Why is my chihuahua's tongue purple and liver enzymes elevated?

A purple tongue is concerning for a lack of oxygen in the blood stream. You mentioned she is having trouble breathing as well! This sounds like it could be an emergency and I recommend to have Molly examined right away! Call ahead so they can be prepared for her. Try not to stress her in handling her and stay as calm as possible. Since she cannot talk and tell you what is happening, playing it safe is the best option. A sudden breathing problem can indicate a blood clot thrown into her lungs, a stroke or a heart attack. Any breathing problem is always worrisome and should be treated seriously. I hope this helps and that everything turns out for the best!

This may be due to a congenital disorder (liver shunt) but ideally the ALT should be interpreted considering the reference ranges given by the lab. More tests should be ideally discussed (test of liver functionality like bile acids or ammonia or bile acids stimulation tests) in order to identify specifically the problem and give you a specific answer. If you have them, please write to us again or request a consultation and upload all the results of the tests available. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Hello. Oh, dear, poor Nemi may have had a seizure. Please have her examined by your veterinarian at your earliest convenience for any appropriate tests to see why this happened. Once a diagnosis is obtained, appropriate therapy/treatment can be started. I do hope Nemi is doing well soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi there and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If Chowper's tongue is becoming white or pale, this may signal a circulation issue or anemia. Other causes may be a yeast infection. Sometimes oral papillomas (which are often white or gray in nature when originating on the tongue) can make it appear like a part of the tongue is white. I would recommend seeking care at a veterinarian's office soon to have Chowper evaluated. I hope this helps and best wishes to you and Chowper!

Hello. This sounds like a mild hypoxic episode from hyperventilating. It is probably a normal response for your dog. If at her last veterinary visit everything checked out normal ( normal heart rate, pulses, gum color & no murmur detected ), then I would just assume that this was related to her panic, If, however, it has been more than a year since she was examined, then I would take her in. She may not need blood work, but a good physical exam can rule out many things Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I assume when you say liver enzymes you mean ALT? There a few enzymes we look at and elevation in 1 value makes us consider different causes then elevation in another. ALT elevation is caused make liver cell injury and leakage of enzymes in to the bloodstream. As the liver sees all the blood of the body it can be quite a reactive organ. So the question is whether the liver enzyme is up because of something wrong with the liver/vessels to liver themselves (such as an infectious or inflammatory cause (hepatitis) or a shunt (more common in younger dogs)) or something the liver is responding too (toxicity, disease of over organs). Unfortunately all parts of sago palm are toxic to dogs with the seeds (nuts) being most toxic. And it can be quite challenging to know if this is the cause. If it is sago it depends on the degree of ingestion as to how severe the case is. Unfortunately the treatment for this is supportive as you have been doing. The values may continue to increase or hopefully may plateau off and remain mildly elevated or decrease again. Ultrasound will help to rule out other things going on in the abdomen, assess the liver for changes in texture (although a liver can appear normal on an ultrasound and not be functionally normal), and sometimes identify a portosystemic shunt. After the ultrasound then sampling either first by fine needle aspirate or with a biopsy (needed for many cases of hepatitis, some other issues) can be performed. Checking platelets and clotting times should be performed prior to liver sampling in patients whose livers are not normal to decrease the risk of bleeding from sampling. As shunts are more common in younger animals , if this is suspected, additional imaging may be recommended prior to sampling as ultrasound will not identify all shunts. There is also a disorder called microvascular dysplasia that can be found in the liver. This is best diagnosed by liver biopsy and the sample sent to a pathologist who specializes in liver pathology. I hope this has helped and not confused you more. It sounds like your vet has taken the appropriate steps thus far and has recommended the next best steps to try to rule out some other causes. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Tia may be dealing with seizures, or another type of neurological disease, or she may have heart condition causing her to have a condition called syncope, which can look similar to what you mentioned. I recommend you have her see a vet asap. See the following links for more information, including when Tia's symptoms indicate an emergency situation that requires immediate medical attention: https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951440 https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=5862540