Slobbers, also called ptyalism in medicine, is the constant and excessive production of saliva.
This saliva drools all over the mouth to other parts of the body, like the paws.
Because the fur is wet, it loses strength, causing it to clump, break down and fall.
As the skin is also wet for most of the time, skin maceration may begin to occur.
This can make the rabbit prone to fungal and bacterial infections.
MediRabbit separates the causes of ptyalism into acute and chronic based on the time they take to develop.
Where acute (fast development) includes abscesses, pain, or tumours; and where chronic (slow development) includes things like genetic factors like the size of the tongue or position of the head, external afflictions like neurological trauma, a disease, or stress, amongst others.
There are other causes that although not considered acute or chronic they can be described as so.
One of these are dental problems, which could be chronic, and are one of the most common reasons for slobbers. For example, spurs or malocclusion can make the rabbit uncomfortable and prevent them to close their mouth, which causes their mouth to salivate.
Respiratory infection could make the rabbit breathe by the mouth, which could cause drooling.
Medication, poisons and toxins may also cause the rabbit to drool.
The easiest way to diagnose ptyalism is to touch the rabbit’s mouth and paws to see if they’re wet.
You will be able to see wet fur and if it’s been going for a while, the fur may have dropped, leaving the pink skin. This lack of fur may extend all over the mouth, the chin, and the paws.
Consider though that slobbers is a symptom of a bigger issue that must be investigated and treated.
Thus this may mean that you may also see:
General sickness symptoms (due to pain, stress, etc..);
Bad smell from mouth and/or discharge from the mouth (infections and abscesses);
Bumps or general uneven facial symmetry (abscesses, lack of teeth).;
Nasal discharge (upper respiratory tract infection);
Grinding of teeth (General pain), or;
Excess tear production (from infections).
To uncover the reason of the drooling, the rabbit may undergo a varying amount of tests, like buccal examinations, x-rays, and more, and once the cause has been detected, treatment can also vary from antibiotics, filing the teeth, pain relief, draining of abscesses, etc…
If you want to learn more about Slobbers you can always read:
MediRabbit’s Differential Diagnosis for Ptyalism.
That contains various reasons why slobbers may develop.
Vetlexicon’s page on Ptyalism – Excessive Salivation, provided by Forest Vets.