Many have seen a dog stick its tongue out of its mouth, but not everyone can explain why it does this. At first, you might think that tongue sticking out is a normal dog habit; because this happens quite often. But it turns out that this behavior of the animal is caused by important processes in the body that help adapt to the environment and maintain health.
A dog's tongue is a multifunctional organ with which dogs drink water, clean their fur and paws, lick their owner, and even cool down during the hot season. Therefore, the protrusion of the tongue from the mouth is caused by various reasons.
Reasons why a dog sticks out its tongue:
- hard breath;
- hot weather;
- physical exercise;
- rest and sleep;
- elevated emotional state.
Fun Fact: Tongue sticking is common among Chihuahuas, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, and other small breeds.
Hard breath
Brachycephalic dog breeds stick out their tongues due to genetic characteristics.
Dogs with a flat face and flattened noses, so-called. “brachycephalic breeds” (pug, bulldog, Pekingese, etc.) stick out their tongue due to genetic characteristics. These breeds are prone to brachycephalic syndrome, which consists of obstruction of the upper respiratory tract. Due to heavy breathing, the animal keeps its mouth open with its tongue hanging out. In addition, brachycephalic dog breeds sometimes have their tongues sticking out because their tongues are too large to fit into the mouth.
In some cases, tongue protrusion occurs due to the abnormal structure of the animal's jaw, which does not support the tongue.
What to do if your dog sticks out his tongue?
If your dog is panting rapidly, this is normal in most cases. However, if your pet's panting seems excessive and there is no good reason for the behavior, an evaluation should be performed. You can examine your dog's mouth at home, but only a veterinarian can do a much more thorough examination, especially if your pet is anxious or in pain.
A doctor's examination is especially important if you notice any growths or growths in your pet's mouth, missing teeth, or red and inflamed gums. These conditions require appropriate treatment.
However, if shortness of breath is the cause of this behavior, your veterinarian may recommend adjusting your pet's exercise and play schedule to ensure adequate rest, as well as maintaining an appropriate temperature to prevent overheating.
Based on materials from www.wagwalking.com
Hot weather
A dog sticks out its tongue in hot weather in order to cool itself.
Dogs have a hard time withstanding hot weather conditions, to the point that this leads to illness in the animal. The bottom line is that a dog's sweat glands are not located throughout the body, as, for example, in a person, but are located only in two places: on the pads of the paws and on the nose. A dog's tongue contains a system of blood vessels. When a dog's body temperature rises from the heat, the blood vessels dilate due to increased blood flow to the tongue.
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To reduce body temperature, a dog needs heat transfer. To do this, it opens its mouth and sticks out its tongue, wet with saliva. The surface of the protruding tongue comes into contact with air as saliva evaporates, which cools the tongue and removes heat from the blood supply. In this way, the dog’s body temperature is normalized and the animal’s well-being improves.
In this regard , sticking out the tongue is a dog's way of sweating, a process that adapts the animal to hot weather conditions.
Helping your dog in the heat
To help your pet cope with the heat, make sure your dog has fresh, clean water available at all times. Overheating an animal often leads to dehydration, which negatively affects the animal's health. To avoid unnecessary exposure to heat, the pet is doused with water or bathed. However, such measures are taken with caution, since even on sweltering days the dog can catch a cold through disruption of the fat layer that is contained under the skin. It is recommended to select a muzzle for a dog in such a way that it does not interfere with the animal sticking out its tongue.
Wool and thermoregulation
Long-haired black dog breeds are most susceptible to body overheating
. It has been noted that short-haired dog breeds (Doberman, Dachshund, Labrador) stick out their tongues less often than those with long, thick hair (Samoyeds, Chinese Chins, Retrievers, Collies). Hairless dogs (Chinese Crested, American Hairless Terrier) do not need this, since they cool themselves with their entire skin. The most susceptible to heatstroke are shaggy dogs that are black in color because they absorb the sun's rays.
It's completely normal for your tongue to stick out
The main reasons why a dog breathes with its mouth open and tongue hanging out are the following:
- High ambient temperature. To improve thermoregulation, the dog has to actively “work” with its tongue. This way it cools the body faster and more efficiently in hot weather, avoiding heat stroke.
- Physical exercise. When a dog runs a lot, working muscles raise his body temperature, so sticking out his tongue helps the dog from overheating.
- Emotional uplift. A contented, happy and cheerful dog runs around merrily with its mouth open. This is how he expresses his emotions violently.
- Sleep, relaxed state in a comfortable position. The dog is simply happy, she feels good, she trusts those around her, which is symbolized by the hanging tip of her tongue.
- Difficulty breathing associated with the physiological characteristics of the structure of the animal’s mouth and nose. A constantly protruding tongue is characteristic of “short-faced” dog breeds: Pekingese, pugs, bulldogs, etc. The peculiar flattened shape of the muzzle was obtained through long-term selection to create the characteristic appearance of these dogs. But aesthetics had a profound impact on the health of representatives of these breeds. The structure of their nasal passages is disrupted, so it is difficult for them to breathe. To compensate for the lack of air, they use a constantly open mouth.
