Why did my dog's gums and tongue turn blue? Is it an emergency?

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!

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.

Poor Chloe! If her tongue and gums look white instead of pink, this is a medical emergency - she needs to be seen by a vet right away. This can be caused by internal bleeding, heart failure, or severe shock. The red spots on her body could be related to a bleeding disorder, or could be unrelated. The emergency vet can do blood work to help determine what's wrong and get her started on appropriate treatment right away.

You need to take Nell into a vet immediately, this is a medical emergency. Blue gums and trouble breathing is very serious. Please take her into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Zippy! If Zippy is having trouble breathing and is blue that is an emergency and switching diets will not fix that. Not all grain-free diets are taurine deficient which causes dilated cardiomyopahty and heart failure. Dog that do not have a proven grain allergy do not need grain free diets and due to the issues with these diets we are not recommending them until this issue is figured out. Any diet made by Hill's Science Diet, Royal Canine, Purina Proplan, Iams/Eukanuba are fine to change to. Yes, the heart can make a dog have trouble breathing and turn blue. Also anemia (low red blood cells), pneumonia, cancer, fluid around the lungs, upper airway obstruction can also be a possible cause. If Zippy is blue and in respiratory distress this is a life threatening emergency. A blue tongue indicates severe depletion in oxygen. He needs to be seen at an emergency hospital now. I wish you both the best!

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

The color of the tongue and gums and skin can change shades based on things like hydration level, blood pressure (which is influenced by hydration and activity level), ambient temperature, oxygenation, red blood cell level, etc. In this case, if Brooke's blood pressure is just a little lower because she has been sleeping, then she may appear a little more pale. Shades of pink are good! White, blue, gray, or purple are bad. But often there can be severe medical issues and the gums can still be nice and pink, so it is rarely a true indication of disease.