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49 Dog Breeds with Violet \ Black \ Blue Tongues 41 Dog Breeds with Spotted Tongue 12 Stunning Facts about Dog's Tongue How clean is a dog's tongue? What breed of dog has a rough tongue? How long is a dog's tongue? How to Keep Dog's Tongue Healthy? Are dogs tongues antiseptic? Dog's Tongue Anatomy, Buds & Structure Dog Tongue Color, Size and Length Dog Tongue Hanging Out Sticking & Licks Lips Clean Dog Tongue Dog's Tongue Photos
The dog's tongue is one of the most important parts of its body. Besides lapping up food and water, or kissing its owner, the tongue serves as an essential heat regulator. When dogs exercise, their tongues becomes larger and due to increased blood flow usually hang out of the mouth.
Dog parents usually underestimate their companion's tongue. As a matter of fact, a dog's tongue can always surprise you in different ways. You probably do not think twice about your dog's tongue, but it does a lot more than just lick your face. The tongue is an essential part of the mouth in a dog! Dogs use their tongues to eat, lap water, swallow, and cool themselves down, too.
The tongue is a muscle. Like all muscles, it is controlled by nerves. And in the case of the tongue, the nerves come straight off the brain to control the tongue. Here are some facts about dog tongues that may surprise you.
1. Some Dogs Have Blue or Violet Tongues Chow Chows and Shar-Peis both have blue or dark tongues, and no one knows exactly why. The link they share is that they are both Chinese breeds and closely genetically related. It can be more difficult for a veterinarian to identify certain problems when a dog's tongue is violet or blue. In a dog whose tongue is normally pink, a blue tongue tells us that they are not oxygenating well. In some cases, a blue tongue can be a sign of lung or heart disease or a rare hemoglobin disease.
2. Dog Tongues Are Not Cleaner Than Human Tongues! Letting a dog to lick his wounds is not a good way to help heal a cut. Nor is it true that dog saliva has healing properties for human wounds. That is just this constant myth that people have! While the licking motion of the tongue may help a dog clean an area, the healing properties of canine saliva have never been proven. Another commonly held myth is that dogs have cleaner mouths than humans, but both contain more than 600 types of bacteria. Nobody would put bacteria on a wound. Why would you put a tongue, which has all this bacteria, on a wound? It does not make sense.
3. Dogs Groom Themselves Cats regularly lick their fur to groom themselves. Dogs also partake in this ritual, but their tongues just are not quite as effective at getting the job done. A lot of this has to do with basic biology. Cats have rough tongues that feel like sandpaper. That's because the feline tongue is covered in papillae or tiny barbs, which help cats get knots and tangles out while grooming. A dog is at a disadvantage because it has a smooth tongue. Although your dog can use his tongue to help remove dirt or shed fur, you will still need to brush him out to prevent or remove matts and tangles.
4. Dogs Use Their Tongues to Help Cool Themselves When dogs pant, it serves as a way to cool themselves. The process is known as thermoregulation. Hohenhaus explains that dogs do not have sweat glands all over their body like humans do, only on their paw pads and noses. This means dogs can not sweat through their skin to cool off. Instead, they rely on panting. When dogs pant, the air moves quickly over their tongue, mouth, and the lining of their upper respiratory tract allowing moisture to evaporate and cool them down.
5. Some Dogs Are Born with Tongues That Are Too Big Have you ever wondered why a dog's tongue hangs out of its mouth after a lot of exercise? Well a dog's tongue increases in size as it exercises due to greater blood flow, moisture on the tongue works to cool this blood flow, cooling the dog. There are some rare situations where puppies are born with tongues that are too large to do normal functions such as suckling at the teat. This rare condition is called Macroglossia. Some breeds like Boxers, are prone to having larger tongues that hang of out of their mouths. This usually does not cause the dog any problems, and doctors can surgically reduce the size of the tongue or recommend other treatments, if necessary.
6. A Dog's Tongue May Influence the Way His Bark Sounds In the same way that your tongue influences the way you speak, a dog's tongue affects the way he barks. Any structure in the mouth will to some degree participate in creating voice and sound. Think of what happens when you take a glass of wine and run your finger around the rim, Reiter says. The sound will change depending on how much liquid is in the glass. Likewise, the size of a dog's tongue will affect the sound of his bark. Most definitely the tongue plays a role in how a bark will sound,” Reiter says, but the actual bark is made by something different. In terms of shape, dog tongues are longer and narrower than human tongues. A dog tongue is differently mobile in part because dogs don't speak. They do not need to move their tongue around to pronounce the letter S or T.
7. Dogs' Tongues Have Fewer Taste Buds Than Humans Dogs have more taste buds on their tongue than cats, but not nearly as many as humans. They have about 1/6th the number of taste buds of humans. Dogs can taste thing that are bitter, salty, sweet, and sour. Cats, on the other hand, can not taste sweetness. But we also think that dogs choose their food more by smell than by taste. Smell is more important, and dogs have an incredible sense of smell. All this suggests that a dog's sense of taste is less sensitive than a person's.
