My dog's tongue feels cold and looks off. Should I be worried?

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.

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.

His tongue does not appear to be critically discolored or alarming. It is actually quite pink still. If it seems darker to you, you could always take him in to have his blood checked to make sure he does not have any red blood cell abnormalities or clotting disorders. Otherwise, it is too difficult for me to give you an exact diagnosis without examining him. I would have a vet examine it just to be on the safe side if it is still there and you are concerned about it. A hands on exam will give you so much more information than a picture.

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.

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

The color of a dog's tongue can vary minute to minute. If she is acting normal otherwise, check it again every few hours. If it stays dark red, it may be wise to have Ghontu examined by a veterinarian. Make sure she has plenty of water and shade available, as a red tongue could indicate she is too hot. If she becomes lethargic, doesn't eat or drink, etc. she should see a vet as soon as possible.

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.