Why does my dog have a dark spot on her tongue? Is it a concern?

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.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is not necessarily a problem. In fact, this is most likely a normal change in pigmentation. If this ever develops a mass effect, I recommend that you have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment. Best of luck!

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It looks like local gum pigmentation or mild inflammation. I don't think there is anything to worry about, but please show it to your vet the next time you take Tiny for an appointment.

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.

It looks like an ulceration of some kind. Unfortunately the photo is not that clear. If she’s acting fine and eating and drinking OK I would not be overly worried about it at this stage. Just monitor it and if it looks worse or it doesn’t go away then she should see your vet.

Some breeds can have naturally darker tongues, but this looks more like the tongue was bruised or scraped/burned. (Or she licked/ate something that would stain the tongue such as berries) Some illnesses that involve circulation or organ function can also cause the tongue to appear bruised or painful, as well as ingestion of substances that could affect organ function. If she is showing any signs of illness in addition to the change such as vomiting or diarrhea, lethargy, etc, the tongue is very painful or bothersome affecting her ability to eat, she got into something she shouldn't have, or she seems to be having trouble breathing/gasping for air, seeking veterinary care ASAP is best.

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Pigmentary changes to the hair/coat are not that unusual, especially if there are no underlying lesions. If your pet ever sustained an injury to that area in the past, even a mild infection or burn, the hair follicles can be affected & color can change months to even years later. So, if she is not bothered by the area, you feel no lumps, bumps, roughness, see no redness or dermatitis, then this may just be a normal change in an unusual area. Just mention it to your vet at your next visit. Take care.