8. Dogs Use Their Tongues to Express Emotion Many dog owners know how nice it can be to get "kisses" from their dogs. But it can be difficult to interpret exactly what a dog licks means, according to the experts. Hohenhaus says it is probably a dog's way of exploring his environment, in the same way that babies do with their mouths. Dogs use their tongues to lick other dogs' faces during times of happiness and excitement. Be cautious about letting your dog constantly lick your face, though. There is some research that bacteria causing periodontal disease can transfer from dogs to humans.
9. Dogs Drink Water Differently Than Cats Dogs and cats both use their tongues to drink water, but the process is very different. A cat uses the tip of his tongue to pull water upward and then quickly snaps his jaw shut to catch the liquid in his mouth. A dog uses a simple lapping process with the tongue curled slightly backward to form a "spoon" that collects as much water as possible and quickly puts it back into their mouth. Check out this video to see the difference:
10. The Caveats: Wealth & Health If you notice any changes in appearance in your dog's tongue, such as odd growths, color changes and inflammation, or your dog refuses to eat, a vet visit is in order. The cause of the change can be anything from an allergy to an infection, an injury, ingestion of a toxic substance, problems with nutrition, illness, or a metabolic disease. The canine tongue can provide you with a wealth of health information if you pay close attention to it.
11. Hanging Tongue Dog Syndrome Dogs normally stretch their tongues outside of their mouths. This behavior of dogs is totally normal for several reasons. But you have to worry if your dog's tongue is permanently stretched out or if they cannot withdraw their tongue into their mouth. This physically unable condition is called hanging tongue syndrome. This can occur due to an illness or injury that damages the nerves in the head and face, or because of a conformation disorder that prevents. The dog from retracting their tongue or fully closing their mouth. If your dog's tongue is always hanging out or unable to retract, it is important to get your dog seen by your vet.
12. Dog Tongue helps with Smells Have you ever seen your dog chatter his teeth, when he sniffs something interesting and perhaps even maybe foam at his mouth? When dogs do this, they basically gathering large scent molecules and with our help they are able to send them towards their Incisiva Papilla - this behavior know as "Dog Tonguing". Dogs have a special scenting organ that we humans do not have, which is called Jacobson's Organ or the Vomeronasal Organ. This is located in the top of the dog's palate close to the nasal cavity, and when your dog sticks their tongue out or opens their mouth, this too can help them to pick up scent particles that are interpreted by this special organ to improve your dog's scenting acuity.These scent molecules then reach dog's vomeronasal organ and finally dog's brain possibly eliciting a behavior response, such as marking over the sniffed area!
Your dog's tongue is a long, muscled, versatile organ. It's attached to the back of the mouth by the basihyoid bone.
The top of the tongue is covered with five types of tiny mushroom shaped papillae and pores that lead to taste buds. The rest of the tongue is made up of small bundles of muscle, connective tissue, and fatty tissue.
It also contains lots of blood vessels, which is why it bleeds like crazy when it gets a cut. All around the tongue are openings to the salivary glands. Together, the tongue, teeth, and mouth comprise the oral cavity.
The tongue is located on the floor of the mouth. It extends from its posterior attachment on a small bone called the basihyoid bone to its free tip at the front of the jaw.
It is the chief organ responsible for taste and obtaining food. It also aids in the chewing and swallowing of food.
The tongue is an elongated muscular organ with the top surface covered with specialized little mushroom-shaped structures called papillae. These papillae contain tiny holes or pores that lead to taste buds. The bulk of the tongue consists of muscle bundles mixed with connective (strong/tough) and adipose (fat) tissue. It has many blood vessels and bleeds profusely when lacerated. The tongue is surrounded by the openings of the ducts of the salivary glands, which pour their secretions (saliva) into the oral cavity.
The Taste Buds
Dogs possess about 1,700 papillae (sensory cells) on their tongue, as opposed to a human who has around 9,000. Although dogs' sense of taste is not close to that of a human, it is believed that dogs can differentiate between salty, sour, sweet and bitter tastes.
Dog's tongue fed by five separate sets of nerves that come directly from the brain through small openings in the skull. These are cranial nerves, and they originate from the base of the brain rather than from the spinal cord.
The tongue is made up of 6 major muscles, the Frenulum, which attaches the tongue to the floor of the mouth, the Genioglossus, which pulls the tip of the tongue back, the Hyoglossus, which draws the tongue back into the mouth, the Styoglossus, which pulls the tongue back and upwards, and the Mylohyoideus, which supports the extrinsic muscles of the tongue.
Dogs depend on their sense of taste to find resources like food and water.
The dog's taste buds are as follows:
1. Salty 2 & 3.Sweet 4. Water - yes water!
Dogs have a finely tuned ability to taste water, which comes in handy when looking for something to drink.
