Are my 6-year-old dog's swollen, discolored gums normal for her age?

This could be gingival hyperplasia. It is an overgrowth of the gum tissue. It is typically a benign condition. Bulldogs are one of several breeds that have a predisposition to the condition. You would need to have this confirmed by your veterinarian with a physical exam. In severe cases, the excess tissue is trimmed away. It can increase the risk of periodontal disease since food, hair and other debris can get caught up under the tissue.

Although the fact that Ace is eating cat poop is kind of gross, it's not the cause of the issue. That swelling looks like it could be due to something called gingival hyperplasia. This is a benign growth of the gums that ends up resulting in excessive gum tissue. Even though this is a benign growth it's recommended that the tissue be surgically removed to prevent infection from developing in the teeth. Unfortunately tumors or cancer of the gum tissue can also have this appearance. I'd recommend having Ace examined by your veterinarian. A sample of the tissue can be taken for biopsy to ensure this is not a cancerous process. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and good luck in resolving Ace's issue!

Poor girl. This is unfortunately an oral mass and should be tested by your vet soon to determine if this is cancerous or benign (non-cancerous). Due to Sugar's age and breed there is unfortunately a higher risk of cancer, but we should know for sure after it is tested. It is good that it is the same color as the rest of her skin/gums, so that is promising. I hope that Sugar's test results come back favorable after your vet visit. Best wishes and take care!

Her gums are likely inflamed because she has tartar underneath her gumline. She needs a dental cleaning to scale off all that tartar, then this will resolve the inflammation. I would suggest getting Chia an echocardiogram to see if she can still have surgery despite her heart condition. Many heart disease pets can go under general anesthesia. I would consider getting another vet for a second opinion here and see if you can get Chia's echocardiogram scheduled asap. I hope that your can get Chia's echo and dental scheduled soon. I would suggest using a water additive from your local pet store until then to help flush out her gums and keep the bacteria load down. Best wishes and take care!

Hello, that looks like gingival hyperplasia. This a common disease in dogs with dental disease. It is typically benign, but may cause some discomfort and bleeding if it ever gets too large. It can also be removed by your veterinarian during's Piper's next dental cleaning. Contact your veterinarian and have them evaluate her for an oral exam and determine if she needs to have her teeth cleaned. This will also serve as a way to check her gums and determine of the overgrowth of her gingiva needs to be trimmed or removed. Hope this helps and best of luck.

I'm wondering if you intended to attach a picture - if not, attaching a picture could help us determine what these might be. If they are flat they could be normal areas of pigment, and sometimes dogs will start to have more patches of pigment on their skin and mucous membranes as they age. If they look more red or purple bruising is possible which would be a concern - if you think this might be bruising you should see a vet right away since it could be a sign of a bleeding disorder. If they are raised then they could be oral growths or tumors and you should have a vet take a look.

Masses within the mouth, much like other parts of the body, have the potential to be troublesome or of little consequence. Typically, the older the animal the more likely we are looking at something concerning. The most common benign finding often found within the mouth on the gumlines are epulis, which is simply a benign gum tumor. In some instances they require removal in order to facilitate food consumption or provide generalized comfort, but in many cases particularly when they are not growing in size, they can be left alone and can even spontaneously resolve. In other instances, masses in the mouth can be malignant and show up in the form of melanomas or squamous cell carcinomas. If this is the case, complete removal of the mass and the surrounding tissue is always recommended, followed by potentially other ancillary treatments. The only way to know for sure however would be with cytology or removal / biopsy. At six years of age, there is a pretty good chance Phoenix would likely benefit from a dental cleaning and x-rays regardless of the presence of this mass. If placed under anesthesia for this procedure, you can talk with your veterinarian about how you'd like to proceeded regarding potentially removing / biopsying the area. Hope this makes sense.