What do a rainbow, a smile, and a dog tongue color have in common? Everything! Each of these things is symbolic, and they all relate to your dog’s tongue color.
You see, your dog’s tongue is one of the first things people notice about him or her. It is not just a cosmetic feature for humans to observe.
Your dog’s tongue color can give you insight into a variety of things about your dog. While some dog tongues are more visible than others, it doesn’t mean that all dogs with visible tongues are healthier than others. If you have ever wondered what your dog’s tongue color means, keep reading to learn more!
Dog Tongue Colors and What They Mean
There are many tongue colors for dogs, and each color has its own personality. The colors of a dog’s tongue can help you determine things like whether your dog is likely to get sick.
While some dog tongues are more visible than others, it doesn’t mean that all dogs with visible tongues are healthier than others.
If you have ever wondered what your dog’s tongue color means, keep reading to learn more!
What Your Dog’s Tongue Color Says About Its Health
The health of your dog’s tongue will determine the health of the rest of his or her body organs. If your dog has an unhealthy tongue, it could lead to an unhealthy body.
The good news is that there are simple ways to tell if your dog’s tongue is healthy or not. If you have a happy, healthy-looking dog with a bright-colored tongue, then you know that his or her tongue is in great shape.
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What Dog’s Pale Tongue Color Says About Its Health
A pale tongue is a sign of dehydration and will eventually lead to more serious health issues. The color can also indicate that the dog’s food isn’t being digested properly, which could be due to parasites or poisoning.
The dog could be also anemic. A healthy glow would have a pinkish hue with no dark patches on it while an unhealthy red/brown appearance means something else is going wrong in the body like liver failure or pancreatitis.
What Dog’s Gray Tongue Color Says About Its Health
A gray tongue indicates a dilated duct and may signify an early sign of pancreatitis, colorectal cancer, or chronic liver disease.
A white/gray tongue is typically normal in dogs but can indicate aspiration pneumonia as well as other lung-related illnesses such as distemper or feline infectious peritonitis (FIP).
What Dog’s Brown Tongue Color Says About Its Health
Brown tongues are often seen on dogs with a type of liver disease called cholangitis. If the condition is mild and only affects one or two lobes, it will not show any symptoms other than that.
However, if the problem becomes severe enough to cause inflammation in all four lobes of your dog’s tongue, you may notice such symptoms as vomiting blood when they eat food that has been dripping from their mouth for more than 24 hours (this usually happens because there is no saliva), lethargy (they are feeling exhausted) and diarrhea.
Brown-colored dog tongues may also be caused by the presence of a foreign object like a stick or bone. If you have seen your dog chewing on something, then they could have accidentally swallowed it.
The stick or bone will usually become stuck in their throat or esophagus and that is when the color change happens.
You will notice that when your dog eats, the food is dripping from his mouth and he doesn’t swallow it properly.
What Dog’s Black Tongue Color Says About Its Health
The black tongue of a canine is usually more than just a cosmetic feature. It can be an indication that the animal has some worrisome health problems and needs to see its vet for further examination.
The most common issue with this coloration in dogs are tumors or other growths along the tongue’s surface; however, it could also indicate cancerous cells spread throughout their body, which would require immediate medical intervention before any long-term damage can happen to your dog’s quality of life.
However, there are exceptions such as when the dark pigmentation on their tongues may be due to excess melanin being deposited into certain areas by skin disorders like pemphigus erythematosus (a rare autoimmune disease).
What Dog’s Blue Tongue Color Says About Its Health
When your dog’s tongue is blue, it means that the animal has a blood sugar level problem. This could be caused by liver failure, pancreatitis, or diabetes and may require medical attention to fix.
What Dog’s Green Tongue Color Says About Its Health
The green tongue may be caused by a variety of things, but it’s most often an indication of bacterial, fungal, or yeast overgrowth.
These compounds may induce significant infections if there are sores in the mouth. It’s critical to get treatment for a green tongue as soon as possible.