Dogs taste sour over much of the top of the tongue towards the back with sweet on the sides and the front. If you use taste deterrents such as Bitter Apple to prevent your dog from chewing inappropriate items like your shoes, I find it helpful to spray it in the dogs mouth first so they associate the product in the bottle with the bad taste, then let them see you spraying it on the forbidden item. Dogs make negative taste associations quickly, so this usually does the trick and they will know the item tastes like whatever is in that yucky bottle. The reason why it is not helpful to spray the item before the dog has tasted it is because when a dog chews, it is usually the sides and front of their tongue that come in contact with the object, not their bitter taste buds, so they do not taste the taste deterrent (I know, weird right?).
Because dogs cannot sweat they depend on their tongue as a major source of heat loss. The tongue is rich with capillaries so when a dog pants, the tongue swells and the rapid movement of cool air from the environment moving over their moist tongue whisks away heat, helping them regulate their body temperature.
One of a dog owner's most enjoyable moments is watching their dog running and playing with their tongue flapping in the breeze. While tongue injuries are rare, they can happen, especially if they are running in tall grass where foxtails can get caught in their mouth. These need to be removed immediately to prevent them from becoming embedded and infected. Cuts on the tongue can also happen, and because the tongue has such a large amount of capillaries, small lacerations can bleed quite profusely. In this case, it looks much worse than it actually is, so if the dog is panting and the tongue is swelled, cooling the dog down will reduce the swelling and allow the tongue to clot quickly and the bleeding will stop.
The tongue is a remarkable organ, but we as dog owners tend to love it more for the kisses it gives us! We tend to look at big wet sloppy puppy kisses as a sign of affection from our dogs, but is it? As puppies, a mother dog uses licking as a way to keep her pups clean, to stimulate them to urinate or defecate, and to encourage bonding between her and her pups. Licking also helps stimulate their mental development. As the puppies grow, usually after 6 weeks of age, puppies begin to return the favor and will lick their mother's lips when they want her to regurgitate food for them to eat. Licking is also a sign of submission that is used in dog-dog interactions, as well as a part of grooming. Dogs will also lick when they are nervous or as a gesture of appeasement or goodwill.
In an article by Dr. Nicholas Dodman, dogs "may lick their own lips or may lick a person to whom they wish to signal deference. If the recipient of the licking interprets this behavior as "make-up kisses," that's just fine. Perhaps the behavior is analogous to some forms of human kissing and thus their interpretation may be close to the truth." But what about that excited dog that jumps all over us when we get home and licks our faces with reckless abandon? Dodman explains, "For some dogs, it seems that they engage in face licking because they can get away with it and because it gets a rise out of the person." This might be a case of positive reinforcement where 1. dog licks person, 2. person gets excited and rewards the dog with petting, praise and affection.
Lesson learned - giving kisses is good!
Whether you are a fan of "getting kisses" from your dog or not, or whether you think your dog is simply begging to share what you had for lunch or is giving you genuine affection, we can all agree that the tongue is of vital importance to our dogs. The tongue is a sustainer of life, an air conditioner, a bath, a former of bonds and a great communicator. The tongue is a muscle that really pulls its weight!
Dogs secrete saliva which contains an enzyme that kills certain bacteria known as lysozyme therefore it is regarded as having antiseptic tongue. However, the cleanliness of its mouth depends on the specific dog and its activities.
It's a radiator, a water lapper, a healer of wounds, a food conveyor, a register of tastes, a texture sensor, and a wet equivalent of a dog's handshake. A dog's tongue has more responsibilities than any other part of the dog anatomy excluding the brain. And oddly enough, for all its duties and actions, it is one of the most maintenance free structures of all the dog's body parts!
Let's take a look at unique structure & see what we can discover: On a recent photo shoot with one of my dog trainer/hunter friends, I exposed four rolls of film while he put this three black labs through some off-season training. When I placed the slides on the viewer I was curiously struck by how many action shots captured the charging subjects with their long, flexible tongues literally flopping out there in the breeze. (I'm talking about the dogs here, not the trainer!)
Almost every photo displayed the dog's tongue completely extended with mouth open wide, fully exposing the airway to the onrushing breeze. After seeing these photos, I was amazed that in my busy small animal practice I wasn't seeing more than just occasional tongue injuries. With that fleshy, vascular flag waving around, frequent injuries should be expected, but in 25 years of practice in an area pleasantly infested with hunting dogs, tongue problems are just not very common.
Nevertheless, it has happened more than a few times that I would get a frantic call at home from a hunter wanting to rush his gun dog in because "she's bleeding from the mouth like a stuck pig!" So I'd rush in to the animal hospital expecting to perform some heroic surgery only to find the bleeding had stopped and the owner apologetic about all the fuss. Upon examining the mouth, I'd find one or more lacerations: sometimes not very substantial at all - that had clotted and nicely sealed.
Examining the Tongue's Anatomy Essentially the tongue is an elongated muscular organ with the top surface covered with specialized epithelium. Its responsibilities include responding to taste, touch, pain, and aiding in heat dissipation.
When I began researching this article, I quizzed myself and was able to recall only three muscle groups interacting with the tongue. Well, the faithful Miller's Anatomy of the Dog describes no less than eight pairs of muscles whose job it is to control the tongue's activities. They have intimidating Latin names such as genioglossus vertical and oblique, hyoepiglottis, and sternohyoideus.
