10 Reasons and 10 Tips For French Bulldogs Drooling

French Bulldogs are one of the cutest and most loved dogs on the planet. They are one of the most popular dog breeds and rank 4th on the AKC breed popularity index.

French Bulldogs are sweet, friendly, and fun-loving but they have a high drooling potential. In this post, we are going to discuss the reasons for French Bulldogs drooling and some useful tips for it. Let’s get started!

Related Reading: Reasons Why Your French Bulldog “Stinks”

Is It Normal For French Bulldog To Drool?

100% yes!

First and foremost, drooling is just as natural to French bulldogs as barking. Sometimes they simply can’t help themselves.

It’s perfectly natural for French Bulldogs to drool and slobber and they do it a lot!

The primary reason for drooling is due to the brachycephalic nature and shape of their muzzle. 

French bulldogs have a relatively large and square head with a broad, short skull. They also have short and wide snouts, with overhanging lip folds, and the occasional underbite. That means a lot of drool from time to time.

Frenchies usually can’t sweat all over their body like humans. They only sweat on the areas without furs like paws and noses. So, they rely heavily on drooling to lower their body temperature in hot climates. 

French bulldogs drooling is their poor cooling system. You can consider this drooling as a warning sign and take care of your dearest pet.

13 Reasons Why Your French Bulldog Drools

While all Frenchies drool, in certain instances there is a reason behind excessive drooling that needs to be looked into. Excessive drooling can be caused by several factors including:

1. Respiratory infection

If your French Bulldog has an infection of the nose, sinuses, or throat, this can cause them to drool. In respiratory infections, excessive drooling is accompanied by other symptoms, such as sneezing, nasal discharge, fever, and loss of appetite.

If your French Bulldog is suffering from a respiratory infection, you should visit your vet for help and advice.

2. Over-exertion

This overexertion can cause your French bulldog to breathe heavily, making its saliva look very frothy. If your Frenchie exhausts itself, it can lead to overheating, which can cause the production of more saliva. The excessive production of saliva falls out as drool.

For a healthy French bulldog, 15 minutes of exercise is enough at a time. If you go on long walks, don’t overexert them, and give these little buddies regular breaks.

3. Excitement and food

Saliva is produced in dogs before, during, and after they eat food. So, whenever your Frenchie eats, they’re going to salivate. The saliva helps in the digestion process. It starts to break down the food in their mouth before they even swallow it.

French bulldogs get very excited about food. So, you can’t do much to prevent a Frenchie from drooling when around food. But it’s nothing to worry about in this case.

4. Mouth disease and tooth decay

Any issues in your French bulldog’s mouth or throat may cause drooling. Mouth diseases make them struggle to swallow the saliva so it’s held in their mouth until it drips out. If something is stopping a French Bulldog from swallowing properly, the only place for saliva to go is out of the mouth.

Check your French bulldog mouth to identify potential problems. If tartar is building up inside your Frenchie’s mouth, it can cause your furry friend to drool excessively. Examine their teeth for tartar build-up, browning of teeth, redness or swelling of gums, or bleeding from teeth.

5. Heatstroke

Heatstroke is a possible cause of excessive drooling in your adorable French bulldogs. When they’re very hot, one of the ways they try to cool down is by drooling. 

Due to the shape of their faces, they can’t pant very well. These little bundles of energy will continue to run around exhausting themselves even if they’re very hot. This makes them vulnerable to overheating and heatstroke.

6. Motion sickness

Motion sickness isn’t a nice feeling for French Bulldogs. If your fur buddy is not used to riding, they may become anxious or car-sick while riding in the car.

Adult Frenchies can also suffer from motion sickness but it is most common in puppies that are not used to traveling on the road. You can help your Frenchie by taking it on short rides before planning a long tour.

7. Anxiety and stress

Stress and anxiety can cause hypersalivation in dogs. French bulldogs are curious little critters and tend to drool when they’re nervous. Uncomfortable situations can change their behavior completely and make them drool a lot.

Also, separation anxiety can cause them to drool a bit more than usual. It’s common for an anxious Frenchie to start breathing heavier and producing more saliva, causing excessive drooling.

8. Poisonous or toxic foods

When a French bulldog ingests any poisonous food, it can start to drool. You should know what they’re eating as many types of foods and plants can cause them to drool. 

Don’t feed your French Bulldog anything if you don’t know that they’ll be completely fine after eating it. Either do your research or talk to an expert before you feed them foods you’re not sure about.

9. Mouth injuries

If your French bulldog is drooling excessively, this may be due to mouth injuries. When a French bulldog’s mouth is injured, there may be more saliva production to help heal the damage. 

Closely examine your French Bulldog’s mouth for signs of bleeding, cuts, wounds, inflammation, and discoloration as a way to identify any problems. If injuries are bigger then you should contact your vet immediately.

10. The shape of their jaw

Frenchies have flatter faces with many thick folds covering their mouth. The shape of their jaw makes it much more difficult to hold saliva in their mouth, and that’s why they drool effortlessly.

French bulldogs can’t breathe through their nose very well. They breathe through their mouths. That’s the reason why they also tend to drool in their sleep.  

11. Stomach problems

If your French Bulldog eats something very difficult to digest, it may lead to the production of additional saliva. Stomach problems might be due to overeating, eating too much cheese, or eating anything other than food. If their stomach doesn’t accept it, it produces saliva in response.

