Question about drooling

[Mary & Jude]

A couple of months ago when Jude came out of remission, the vet checked his teeth to make sure a dental issue was not the culprit driving up his numbers (it turns out that it was a UTI). The vet said his teeth looked okay, but that I might want to consider a cleaning in the not-too-distant-future because he had some plaque build-up on a couple of teeth. Here lately, I'm noticing that when I test him, there are often saliva drops on the counter where he is sitting. And if he shakes his head, which he occasionally does after I poke his ear, there is saliva slinging. It's not a huge amount, and I'm not sure I should even call it "drooling," but it's a bit unusual for him to salivate so heavily. He does purr when I'm testing him, and he really loves the scritches he gets, so I'm wondering if it's just that.

Does anyone have any idea why he might be doing this. He's pretty much asymptomatic--eating and pooping (he doesn't drink, so I put water in his food), so he's not giving me any clues that something is wrong.

Also, as I plan to take him for a cleaning soon, is there anything I should/should not do in preparation for a diabetic cat to be sedated? Will the teeth cleaning cause his numbers to spike?

 

[Wendy&Neko]

Lots of info for dentals in here: Info on Dental Procedures (including pictures)

Dentals should always be done with x-rays done in advance to make sure there aren't issues below the gum line. Neko went to a dental specialist and even he missed something that only the x-ray showed. It resulted in a pulled tooth.

If you rub along his jaw line or mouth where the teeth are, any reactions? Sometimes they will pull back or "chitter"/shake if something is sore. Cats hide pain so well. Dental issues are probably the number one reason cats fall out of remission.

FWIW, my non diabetics drooled more than Neko, who visited the dentist more often.

Did you shoot today? The SS doesn't show the units. But does show a nice slide down.

 

[SmallestSparrow]

Some cats drool when happy (methos does) but it seems a bit masochistic to be happy at test time unless he just really loves any time he can get with you. Some cats drool anticipating food esp if really hungry. I hope it’s something like this