That band of tissue directly under the tongue holding it down, that's called the frenulum, you've got a frenulum too, only not quite so well developed.
And something you don't have that the dog does: feel just under the tip of the dog's tongue running from front to back along the midline, you'll find a firm cartilaginous, almost bony structure. That's called a lyssa. This little device was considered in ancient times to be a cure for various ailments including rabies!
TASTE: In addition to directing the dog to eat rotten garbage and to be repulsed at the taste of woodcock, the canine tongue is capable of discerning sensations of salt, sweet and sour. The sensation of sour is dispersed somewhat evenly over the top of the tongue, salt along the lateral edges and rear of the tongue and sweet along the edges and front of the tongue. Dogs have a finely tuned ability to taste water, and that trick is performed only by the tip of the tongue.
PAPILLAE: These odd projections from the surface of the tongue are of five different types. The slightly shredded look to the front and side of the dog's tongue (especially noticeable in newborn pups) are called marginal papillae and those funny bumpy things on the back of the tongue are vallate. Now the next time you see your buddy curiously peering into his dog's mouth and he suddenly exclaims, "Hey, what the heck are these weird doofangles on Cinder's tongue?", you can tell him they're called papillae and there are five kinds of them and casually walk away.
DOG TONGUE INFECTIONS: Because it is so richly supplied by nourishing blood vessels, infections of the tongue are not common. Generally, when they do occur, a foreign body such as a fox tail awn, porky quill, thorn or wood splinter is the culprit and can be removed under anesthesia. (Anyone who lets their dog chew on lumber, please stand up, uh huh. Okay, everybody can sit down now.) Split firewood and 2x4's sure can make a dog proud and happy, but those woody splinters can wreak havoc in the dog's mouth and gastrointestinal tract. Wood is indigestible, you know. Throw them a tennis ball and forget the timber!
It's a good idea to really examine your dog's mouth routinely say every Saturday morning just before you start on those chores you've been putting off. Maybe if you're lucky, you'll find something suspicious requiring an immediate trip to the animal hospital and thereby a legitimate postponement of the chores until the following Saturday!
WIRING: The canine tongue is uniquely constructed to do so many things. And to perform all these diverse and intricate functions the tongue requires five separate pairs of nerves coming directly from the brain through tiny openings in the dog's skull. These are called Cranial Nerves since they do not arise from the spinal cord, but directly from the base of the brain itself. In many an idle moment I have pondered what effect on my shooting success there would be if I had a fancy cranial nerve connected to my right forefinger rather than an ordinary spinal nerve.
Remember, the tongue is king!
Everything else in the mouth is an assistant. Keep a close watch, though, for ulcers, bruises or bleeding from the tongue, gums or palate. Check for broken teeth that can irritate the tongue or bumps arising anywhere within the oral cavity. Work your finger under each side of the tongue and force it upward so you can inspect the underside of the tongue. I've found some pretty odd things wedged or otherwise hiding beneath the tongue.
You really should reward that tongue once in while by allowing it a full, wet slap on your face just before its owner bounds off on a walk with you just for fun - no dummies, no whistles, no check cords or leashes. Odds are that the tongue will reward you at the end of your playful excursion.
The tongue is used mainly for guiding food and water into the mouth and throat.
The tongue assists in the chewing and swallowing of food.
It serves as a ladle for lapping water and other liquids into the mouth during drinking.
The taste buds of the tongue are important in the detection and sense of taste.
A dog's tongue can detect the sensations of salty, sweet, and sour taste.
The tongue also helps reduce body temperature in the dog.
Female dogs use their tongue to groom their puppies and also to stimulate urination and defecation by licking the puppy's urogenital area.
Air passing back and forth over a panting tongue is cooled, and this cooling is enhanced as saliva evaporates.
Dogs also use the tongue as a tool to clean reachable areas on the body, irritatives and wounds.
The dog uses it tongue to groom and to stimulate urination and defecation in puppies, especially by licking the abdomen and genital areas.
The tip of the tongue gives him the ability to taste and lap water.
The tongue also assists with chewing and swallowing.
The canine tongue has many distinct, complex functions it must perform. That's probably why it's fed by five separate sets of nerves that come directly from the brain through small openings in the skull. These are cranial nerves, and they originate from the base of the brain rather than from the spinal cord.
The main purpose of the tongue is to bring food and water into the mouth and allow your dog to taste what he's eating and drinking. A dog's tongue can detect the sensations of salty, sweet, and sour taste. The tip of the tongue gives him the ability to taste and lap water. The tongue also assists with chewing and swallowing.
Your dog's tongue helps to regulate body temperature as well. As air passes back and forth over the tongue when a dog pants, it cools down the body. (This is how dogs "sweat.") The cooling is also enhanced as saliva evaporates from the mouth.
