Dogs and other animals can have very painful symptoms which they can’t really communicate to their human counterparts because dogs can’t talk. However, if they could, then the treatment of some pet diseases may be far more easy to pinpoint early on. However there are many symptoms which should lead pet owners in one direction or another. One of these symptoms is blue gums or blue tongues in dogs. Blue gums or tongues in dogs can mean a few things could be wrong with your dog. Let’s first define blue gums in your dog and find out what it could mean.
Blue Gums or Tongue in Dogs: Cyanosis: According to petplace.com, when you are finding a blue or purple color attributed to your dogs mucous membrane you are dealing with what’s known as cyanosis. Cyanosis is “due to excessive amounts of poorly oxygenated hemoglobin in the circulation.” Basically your dog isn’t getting enough blood so that the ordinarily pinkish color of your dog’s gums has reverted to blue.
Blue Gums or Tongue in Dogs: Underlying Causes: So if cyanosis is the symptom and not enough blood is the cause, what is causing the lack of blood flow? What is the underlying cause of cyanosis? This is where the diagnosis gets a little tricky because it could be a variety of things causing these blue gums or blue tongue. “Congenital heart disease, various repertory disease, and exposure to certain chemicals that result in the creation of some abnormal forms of hemoglobin which are incapable of binding oxygen properly,” are just a few of the more common causes of blue gums or tongue in dogs.
Blue Gums or Tongue in Dogs: Treatment: Treatment of blue tongue or gums in dogs varies greatly and depends on a number of other things including your dogs overall health, their age, and how far progressed the cyanosis is. Some friends of mine had a dog that just passed who had blue gums; this led to his hind legs not working properly (one of the symptoms of advanced stage cyanosis). Their veterinarian told them that their dog would not survive surgery; they fretted over it for several days until finally the dog passed away in its sleep.
Blue Gums or Tongue in Dogs: What to do: Blue gums or tongue in your pet (cyanosis) should be a warning sign which pet owners should take very seriously. Cyanosis is something which should not just be sloughed off. When you notice blue gums or blue tongue on your pet, you should get your dog to a veterinarian right away.
Source:
http://www.petplace.com/dogs/cyanosis-in-dogs/page1.aspx
