Additionally, does this only happen to us or is it prevalent across the animal kingdom?
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May be something to do with a salivating diluting the acidity of stomach acids and protecting/lining parts of the body that may be harmed by stomach acid.
Stomach acid is not great for the teeth for example.
Protects your teehs from acid? Maybe there is other “stuff” but im not an expert
It’s to protect the mucus membranes in your mouth from the acid coming up from your stomach.
Vomit is often very acidic. The salivating helps protect to protect your mouth (particularly your teeth) from that acid.
The vomiting reflex causes your mouth to produce extra saliva. It helps protect your teeth from the acidity of vomit. I don’t know for sure whether it happens to other animals, but there’s no obvious reason it wouldn’t: vomiting, saliva production, and acid-vulnerable teeth are all common animal traits.
[To protect our teeth and esophagus](https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/why-do-we-drool-before-being-sick/). Stomach acid has a pH of 2, it is highly acidic. The extra saliva protects our esophagus and teeth enamel from the acid.
It also appears the [dogs do this too.](https://dogdiscoveries.com/dog-health/why-do-dogs-drool-before-vomiting#:~:text=Many%20dogs%20drool%20before%20vomiting,excessive%20saliva%20before%20throwing%20up)
Edit: the gag reflex is also governed by the medulla oblongata. Our “Lizard Brain” that is like 500 years old. It’s found in fish and lizards as well as mammals. So ima guess a lot of animals (who can) salivate do so before vomiting.
Anyone else not get this before vomiting? After, the first heave and waiting for the next, sure, just not preemptive.
The watery, wildly salivating mouth is a reflex that the body does in order to protect the teeth from the acidic stomach contents.
Some other thoughts since everyone else has covered the teeth angle:
* Limiting contact with the rest of the stomach contents, such as toxins or bad microbes in the meal, or even “good” microbes that should not be allowed that far ahead of the stomach.
* Lubrication to help expel the vomit.
* Perhaps the body isn’t doing this entirely voluntarily, and the gut flora are causing some of these responses themselves to kick out new competitors.
its not pleasant on the way up, hence the body does the best it can to shield the mouth and throat since among your stomach contents, you also have stomach acid, which isnt great for stuff like Teeth, tongue and throat..
this reaction actually has a name, its the gag reflex.
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