Your dog uses his tongue to clean himself and lick sore spots on his body, as well as to clean up wounds or irritations on his body. Female dogs use their tongue to groom their puppies and also to stimulate urination and defecation by licking the puppy's urogenital area.
1. Taste buds - your dog's tongue is covered with tiny papillae and pores that lead to your dog's taste buds. The rest of your dog's tongue is made up of connective and fatty tissue, muscle, blood vessels and salivary glands. Your dog's tongue will bleed like crazy if it gets a cut because there are so many blood vessels in your dog's tongue.
2. Nerves - your dog's tongue is fed by nerves from his brain called cranial nerves.
3. Food and water - your dog's tongue is used to bring food and water into his mouth. Facts about dogs you may not know are that their tongues do taste salty, sour and sweet flavors.
4. Chewing and swallowing - your dog uses his tongue to chew his food and help the process of swallowing.
5. Panting - your dog's tongue helps him to cool off, or sweat, as air passes over your dog's tongue and saliva evaporates from your dog's mouth.
6. Licking - your dog uses his tongue to clean himself, lick wounds or irritations and to show affection.
7. Grooming - your female dog uses her tongue to lick her puppies urogenital areas to stimulate urination and defecation.
WHY DOG TONGUE IS WET? This article proudly presented by WWW.DOGICA.COM
Every dog has four pairs of salivary glands with tiny drainage tubes transporting the saliva into the mouth. One salivary gland is located just beneath and lateral to the eye underneath the "cheekbone". One gland is situated at the base of the ear-canal cartilage; and one just behind the angle of the jaw and the smallest in front of the angle of the jaw. These glands produce the preponderance of moisture in the mouth, secreting a thick (mucoid) saliva and a watery-thin (serous) saliva. Plus, the surface of the tongue itself harbors numerous tiny salivary glands secreting both serous and mucoid fluid. So the dog's tongue doesn't really sweat, but the net effect of the salivary glands of the tongue amounts to the same thing cooling by evaporation.
A dog tongue should be pink in color when healthy, unless of course you own a breed that has a black tongue, such as a Chow Chow or a chinese Shar Pei with its dark violet tongue
The color of dog's tongue is a primary indicator of more severe health issues, like dog joint pain.
>WARNING!!! If you do observe a change in the color your dog's tongue, it is best to schedule a visit with your veterinarian for a full evaluation. Catching most of these issues early can make treatment far easier than if left unaddressed.
Deep Red: A tongue which has turned deep red in color may signal a bacterial or viral infection, fever, diabetes, gall bladder or kidney stagnation, hyperthyroidism, and cancer.
Bluish or Purple: This color may indicate pain or congestion in the body. It can also signal an issue with their vascular or respiratory systems.
Pale or White: Animals with a weakening body condition often show this color tongue. Leukemia, anemia, blood pressure issues or blood loss, malnutrition and gas, decreased stamina, exercise intolerance, difficulty in breathing, excessive coughing in the night, discoloration of other mucous membranes such as gums.
A pale or white: may be a sign of a weakened body condition. This tongue color is seen in animals with anemia, leukemia, blood pressure problems, loss of blood, edema (fluid retention), generalized weakness, gastric system malfunction or GI issues, lung weakness, malnutrition, and lethargy. A yellow-orange:
may indicate gastritis and gall bladder or liver malfunction.
Black:One of the few breeds of dogs that does not have a pink tongue is the Chow Chow. Chow Chows have black tongues. If you have a dog breed that should have a pink tongue, take him to a vet if it is black. "Black tongue" occurs due to ulceration or inflammation in the mouth along with blood-stained drooling saliva. The dog's breath also turns foul. Black tongue can also be due to a deficiency of niacin. This tongue discoloration illness can become fatal if not treated in time.
If you ever see dark, pigmented tissue anywhere on your dog that actually looks like a bump or is raised up above the neighboring tissue, have your veterinarian examine it. It may be a dangerous form of cancer called melanoma.
One of the few breeds of dogs that does not have a pink tongue is the Chow Chow. Chow Chows have black tongues. If you have a dog breed that should have a pink tongue, take him to a vet if it is black. "Black tongue" occurs due to ulceration or inflammation in the mouth along with blood-stained drooling saliva. The dog's breath also turns foul. Black tongue can also be due to a deficiency of niacin. This tongue discoloration illness can become fatal if not treated in time.
Spotted - Spots on tongues are simply deposits of extra pigment, like birthmarks and freckles on people. Dogs often have spots of dark pigment on their skin, too, hiding under their coats. These spots can be large or small, many or few.
What Causes Purple Pigment in a Dog's Tongue? When you bring home a puppy with a bright pink tongue, you may find yourself startled when that tongue begins to develop purple, blue or black pigmented spots or turns completely dark. Two breeds, the chow chow and the shar pei, are born with pink tongues that gradually turn completely purplish due to increased pigmentation. The cause of this excess pigmentation is unknown but can occur in mixed breeds as well as show breeds, which can develop spots. Beware that medical conditions can contribute to color changes on the tongue.
