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We performed this study to characterize the difference between the inflammatory and non-inflammatory status in diseased dogs by measuring salivary C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. In addition, we assessed whether a correlation exists between CRP levels in saliva and those in serum. CRP levels were measured in 32 client-owned dogs, which were then divided into inflammation and non-inflammation groups based on the serum CRP level. The salivary CRP level was higher in the inflammation group than in the non-inflammation group (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between the salivary and serum CRP levels (<i>R</i> = 0.866, <i>p</i> < 0.001). These data suggest that canine salivary CRP measurements can effectively and non-invasively detect an inflammatory state in dogs.