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About Jana Connell RVT, CVT
Expertise
PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT do birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience
I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

Organizations
Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

Education/Credentials
Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

You are here: Experts > Animals/Pets > Pet Birds > Ask the Veterinarian > inside cat,excessive drooling, not eating

Ask the Veterinarian - inside cat,excessive drooling, not eating

Expert: Jana Connell RVT, CVT - 11/5/2009

Question
I have a 5 year old male cat(Jasper)that is not neutered, & is always isolated from the two other kittens we have in the house.(He has had aggression & social issues from the moment I got him at 4-5wks old)He is a healthy cat,NEVER goes outside and gets plenty of attention. Earlier this week Jasper started sneezing alot. Our new kittens recently came back from the vets last week after getting fixed& declawed. One of them had a cold w/alot of sneezing. Both are on antibiotics. Im not sure how Jasper caught the cold since he is always isolated from other animals. 2 days after Jasper's sneezing started, I had left 1/2 of a steak on a plate that I couldn't finish. I had put too much pepper on it. When I returned to the room about an hour later the steak was gone, so I assumed Jasper ate it and thought nothing more of it. Soon after he started drooling profusely, and hasn't stopped since. He drinks plenty of water but hasn't eaten any of his dry food. The timeframe of eating the steak to now is 4 days. The drool is clear and not foamy. He has no access to any chemicals. He is no longer sneezing, but does try to shake his head to clear his mouth.The left side of his gum & lip line look red & irritated.Can black pepper do this to my cat?(there was ALOT, even for me)

Answer
I would think that that much pepper and just that much steak alone could cause him some issues. He could have some pepper stuck under his gumline.

First of all, a cat that goes more than three days without eating is in serious trouble and at risk for hepadic lipidosis. Also known as fatty liver, this is a very serious and usually fatal result from the liver being taken over by fat cells.

Yes, it is easy for a cat in the house to pick up a virus from another cat as they are airborne viruses.
This cat really needs to see a vet right away- not just for the drooling, but for the fact that he isn't eating.

I also am curious, why is he not neutered after all this time? He aggression issues might be resolved just by that simple act. Not to mention the smell that a tom cat generates with their urine. Unneutered toms are always aggressive, there is no way around it.

And one that isn't used for breeding might be worse due to the constant sexual frustration.

In any regard, he needs to get to the vets as soon as possible.

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