Breeds Prone to Purple Spots When you bring home your Labrador retriever and he suddenly develops purple spots on his tongue, this doesn't mean he is mixed with a chow. Certain breeds develop spots of excess pigmentation similar to how humans are born with birthmarks. In most cases, your dog probably has darker spots on other areas of his body as well. There are more than 30 breeds known to have tongue spots including German shepherds, collies, rottweilers, Irish setters, cocker spaniels and Dalmatians.
Other Possible Medical Reasons While excess pigmentation does not cause medical problems, purple, blue and black discoloration of the tongue can be a sign of health problems in a dog with a normally pink tongue. Black tongue is a nutritional deficiency caused by too little niacin in the diet. Cyanosis causes a bluish tint to the tongue and is due to decreased oxygen in the blood.
Why is My Dog's Tongue Discolored?
Cyanosis If your dog's tongue looks bluish, it could be a sign of cyanosis. This discoloration of the tongue, skin and mucous membranes results from inadequate oxygen in the blood. A variety of conditions can cause cyanosis including heart disease, respiratory disease and exposure to toxins.
Uremic Syndrome Uremic Syndrome (or Uremia) causes a discolored and ulcerated tongue, among other maladies. Uremic Syndrome occurs when urea and other waste products accumulate in a dog's body and becomes poisonous. This toxic waste build up often happens when a dog's kidneys are unable to eliminate the contaminants, which could indicate an advanced stage of kidney failure. Obstructions in the dog's urinary tract could also prevent proper elimination.
Black Tongue A black looking tongue may mean that your dog has an inflammation or ulceration in his mouth, especially if it's accompanied by excessive drool. A solid black tongue can also indicate a deficiency of niacin. If the blackness is not solid but rather in spots, it could be a sign of melanoma.
Not all color changes are cause for alarm. There are a variety of reasons a dog's tongue may be discolored, and the reasons vary across dog breeds and ages. Two breeds in particular, the Shar Pei and the Chow Chow, are born with pink tongues that gradually turn purplish-black due to increased pigmentation. Even so, when your rescue dog suddenly develops purple spots on her tongue, it doesn't mean she is part chow.
Some dogs, regardless of breed(s), develop spots of excess pigmentation on their tongues. The cause of this excess pigment is unknown, but it can occur in mixed breeds as well as show breeds. Additionally, there are over 30 dog breeds known to have tongue spots.
Because the causes of tongue discoloration vary so widely, it's wise to err on the side of caution. If you notice any unusual changes to your dog's tongue, schedule a visit with your veterinarian.
All that to say, if you notice that your pet's tongue is changing shape, color, or texture, or if you notice a new bump or lump, it's worth discussing your concerns with a holistic veterinarian.
Health facts about dogs might be right in front of your eyes on your dog's tongue when you know what signs to look for that warn you that your dog may have kidney failure or gingivitis so your dog's tongue is not only a highly visible organ your dog uses to pant and lick, your dog's tongue could be the best indication that you need to call your vet when you see things like bumps, lumps or redness on your dog's tongue.
Look for ulcers, bruises, or bleeding from the tongue or elsewhere in your dog's mouth. Also check for bumps within the oral cavity. Move your finger under each side of the tongue and push it up a bit, so you can get a good look at the underside of the tongue as well as the roof of the mouth. The tongue should not be coated, and there shouldn't be any lumps, bumps, growths or raised areas.
This news brief gives you common dog tongue disorders and what signs to look for on your dog's tongue so you don't wait too long and cause your dog to suffer.
1.Abnormal chewing facts about dogs: your dog may be reluctant to eat his food, drool, chew in an odd motion or have a foul odor in his mouth.
2.Coating on tongue: your dog may have pasty coating on his tongue caused by digestive disorders like too much yeast or lack of balanced nutrients.
3.Pale tongue: your dog may have anemia or a weakened body condition like leukemia.
4.Yellow-Orange tongue: your dog may have liver, gall bladder or gastritis malfunction.
5.Blue or purple tongue: your dog may have problems like pain, congestion, heart disease, hepatitis, liver disease or an autoimmune issue.
6.Dark red tongue: your dog may have a bacterial infection, fever, diabetes, cancer, gall bladder or kidney problems. Health facts about dogs often go unnoticed on your dog's tongue, so it's very important to make sure your dog's tongue does not change color.
7.Dark raised area on tongue: your dog may have an unusual dark bump on his tongue which could be a sign of melanoma.
*Note: If you see any of the above health warning signs on your dog's tongue you should call your vet immediately.
5 Common Dog Tongue Disorders
1.Glossitis: Inflammation of your dog's tongue may be caused by gingivitis, inflammation of your dog's gums or cheilitis, inflammation of your dog's lips. Facts about dogs with an inflamed tongue may be that your dog may has swallowed a foreign object, been exposed to toxic chemicals, has a bacterial or viral infection or suffers from a metabolic or nutritional disorder.
2.Ulceration: Kidney failure or cancer can be the cause of ulcers on your dog's tongue.
3.Tumor: Sadly, tumors on your dog's tongue may be malignant. Watch for tiny warts that look like cauliflower on your dog's tongue.
