Cat licking mouth excessively with occasional gagging
by Monica
"Pirate" is 11-13 years old (we adopted him from the shelter). He has all his vaccinations up to date. He's been sleeping more than usual the last few days, and his MEOW is now broken up - like he's hoarse. Today, he has been excessively licking his lips, but not thirsty beyond his ordinary water intake. Occasionally he gags, but nothing is coming up. We cannot see any throat obstructions. Any idea why a cat would be so dry mouthed? Monica Hi Monica.... Thanks for visiting and asking. I won't diagnose but recite what the experts say might cause the symptoms that you say your cat has. Gagging Coughing and gagging can be caused by roundworms that "crawl up the windpipe and are swallowed". Difficulty in swallowing, gagging, choking and drooling indicate a foreign body in the mouth, tongue or throat. A foreign body is also indicated when a cat does one or more these: paws at the mouth, rubs the mouth along the floor, drools, gags, licks the lips or holds the mouth open. You say that you can't see any foreign objects. You might check again with a good torch. If a cat has difficulty breathing because of an object in the throat, the object would have moved to the larynx. Difficulty breathing naturally creates an possible emergency. A sore throat, although not a common illness in a cat, can cause fever, coughing, gagging, vomiting and loss of appetite. Tonsillitis causes similar symptoms to sore throat. Conclusion The symptoms as described would on the face of it indicate a foreign object. I would double check and take your cat to a vet to check this out. It can be tricky to look into a cat's mouth with precision for obvious reasons - cats don't like it and don't allow it except for a brief glimpse. I don't think that Pirate has a dry mouth. The lip licking is a symptom of another problem. Sleeping more is due to discomfort. The "broken meow" might also indicates a object near the voice box (larynx). Hope this helps. These are only pointers. There is no substitute for a good vet as I am sure the regular visitors to PoC will remind me. Source: Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Guide by Dr Carlson and Giffin pages 38, 165, 178, 180-81, 186, 188, 214.
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