Dog With The Tattooed Tongue

While dark spots on your dog's tongue may be perfectly natural, as the rest of this lens will discuss, most dogs have pink tongues (Chow Chows have black tongues), making it fairly easy to check for symptoms of mouth disorders. While many mixed breed dogs have colored speckles on their tongues, black spots that were not previously there in an adult dog can be a sign of melanoma, a type of cancer. Lighter (often white) marks on your dog's tongue can indicate a reaction to a toxin or allergen - such as if your dog has been licking something that had some kind of chemical.

A bluish tongue color in dogs can indicate a condition called cyanosis - which essentially means there is a shortage of oxygen in the blood. Cyanosis is usually noticeable in the gums and other mucous membranes and can be a symptom of a number of underlying causes, including heart disease, respiratory disease and exposure to a toxin. If your dog's tongue is bluish in color, and this is not normal for him, and you are sure that this is not due to eating anything that could transfer this color (also check toys for transferable dye) then visit a veterinarian for a thorough examination to determine if the discoloration is due to cyanosis.

Remember, it is better to take your dog to the vet and have him say it is nothing than to hope for the best and have something terrible happen. Always err on the side of caution when it comes to your pets.

---- SOME FACTS ABOUT DOGS -----


Dogs become loyal not because you feed them, but because of the companionship you give them.

The U.S. has the highest dog population in the world.

Dogs need mental stimulation as much as physical stimulation.

Puppies acquire a full mouth of permanent teeth between four and seven months old.

A greyhound can run as fast as 45 miles an hour.

Dogs are submissive to those they feel have higher pack status.

A dog can suffer from a poor self-image, just like humans. Bolster self-esteem with praise, affection and rewards.

An adult dog has 42 teeth.

A dog's normal body temperature is 100.5 to 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit.

Here are some dogs breeds that can have the black tongues or spots on their tongues, there are many more. Personally, I think any dog can have it. Spots on tongues are simply deposits of extra pigment, like birthmarks and freckles on people. Like I said above, some people call them natural tattoos. But remember, regardless of the breed of your dog, don't ignore changes in your adult dog, the sudden appearance of a black spot, especially if it feels raised, could indicate something severe.

Airedale
Akita
Australian Cattle Dog
Australian Shepherd
Belgian Sheepdog
Belgian Malinois
Bichon Frise
Bull Mastiff
Cairn Terrier
Collie
Cocker Spaniel
Dalmation
Doberman Pinscher
English Setter
German Shepherd Dog
Golden Retriever
Gordon Setter
Great Pyranees
Irish Setter
Keeshond
Labrador Retriever
Mastiff
Newfoundland
Pomeranian
Pug
Rhodesian Ridgeback
Rottweiler
Siberian Husky
Tibetan Mastiff.....
and more.

---- SOME FACTS ABOUT DOGS -----


A dog's heart beats between 70 and 120 times a minute, compared with a human heart which beats 70 to 80 times a minute.

Many dogs are mildly allergic to perfumey scented shampoos.

Dogs really don't like to play dress up.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the smallest dog on record was a Yorkshire Terrier in Great Britain who, at the age of 2, weighed just 4 ounces.

Dogs naturally have a wonderful sense of smell. They have many more sensory 'smelling' cells than a man's 5,000,000. A Dachshund has 125,000,000, a Fox Terrier 147,000,000 and an Alsation (often used as a 'sniffer' dog) has 220,000,000.

The Chow Chow is a sturdily built dog that is square in profile with a broad skull and small, triangular, erect ears that are rounded at the tip. The breed has a very dense double coat that is either smooth or rough. The fur is particularly thick around the neck, giving the distinctive ruff or mane appearance. The coat may be one of five colors including red, black, blue, cinnamon/fawn, and cream. Their eyes should be deep set and almond in shape. Chows are distinguished by their unusual blue-black/purple tongue and very straight hind legs, resulting in a rather stilted gait. The bluish color extends to the chow's lips, which is the only dog breed with this distinctive bluish appearance in its lips and oral cavity (other dogs have black or a piebald pattern skin in their mouths). One other distinctive feature is their curly tail. It has thick hair and lies curled on its back. Their nose should be black (except the blue which can have a solid blue or slate colored nose). Any other tone is disqualification for showing in the United States under AKC breed standard.

The blue-black/purple tongue gene appears to be dominant, as almost all mixed breed dogs that come from a Chow Chow retain the tongue color. This is not to say, however, that every mixed breed dog with spots of purple on the tongue is descended from chows as purple spots on the tongue can be found on a multitude of pure breed dogs

Read more about the Chow Chow here.

Shar-Pei dogs also have completely black tongues, but most people know the Shar-Pei from there wrinkles.

The Shar Pei, or Chinese Shar-Pei, is a breed of dog known for its distinctive features of deep wrinkles and a blue-black tongue. The breed comes from China. The name translates to "sand skin" and refers to the texture of its short, rough coat. As puppies, Shar Pei have numerous wrinkles, but as they mature, these wrinkles disappear as they "grow into their skin". Shar Pei were in 1978 named as the world's rarest dog breeds by Time magazine and the Guinness Book of World Records, and the American Kennel Club did not recognize the breed until 1991. The Shar-Pei is believed to have shared a common origin with the smooth-coated Chow-Chow because of the blue-black mouths and tongues.

Read more about the Shar-Pei here.

---- SOME FACTS ABOUT DOGS -----

More than 1 in 3 American families own a dog.

The tallest dogs are the Great Dane and the Irish Wolfhound.

Spaying/neutering your dog before the age of 6 months can help prevent cancer in your dog.

Eighty percent of dog owners buy their dog a present for holidays and birthdays. More than half of them sign letters and cards from themselves and their pets.

Dogs are creatures of habit. They like familiarity and form expectations and schedules.

A dog's whiskers are touch-sensitive hairs called vibrissae. They are found on the muzzle, above the eyes and below the jaws, and can actually sense tiny changes in airflow.

---- SOME FACTS ABOUT DOGS -----


It is a myth that dogs are color blind. They can actually see in color, just not as vividly as humans. It is akin to our vision at dusk.

The time to start teaching your dog to sit and stay is the day you bring her home.

Dogs don't like rain because the sound is amplified and hurts their very sensitive ears.

The basenji, an African wolf dog, is the only dog that cannot bark.

The dog name "Fido" is from Latin and means "fidelity."

Dogs often react differently to human males and females.

The average dog lives 8 to 15 years.

Some dogs lick their paws and then rub their paws on their head to clean themselves, much like a cat!