Saliva in dogs
With my two schnauzers, Dexter and Monty, I’ve never really had to deal with any saliva issues. Theirs is almost non-existent. I know it’s there, but I don’t have anything to do with it.
However, when I was younger, my auntie used to have this big brute of a dog. When walking, he would always appear to be skating across the laminate and tiled flooring of her house. In reality, he wasn’t skating. Yet, the large pools of drool that were ever present oozing from his mouth made it look like he was.
Now in hindsight, all that spittle was a problem. In reality, though, dog saliva is a great thing, and without it, your dog would be in deep trouble.
Saliva is invaluable to dogs because it provides a series of functions that assists their general health and digestion.
Although, the long standing belief that a dog’s salvia has healing properties is a myth. What happens is that when they lick their wounds, their rough tongue acts to loosen any debris that may be on the surface of the wound. This, in turn, prevents infections.
But ….
Your dog’s salvia does help to clean its tongue. This is an important function when most things in life are explored mouth first.
On top of that, when they eat, the salvia gives the whole process of digestion a kick start. It does this by carrying enzymes which begin to break down their food. It also helps the food get down by acting as a lubricate, aiding in swallowing.
With so many benefits, the next time your playful pooch gives you one of those sloppy kisses, remember the importance of that gooey liquid running down your cheek!