4.Trauma: Your dog can get cuts, burns, bites and punctures from toys, insects, accidents and injuries.
5.Cyst: Your dog may develop a cyst on the underside of his tongue that makes it difficult for your dog to eat due to swelling of your dog's salivary glands. The facts about dogs with cysts is that your dog might have trouble swallowing and your dog could be in pain.
Home Wellness Exam on Your Dog's Tongue
Look for bruises, bleeding and ulcers on your dog's tongue weekly.
Check for bumps and lumps on your dog's tongue with your finger by pushing your dog's tongue gently on the sides of his tongue, underneath his tongue and on the roof of your dog's mouth.
Unless you have a Chow Chow or other black-tongued breed, your dog's tongue should be pink without any blemishes.
DOG TONGUE ACROBATICA This article proudly presented by WWW.THEBARK.COM
Unlike barks, growls and howls: dog sounds that easily take center stage, a dog lapping up water is background, white noise. Dog drinking attracts little attention until you unexpectedly step in a puddle of slopped-over water while wearing socks.
A closer look reveals there is nothing commonplace about how dogs drink. Instead, to ingest liquids, the tongue seems to perform almost acrobatic feats. Slow-motion footage of dogs lapping up water shows that the tongue curls backward to create a spoon shape. The below video from of The Secret Life of Dogs, a Nat Geo WILD special that premiered Sunday, August 25, hints at the intricacies of how dogs drink.
From the above clip, it could appear that by curling the tongue backward and filling the spoon-shaped tongue with water, dogs drink by scooping, or spooning, liquids into their mouths. But a paper published by Crompton and Musinsky in Biology Letters in 2011, finds there is more to the story.
While dog tongues do assume a spoon-shaped position while drinking, much of that liquid falls out. Using high-speed and x-ray video recordings of a dog lapping up a colored liquid, instead of clear water, the researchers could see that the tip of the dog's tongue was actually drawing a column of water up into the mouth, and this column of water is what dogs are drinking. This observation is difficult to make from slow-motion videos of dogs drinking clear liquids like water. By taking x-ray video of a dog drinking a dark liquid, in this case a mixture of milk and barium, Crompton and Musinsky could see that dogs draw up liquid by the tip of the tongue, and the tongue then traps previously lapped water onto the roof of the mouth so the dog can bring more water in without losing what it already has.
Ultimately, the researchers found that dogs use the same drinking technique as cats. This might be surprising because dogs make such a mess while drinking, and cats seem to emulate the daintiness of royalty, but dog tongues dive deeper into liquids thereby giving off more spray.
The researchers concluded that dogs and cats share the same basic mechanism for drinking: "adhesion of liquid to the tongue rather than "scooping" by the tongue." I'll drink to that.
Hanging Tongue Syndrome is a condition where a dog's tongue hangs out of his mouth all the time and the dog is unable to bring her tongue in at will.This could be due to the dog's breed, a mouth or jaw injury, or deformities of the mouth or teeth, among other things.
Other times, things like medications or the removal of teeth could temporarily leave your dog's tongue hanging outside of his mouth. A dog with hanging tongue syndrome is unable to retract their tongue, leading to drying, cracking and even discoloration of the skin of the tongue. If a dog is not able to moisten her tongue by bringing it fully into the mouth, then the tongue could become dry or cracked over time and cause the dog some pain.
You know how much it hurts when your lips are dry and chapped, well now imagine how it would feel to have the end or part of your tongue always dry and cracked. That is exactly what dogs with hanging tongue syndrome have to deal with every day. Often dogs with hanging tongue syndrome will be excessive droolers, especially after eating or drinking.
How To Care For A Dog's Tongue If your dog can't or won't bring her tongue inside her mouth to moisten it on occasion, then you need to take a few extra steps to care for your dog's tongue.Only your vet can accurately determine whether your dog has Hanging Tongue Syndrome or not, and whether she is in pain from it or not. To ensure that your dog's tongue does not become too dry or cracked you can do the following:
Apply a small amount of olive oil all over your dog's tongue to keep it lubricated. You may need to do this a few times a day. (Bonus: it's also good for a dog's dry skin and coat!)
Routinely encourage your dog to drink water. This will help to lubricate the tongue and mouth.
Encourage your dog to lick ice cubes or frozen dog treats. (Hint: You can also freeze leftover chicken broth and other non-salted liquids in ice cube trays for your dog to enjoy later!)
Apply a few drops of water directly onto your dog's tongue throughout the day.
In rare instances, a dog's tongue may need to be surgically shortened in order to alleviate further problems.
Take the time to regularly inspect your dog's tongue looking for changes in texture, color, size, or bleeding. If you notice any of these things, take your dog to the vet right away, because they could signal deeper issues - such as an infection or neurological problems. If your dog's tongue hangs outside of his mouth, then you'll need to closely monitor your dog's time spent outdoors because:
Too much time in the sun could lead to a sunburn on your dog's tongue.