What Dog’s Purple Tongue Color Says About Its Health
The presence of purple on your dog’s tongue might indicate cancer, diabetes, toxin intake, or gastrointestinal problems. The coloration is the result of blood flow and may be caused by inflammation or trauma to the mouth.
What Dog’s White Tongue Color Says About Its Health
If a dog’s tongue is white or has white spots, the animal is probably experiencing an extreme loss of minerals due to vomiting or diarrhea.
If these symptoms are present, then they will need to see a vet immediately for treatment before it gets worse.
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What Dog’s Orange Tongue Color Says About Its Health
Orange tongues are common in dogs with an underlying health condition, such as liver disease or pancreatitis.
However, it can also be a sign of something more serious like cancer. Generally speaking though, orange-tongued dogs live for at least two years on average.
What Dog’s Yellow Tongue Color Says About Its Health
It is a sign that the dog’s coat isn’t healthy. It can also mean an allergy to certain foods or materials, and it could indicate if he has been sick in the past few months.
This color will change from brown or black depending on what caused this yellow coloration of his tongue.
What Dog’s Pink Tongue Color Says About Its Health
A pink tongue on a dog is usually normal and requires no treatment. However, if this discoloration is accompanied by other symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea, then your dog may have eaten something they shouldn’t have in which case you’ll need to get them medical attention ASAP.
Normal Dog Tongue Color
Our dogs’ tongues are mostly pink in color. Pink is a common color. However, certain dog breeds have tongues that are unusually pigmented.
The tongue of the Chow Chow, for example, is purple or purple-spotted. The Tongue of the Dalmatian is mostly black. The Doberman’s tongue is mostly pink with a small spot of black on the tip.
How to Tell if Your Dog’s Tongue is Healthy
There are a few ways you can tell if your dog’s tongue is healthy or not. The first thing to look for is cracks or cheilosis (yellow or white coating on the edges of the tongue) in areas where your dog often licks.
If these areas are free of cracks, your dog might have a healthier tongue than those with yellowed, chewed-up tongues.
Other signs that your dog’s tongue is healthy are that his or her teeth are clean, there is no blood in the mouth, and the tongue does not look flaky or dry. If you have any doubts, check with your vet.
Signs of an Unhealthy Dog Tongue
If you notice any of these 10 signs, your dog may have an unhealthy tongue:
- Your dog has a yellow or white coating on the edges of his or her tongue
- Your dog’s tongue is black or blue in color
- There is a dark spot on the end of your dog’s tongue
- Your dog is chewing on his or her tongue
- Your dog has a white spot on the inside of his or her mouth, near the stomach
- Your dog has a “sick” or “stinky” tongue
- Your dog licks or rubs his or her eyes a lot
- Your dog has bad breath
- Your dog has a “coating” around his or her mouth when you feed him or her
- Your dog’s gums appear to be pink
Causes of an Unhealthy Dog Tongue
There are a few things that can cause an unhealthy tongue. The following could be some causes of unhealthy dog tongue:
- Your dog has a poor diet
- Your dog is not given the proper amount of Water
- Your dog is an aggressive chewer
- Your dog is not Clean
- Your dog has bad teeth hygiene
- Your dog’s diet is too rich in fat
- Your dog is not allowed to chew on things other than your furniture
- Your dog’s teeth are too hard to chew on.
Treating an Unhealthy Dog Tongue
The following are remedies for an unhealthy dog’s tongue:
- Make sure your dog’s diet is balanced.
- Have your dog’s teeth cleaned regularly.
- Give your dog a bone or toy to chew on, as this will help clean the tongue and keep it healthy.
- Allow your dog to chew on various things, such as sticks and grasses so that their teeth do not become too hard and brittle.
- Make sure your dog is getting enough water every day (about one cup for every ten pounds of body weight).
- If you want to give your dog something sweet to eat, try sugar-free gum instead of chocolate or candy which can rot their teeth and/or cause an upset stomach.
- If you have other dogs in the house, make sure they are not aggressive chewers who like to attack others when they are chewing on things like bones or toys!
- If you are concerned about the health of your dog’s tongue, please consult with a veterinarian for a diagnosis and possible treatment options for your pet.