12. Foreign objects

If your Frenchie begins to drool more than regular, the first thing you should do is look inside its mouth. There might be some foreign object inside the mouth that is making your dog drool. Look for objects like splinters, bone pieces, and plants in their teeth, gums, tongue, and throat.

13. Organ disease

Liver and kidney diseases in Frenchies can cause bad cases of hypersalivation. Liver diseases like Portosystemic shunt and kidney diseases like kidney failure can cause excessive drooling. French bulldogs are likely to drool excessively if they’re suffering from either of these diseases.

If you think that your French bulldog may be suffering from an organ disease, speak to your vet as soon as possible.

Tips for French Bulldog Drooling

Drooling in French Bulldogs is completely natural and it’s common in every single one of them. Usually, drooling is nothing to worry about. It’s more probably due to excitement, hunger, heat, or anxiety.

If your Frenchie has suddenly started to drool excessively, think about what might have changed in your Frenchie’s life:

• Has anything changed with the way your French Bulldog behaves?
• Have you changed your dog’s diet?
• Did your French Bulldog eat anything whilst on a walk?
• Has it been involved in a fight with another dog?
• Has your Frenchie overexerted itself?
• Are its teeth in good shape?
• Has something changed in the household that could make your Frenchie anxious?

Here are some tips for French bulldog drooling: 

• Use a bib: Try a bandana, handkerchief, or bib around your Frenchie’s neck. This will give something to absorb drooling as it falls from their mouth.
• Prevent hunger and food excitement: When the Frenchies are hungry or excited about food, they might start drooling in preparation for the food. Don’t leave them hungry for too long. Try to feed them small amounts of food regularly so they don’t get hungry or overexcited for food.
• Reduce stress and anxiety: Find a way to make your French Bulldog completely comfortable when they become uncomfortable, stressed, or anxious. In most cases, once you alleviate the stressors, the excessive drooling will stop. 

Do your best to keep your French Bulldog out of situations that they’re not comfortable in. Make them feel safe, put some extra love, or give them treats to reduce stress.

• Oral hygiene: Take care of your dog’s overall oral hygiene and brush their teeth more often. This will help to decrease the drooling levels and live in greater harmony with your French Bulldog. Brush your French Bulldog’s teeth at least three times a week. Use a good quality canine toothpaste and toothbrush.
• Clean and dry their mouth: Dry your French Bulldog’s mouth following a long walk or run. A Frenchie that’s just been exercised will drool more than usual. Use an antiseptic solution after mouth cleaning.
• Avoid overheating: Don’t leave your Frenchie out in the sun in hot weather on hot days. During hot weather, be sure to keep your French Bulldog cool by providing a good amount of shade for them. Keep them hydrated and don’t allow them to run about too much. NEVER leave your little buddy alone in parked cars.

When going for a walk in the summer, take regular breaks in the shade. Always keep a bottle of cool water, and don’t go out for too long during hot weather. 

• Prevent motion sickness: Always travel with an empty stomach. Feed your Frenchie at least three hours before a car ride, as dogs tend to drool more in the car. Try to get them to sit forward, perhaps with a seat belt. Always leave the windows open for air to circulate in the car.
• Feed easily digestible food: Frenchies with an upset stomach tend to drool. Feed them digestible foods in small amounts so it doesn’t upset their insides too much. Make sure they can’t eat objects that are not food.
• Use nutritional supplements: Use nutritional supplements in their daily diet according to your vet’s prescription.
• Prevent mouth injuries: To prevent mouth injuries, stop your French Bulldog from chewing on anything sharp or anything that could split. Instead, only allow your Frenchie to chew on things that you know are safe.
• Rule out the medical problems: There is a possibility that your dog has a medical problem with his salivary glands. Make sure your dog isn’t suffering from any of the organ diseases before moving forward. Always visit your veterinarian if you find any health problems in your dog.

Ultimately you will never stop him from drooling completely, but most of the time it’s nothing to worry about. Remember that a certain amount of drooling is quite normal in French bulldogs and you may have to learn to live with it.

Pet Parent Tip: If your Frenchie is drooling excessively, it’s also important to keep your dog hydrated. They’ll be losing a lot of fluid from drooling.

As always, if your Frenchie drools excessively and these methods don’t work, consult your vet for a professional opinion.

Dog Breeds That Drool the Most

Some dog breeds naturally have a high drooling potential. These breeds have larger, more jowly cheeks and lips where bigger pockets of saliva can gather.

Let’s have a look at a few dog breeds that are known for their drooling capabilities:

• Saint Bernard
• French Mastiff/ Dogue de Bordeaux
• Bloodhound
• Bulldogs
• Newfoundland
• Neapolitan Mastiff
• Bernese Mountain Dog
• Bull Mastiff
• Boxer
• Great Dane
• Sussex Spaniel
• Black and Tan Coonhound
• The Great Pyrenees

Final Thoughts

Like any other Bulldogs, French Bulldogs drool a lot, especially when they are overheated or excited a bit. Despite all the drooling, Frenchies are very lovable and make amazing pets. For some people, they can’t imagine anything worse than having to clean up dog slobber, and for others, this just adds to the dog’s character and personality.

French bulldog drooling is just something you will have to get used to. Just take good care of your French Bulldog and visit your vet regularly.

However, if your Frenchie has suddenly started drooling excessively, and you can’t figure out the reason, you should act and take your pet to the vet.

You know your Frenchie best, so take care of it, but speak to your vet if you find anything unusual.

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