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Why is my dog suddenly drooling and pacing like he's about to vomit?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Male | neutered | 1 year and 9 months old | 15 lbs

My dog all of a sudden started drooling and has been pacing for about 5-10 minutes like he’s looking for somewhere to throw up. He’s pacing around the walls and behind the furniture

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on December 28th, 2019

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Sully. Poor boy! Drooling is a sign of nausea. Feed him a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken (no bones) and white rice in small amounts. If he refuses to eat the bland diet, he vomits the bland diet, develops diarrhea, stops drinking water, starts vomiting water, or becomes very lethargic, he will need to see a vet right away.

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She has suddenly started drooling a large amount of white stringy saliva. She is in vomit position but not vomiting. She has left pools of saliva everywhere
Thank you for contacting Boop by Petco with your question about Crunchy. Poor girl sounds nauseous, which would cause the excessive drooling. Feed her a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken (no bones) in small amounts several times a day for a couple of days. Then slowly add back in her normal diet. If she refuses to eat the bland diet, she vomits the bland diet, develops diarrhea, stops drinking water, starts vomiting water, or becomes very lethargic, she will need to see a vet right away. I hope this helps!
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Thanks for using Boop by Petco! Drooling can be a sign of nausea which can be caused by many conditions primarily gastrointestinal in nature such gastroenteritis and gastrointestinal foreign body ingestion and obstruction or other conditions such as pancreatitis or kidney disease. I recommend that you have him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Likely diagnostics to be performed include abdominal imaging and general bloodwork. You could try a bland diet composed mainly of boiled chicken and white rice which is easily digestible and can help with an upset stomach. Good luck and have a great day!
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My dog started excessively drooling today. He's eating and drinking and going to the bathroom ok, but so much drool. I've checked his mouth and don't see anything obvious. What could cause this suddenly?
It sounds like Charlie is nauseous. Feed him a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken (no bones) and white rice in small amounts several times a day for a couple of days. Then slowly add back in his normal diet. If the excessive drooling continues on the bland diet, he refuses to eat the bland diet, he vomits the bland diet, develops diarrhea, stops drinking water, starts vomiting water, or becomes very lethargic, he will need to see a vet right away.
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Hi. My dog started licking and swallowing about 2 hours ago. The licking and swallowing has almost stopped...but he's drooling A LOT. Otherwise he is completely fine. Breathing normally, eating and drinking (he eats even if he has an upset tummy).
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! This is a classic sign of nausea so I do think there is something going on. The question is how serious that is. There are several conditions that may result in nausea such as gastroenteritis, gastrointestinal foreign body, pancreatitis, among many other reasons. We cannot prescribe medications without an actual evaluation of the patient in person. For that reason, if this continues, I would recommend you check in with a veterinarian for an examination and possibly diagnostics. Do not feed him for the next several hours to rest his belly for a bit and see if this goes away on its own. If it persists, consider having him evaluated. Best of luck!
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My dog is drooling, making sounds like "smacking his gums" and a hiccup when he is swallowing.
Poor Buddy! It sounds like he may be nauseous. I can give you a home remedy to see if that helps. Withhold food for 12-24 hours, then feed a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken (no bones) and white rice in small amounts several times a day for a couple of days. Then slowly add back in his normal diet. If he vomits in the absence of food, he vomits the bland diet, develops diarrhea, stops drinking water, starts vomiting water, or becomes very lethargic, he will need to see a vet right away. I hope this helps!
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Thanks for using Boop by Petco! Vomiting in dogs can have a variety of causes, including intestinal parasites, dietary indiscretion, foreign material ingestion, or gastroenteritis, among others. If the vomiting hasn’t improved on a bland diet, I would recommend Puchiwilly be evaluated by a veterinarian to determine the underlying cause for his vomiting, have any necessary testing done (X-rays, bloodwork), and start any treatment that he may need to resolve the issue. Good luck!
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Thank you for contacting Boop by Petco with your question about Charlie. Poor boy. Feed him a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken (no bones) in small amounts several times a day for a couple of days. Then slowly add back in his normal diet. If he refuses to eat the bland diet, he vomits the bland diet, develops diarrhea, stops drinking water, starts vomiting water, or becomes very lethargic, he will need to see a vet right away. I hope this helps!
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It could be Nala is feeling nauseous. Feed her a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken (no bones) and white rice in small amounts several times a day for a couple of days. Then slowly add back in her normal diet. If the drooling continues on the bland diet, she vomits the bland diet, develops diarrhea, stops drinking water, starts vomiting water, or becomes very lethargic, she will need to see a vet right away. Best of luck.
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My dog has excessive drooling
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! Drooling is often a sign of nausea. This may be transient and may resolve on its own. However, if this progresses to vomiting, an evaluation by a veterinarian would be recommended as vomiting can be observed with conditions such as gastroenteritis, pancreatitis, dietary indiscretion, among other possibilities. Good luck and have a good night!
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My dog lily is 11 months old. She has had diarrhea for a day now. I have fed her boiled chicken and rice since then. She is up to date on her shots and has been acting and eating normal. But I have noticed today that she has a small amount of foam fo
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! Excessive salivation is often a sign of nausea. Nausea and diarrhea can occur secondary to conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, dietary indiscretion, parasites, among other possibilities. I recommend that you have Lily evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. At the very least they can start her on medications to make her feel better and check her hydration status. In the meantime, keep water available at all times to try to prevent dehydration. Good luck and have a good day!
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