Why is my dog's tongue turning white? Is it a sign of illness?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Chase! How old is he? If his gums are white that is an emergency and he should go back to the vet today! White gums are a sign of shock or anemia. Anemia can be from internal bleeding or destruction of the red blood cells. Shock could be from pancreatitis or a blockage from ingestion of a foreign body. He needs to be re-examined and have blood work and X-rays done. I wish you all the best!

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.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Without seeing Crystal it is hard to say what is going on. She could be nauseous but typically dogs have a decreased appetite with that. I would also be concerned about a bad/infected tooth. I recommend taking her to a vet for a good oral exam. They may need to do further diagnostics to determine the cause. Good luck and kisses to Crystal!

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.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It's hard to see well in your picture but the color is lighter than normal. Sometimes if you stretch the lip up too tight it can look paler or whiter. If she is acting normal I am not sure I would read too much in to the color, especially f it more pink the rest of the day. If you are worried I would have her rechecked and ask the Vet to run a PCV/TS which measures her red blood cell count. Most dogs that are anemic are lethargic, weak, have a decreased appetite, and increased breathing. I wish you and MJ the best!

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!

As long as its not raised, and its never been ulcerated/bleeding, and its not changing in size, I don't think you need to be concerned. Pigment of skin and mucous membranes (gums, tongue, etc) can change with age and it is not indicative of a problem. If it DOES seem to be changing, if it becomes ulcerated or raised, talk to your vet; if that occurs, then it needs to be biopsied. But as I said already, based on what your saying and on your photo, I'm not worried. This can be a normal change. No one knows exactly why it happens. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!