My dog's tongue is pale after sleeping, is this normal or a concern?

Colours in pictures can be deceiving but shades of mid pink are normal. Hints of white, yellow, blue or brown require urgent treatment by an emergency vet. If you are concerned a full health check and blood tests would be worthwhile to rule out any indication of illness

I would say that the only thing that really looks pale to me is the tongue and some dog breeds have this genetic tendency so this is also a possibility, i wouldn't be too worried about it, do take her to the vet for a checkup but it is not urgent.

I realize that looking up possible causes of pale gums points you down some scary roads with different cancers, bone marrow conditions or bleeding issues. Some medications can adversely affect the bone marrow, but at 1 year of age, I doubt that Spock has received any of these medications. Typical flea/tick and heartworm preventatives would not be expected to cause any of these issues. If Spock's gums are consistently pink (even with some variation in shade of pink) and he is otherwise eating, drinking and acting normally, these types of issues are far less likely. Try to determine if his gums change color throughout the day. During times of excitement or stress, a dog's blood pressure can rise a bit and cause the gum color to be a darker pink than the normal baseline. Concurrently, during times of rest and extreme relaxation, the blood pressure is a bit lower and can cause the gums to be a slightly lighter pink. If Spock's gums are every very pale and he is lethargic, this is an emergency condition and would need to be addressed immediately. Otherwise, you can continue monitoring his gum color as your vet recommended, or ask if he can be examined now if you need the extra peace of mind. :-)

If your dog's tongue has changed to a dark gray or purple color than he should be examined by a vet to make sure there isn't a problem. Your vet can do a complete examination, check bloodwork to evaluate his red blood cells, and take an x-ray, if needed. Without an examination, it is difficult to know if there is a problem.

It's a little difficult to fully assess Masha's tongue color in the first picture due to the lighting, but in the second picture it looks very normal. As long as Masha is behaving normally otherwise I would not be concerned. If she starts having difficulty breathing, her tongue becomes blue in color, develops a cough, or any other abnormal signs I would have her examined by a veterinarian right away. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Pale pink gums are still normal for a dog. Since you say that Bentley is acting normal, eating and drinking, I would not worry. Check his gums once a day every day for the next few days. Should the gums turn pale or white, you will need to call your vet for an appointment.

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.