... I even got one of those watering systems with the big jug that sits on top, thinking, "There's no way she can knock that fucker over," and wouldn't you know it, she did.

[bendy1.livejournal.com]

It looks like a dented Mexican Hat thing :D

I think sometimes it's bet just to give up and accept you will never win \o/

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True... the kitty is always right... even when she drips on my blanket. Where's my tissue??

[silverusagi]

I got this dog bowl for my cat.

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2751847

It's harder to get hold of because of its shape, and it's heavy ceramic.

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Hmm, maybe that will be my next try. By the time I've had her a year, I'll have a whole collection of assorted bowls that have failed the Chelsea stress test, lol.

[slaymesoftly.livejournal.com]

She may have gotten into something toxic? There are a multitude of things it could be, beginning with teeth and gums (unlikely in a young cat, I would think). Vet is the next step, it seems to me.

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She is pretty good at opening the cabinets (I've been thinking about child-proofing), but I didn't see anything out of place, so I don't think she ate anything she wasn't supposed to.

I called the vet this morning, but by then she'd stopped drooling and seemed fine, so they said it was probably nothing serious. If she starts doing it again, I'm supposed to bring her in.