Prevention of an Unhealthy Dog Tongue
There are a few things you can do to prevent an unhealthy tongue. First and foremost, give your dog the best diet you can.
A healthy diet contains the proper amount of vitamins and minerals to prevent issues with the tongue as well.
If you feed your dog a poor diet, he or she may develop health issues that include an unhealthy tongue. Give your dog plenty of freshwaters to drink. Next, give your dog toys that allow him or her to chew safely.
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When To Worry About Your Dog’s Tongue Color: When to See a Vet
If your dog’s tongue is black, blue, or red, or he or she is not acting like yourself, then it is time to see the vet.
An unhealthy tongue could be a sign of an underlying health issue, and it is best to have the issue looked into.
A vet can check your dog’s tongue and take x-rays if necessary to determine what is wrong and how to fix it.
Spots on a Dog’s Tongue
If you notice any spots on your dog’s tongue, take him or her to the vet. These spots could be the first signs of a more serious illness, like cancer or bloat.
A vet can run a blood test to determine the cause of the spots and do a biopsy to determine if they are cancerous.
If you ever have any questions about your dog’s tongue, speak to your vet. He or she can help you determine what is normal for your dog and what health issues may be present based on his or her tongue color.
Remember, each dog is different, so your dog’s tongue may look different than what is described above.
What Causes A Dog’s Tongue To Turn Black?
The most common causes of the black tongue are:
- Swallowed foreign object.
- Chemical burns from cleaning products or sugar solutions (in the mouth).
- Bacterial infections due to bad oral hygiene habits and dental problems, such as gingivitis or periodontal disease.
Black tongues can also be caused by a number of other medical conditions including heart failure, liver dysfunction, syphilis, and cancer that cause blood clots in the airway.
How To Treat A Dog’s Black Tongue
A veterinarian will need to take a closer look at the condition in order to determine what is causing it and how best to treat it.
Is it Normal for My Dog’s Tongue to be Hot?
Many dogs have a very high body temperature. This can make their tongues feel hot to the touch, but it isn’t actually harmful to your pet and is just a normal response from them due to heat production in their bodies.
The tongue of most animals has moist cells that use evaporative cooling (evaporate water into vapor) as an effective way of regulating blood flow through the animal’s mouth so they don’t overheat when out hunting or playing outside during warm weather.
Would my dog die if he has a purple or blue tongue
No, but it is unusual. If your dog’s tongue is purple or blue, take him to the vet. This is a sign of cyanosis, which is a condition that occurs when there aren’t enough oxygen-carrying red blood cells in your dog’s blood.
The most common cause of cyanosis in dogs is heart problems and it can signal other serious conditions, like anemia (lack of red blood cells), lung disease, or liver disease.
The vet will need to run tests to determine what is causing the problem and how best to treat it.
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What Is A Dog’s Tongue Made Of?
Dogs have a number of taste receptors on their tongues that allow them to sense different flavors and textures. These receptors are located in small bumps called papillae.
The number of papillae on a dog’s tongue varies from breed to breed, and even from dog to dog. Some breeds, like the Pekingese, have very few papillae, while others, like the bloodhound, have hundreds.
Dogs also have taste buds on their tongues that allow them to distinguish between sweet, salty, sour, and bitter flavors.
These taste buds are located at the back of the tongue near where it dives into the throat.
Your dog’s tongue also helps him to cool off throughout the day by acting as a radiator for his body temperature.
The moist mucus membranes inside his mouth absorb heat from his body and help him maintain a healthy internal temperature throughout the day.
Conclusion: What Your Dog Tongue Color Says About Its Health
Tongue color is a good indicator of health and wellness. In general, darker colors are associated with poorer health, but lighter shades provide better vision and less risk for infection.
There might be exceptions to this rule – some breeds of dogs have light-colored tongues due to their diet or lack of exposure to sunlight resulting from their breed’s features (such as short hair).
However, it is evident that the tongue can give an indication of a dog’s overall well-being just like how its skin would do so.
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