Too much time spent outside in the cold winter months could lead to frostbite on your dog's tongue.
DOG TONGUE LIP LICKS This article proudly presented by WWW.DOGTIME.COM
Unless you're dangling a treat over his head or he's sitting in front of his food dish, the lip licking you see Fido offering is very likely dog talk. The lip lick is yet another part of the dog vocabulary as observed and researched by Turid Rugaas, which she calls a calming signal. This is not to be confused with the licking that your dog does when self bathing or giving you (or a complete stranger) some affection and loving.
Lip licking is a quick flick of the tongue. Some lip licks can be more exaggerated (over the nose!) and others are a very tiny flip of the tongue. My observation with my own dog is that she offers softer, more subtle lip licks when she is reasonably relaxed and trying to keep calm. She offers a subtle lip lick when she receives an extended petting session from me.
She offers more exaggerated nose licks when very excited. For example, when I first come home after being away and when we are waiting to do something, like waiting in a line (can we move!?) or in the vet's office. "I know I'll get to lick the vet tech's face, but what is that thing they do to take my temperature!?" She's anxious in the environment. At home, if I call her to her feet from lying down (because a toddler is perhaps racing around), she licks her lips as she approaches me.
DOG TONGUE CLEANER This article proudly presented by WWW.ORAPUP.COM
1) Apply Lickies flavoring to Orapup's ultra-soft bristles.
UNDER DOG's TONGUE This article proudly presented by WWW.EHOW.COM and WWW.AFRO COMPLETE.COM
You likely take your dog to its veterinarian routinely to check for various things. But it's also a good idea for you to examine your dog at home from time to time. Looking at its fur, body, ears and other body parts can be simple, but checking inside its mouth and underneath its tongue can be more difficult. Check underneath your dog's tongue for any growths, blisters or other problems that you might need to get checked out.
Instructions 1.Place your dog in a comfortable position, whether that is sitting in your lap or lying down. This will help your dog remain more calm while you are looking inside its mouth. 2. Place your thumb against the dog's jaw on one side and your other four fingers on the other side of its mouth. 3.Press lightly until the dog opens its mouth. Leave your hand there so that the dog will keep its mouth open. Do not press hard, as that could cause the dog's teeth to cut its cheeks. 4.Use a wash cloth or a paper towel and take the dog's tongue in your other hand. Lift the tongue up and look underneath it.
Worm Under The Tongue In Dogs This material by WWW.DOGICA.COM
For many years there has been a belief in some cultures that there is a "worm" that lives underneath the tongue of dogs. It is believed that if this "worm" is cut out the dog will grow strong, get better if it is sick, put on weight if it is thin and be a good hunter.
Is there a "worm" underneath the dog's tongue?
NO!!! There is not a worm under the tongue! The "worm" story is not true and is an old myth and it is time that we stop hurting dogs by cutting their tongues unnecessarily.
So what IS under the tongue? The "worm" is in fact a band of tissue called a frenulum that lies directly under the tongue to hold the tongue down. People also have this piece of tissue under their tongues but it is not as well-developed as in dogs. If you lift up your tongue in your own mouth it is very easy to feel this band of tissue with your finger.
The dog's tongue is like a long muscle and is one of the most important parts of its body. Besides eating food and drinking water and responding to touch and pain, the tongue acts like a long fan to cool the dog down. When dogs exercise, their tongues become larger and due to the extra blood flow the tongue usually hang out of the mouth.
So, when a dog pants, it is actually cooling down its entire body. The dog's quick shallow breaths cause moisture on the tongue to evaporate, cooling the tongue that in turn cools the blood flow through the tongue and the respiratory system.
Providing your dog with cool air on hot or humid days is very important to help control the dog's temperature. This is why it is so dangerous to leave a dog in a closed car in warm or hot weather. The hot /warm air keeps the tongue from doing its job and can cause the dog to overheat and even die.
Below is a picture of a dog's mouth with the frenulum clearly visible:
Just as we would not even consider cutting out the band of tissue (the frenulum) that holds our own tongue in place, so we must stop this terribly cruel practice of cutting out the band that does exactly the same thing in the dog's mouth.
The "worm" under the tongue of dogs is an outdated myth and not true, and the removal of this "worm" is both cruel and causes extreme pain to the animal in question. In many cases it can result in the animal's death because without this band of tissue the dog's tongue cannot work properly and the dog can starve, dehydrate as a result of not being able to drink properly or even bleed to death.
LONGEST DOG TONGUE IN THE WORLD This article proudly presented by WWW.BIGGEST STUFF.COM
As you may or may not know, the longest human tongue is 3.86 inches (9.65 cm) long and belongs to an average-sized guy named Stephen Taylor from England. Now imagine an even longer, 4.14 inches (11.43 cm) tongue on a much smaller Pekingese dog.
Puggy was born in 2000 and abandoned by his first owners. He has since got a second chance and even landed a Guinness world record with his huge tongue. His life was definitely an exciting journey, but despite ups and downs, Puggy has remained a cute, loveable dog since the very beginning.
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