My senior cat has a dark spot on its tongue. Is this normal?

I certainly understand not wanting to put Violet through surgery. Unforunately, a biopsy will likely be the only way to tell what the black areas are and the biopsy may very well say that it is only pigmentation. One possibility of why the pigmentation has just developed would be if Violet ate or chewed on something that irritated her tongue. We do not commonly see this on the tongue, but when skin is irritated, it will often turn a darker color. If that is the reason for he change in pigment, it should not get worse and should not look raised. If at any point the pigment is getting larger or looking raised, then it may be time to biopsy it just to be safe. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! in a young kitten, this is likely just a change in pigmentation and not a big concern. I would not be too concerned about this unless you ever notice a mass effect or it seems to be causing any discomfort. Best of luck!

As long as its not raised, and its never been ulcerated/bleeding, and its not changing in size, I don't think you need to be concerned. Pigment of skin and mucous membranes (gums, tongue, etc) can change with age and it is not indicative of a problem. If it DOES seem to be changing, if it becomes ulcerated or raised, talk to your vet; if that occurs, then it needs to be biopsied. But as I said already, based on what your saying and on your photo, I'm not worried. This can be a normal change. No one knows exactly why it happens. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Yes, this is normal. Each cat and dog is different, some have pigment of varying degrees inside of their mouth and some have almost none. So, good observation. In cases where there is significant pigmentation of the mouth, other areas of the body can be used to assess how pink they are. The inside part of the eyelids is a good place to check that. Good luck

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It looks like normal pigmentation, which can appear suddenly on the skin or mucous membranes. Please, show it to your local vets the next time you take Rocky in to make sure there is nothing to worry about.

There is a wide variety of normal pigmentation in cats' mouths, ranging from pink to gray to black. If this is a sudden change, it should be addressed with Shalom's vet, but otherwise it is likely normal.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Black pigment or Lentigo are common developments in the mouth of cats as they age. More so in orange cats. That is what I think your last picture shows. The middle picture I can't tell if it is pigment or just some drool that had food in it that dried on the fur. It isn't uncommon to have dark crust at the nose openings. Some cats can have that and not be sick or if they are recovering from an upper respiratory tract infection. If Aphrodite is acting normal and not sneezing excessively I do not think she needs veterinary care. Have a good day!