If the animal's condition falls within these descriptions, there is nothing to fear. All these manifestations are variants of the norm.
Physical exercise
A dog sticks out its tongue while jogging After
intense physical activity (training, a long run, an exciting game), the dog’s blood circulation increases, breathing quickens, and body temperature rises, resulting in a need for heat transfer. By opening its mouth and sticking out its tongue, the dog normalizes its body temperature and helps the body cool down. The animal uses the same method of getting rid of excess heat in case of severe fatigue, excitement, or stress.
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Interesting fact: The moisture of a dog’s tongue directly depends on how it feels: if the dog is healthy, the tongue is wet from saliva; a dry tongue indicates a deterioration in the animal’s health.
How to help your pet in the heat
To alleviate your pet’s condition in the heat, veterinarians advise:
- reschedule walks in the early morning or late evening, when there are no scorching rays of the sun and the air temperature is not too high;
- make sure your dog always has access to fresh drinking water;
Clean fresh water is a must for dogs in hot weather.
- exclude from the diet fatty and heavy foods, the digestion of which requires time and energy;
- if it is necessary to walk in a muzzle, choose a model so that the dog can freely open its mouth and stick out its tongue.
During the heating season, the air in the apartment becomes not only hot, but also dry; if there is no special humidifier, then you can simply hang wet terry towels on the radiators and moisten them as they dry. This will alleviate the condition of the animal, and it will also be useful for people.
Rest and sleep
Dogs stick out their tongue when they sleep
Dogs stick out the tip of their tongue or their entire tongue when they feel comfortable and calm. If the dog has just eaten, played heartily, or lies next to the owner with his tongue hanging out, this means that he is happy and relaxed. Dogs stick their tongue out of their mouth after eating food due to excessive drooling. Dogs often stick out their tongues when they sleep, which supports the idea that a dog's tongue sticking out is a sign that the animal is completely relaxed.
Deformations
There are several types of deformities that may cause your Chihuahua to stick out its tongue.
Insufficient or incorrect bite
An underbite in Chihuahuas is more common than an underbite. In both cases, the tongue may stick out. Sometimes a bad bite can cause health problems.
Dogs have arches that naturally clean themselves. This self-cleaning may not work for dogs with irregular bites. Without proper cleaning, infection or inflammation may occur.
If you are concerned about your Chihuahua's bite, consult your veterinarian who performs dental procedures. Some canine podiatrists can even correct bites!
Long tongue
Chihuahuas can be born with quite long tongues. However, their mouths tend to be quite small. Although this is not a dangerous deformity, Chihuahuas do have unusually long tongues.
Because their mouths are so small, it is difficult for them to keep their mouths shut. Thus, the tongue protrudes. There is nothing to worry about if your Chihuahua has a long tongue.
They may develop floppy tongue syndrome, but as we said, it is easy to treat. However, a long tongue is prone to drying out. Make sure that if your dog's tongue is constantly sticking out, it remains moisturized.
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Which season of the year is more problematic for dogs' tongue?
In winter, this problem can even cause frostbite. Beware of the symptoms listed below. Give your pet enough water. Check the color of your tongue and gums regularly. If the color changes, contact your veterinarian immediately.
Cancer or tumor in the mouth primarily limits the place of the tongue in the mouth. Look for misaligned teeth, ulcers, reluctance to chew, and smelly breath. These are the most common symptoms. Quick detection of the disease and all efforts can easily cure the dog.
Teeth not only help the dog eat, but also control the tongue and place it in the correct position.
See if your dog has a damaged or abnormal tooth. Acute bacterial inflammation of the oral cavity can lead to this problem.
Why is evaporation from the paw pads not enough?
The small area of the paw pads does not cover enough workload to cool the entire body, especially when they are in a standing posture. As a result, dogs cool their body through their protruding tongue.
Hot, heavy and fast breathing causes more fluid to evaporate through the tongue in a very short time. Pets require a lot of fluids during this process as they continue to lose water quickly. Dogs will not stick out their tongue because they are lazy or anything, but this act helps get rid of excess heat in the body faster.
The dog holds his tongue to effectively control this entire procedure. Their tongue naturally becomes long and flat and contains a huge number of blood vessels. The blood in the tongue cools through the secretion of saliva before returning to the body.
Why does a dog always keep its tongue hanging out of its mouth?
This is not a very important question. Why don't I see other animals with tongues sticking out? This happens under certain conditions. For example, people breathe heavily after heavy exercise.
Kangaroos and felines lick their bodies to remove saliva. Loss of saliva actually means a lack of water in the body. The next time you see your dog tongue-tied, provide him with plenty of water. You may also consider reducing his exercise period. In addition, the dog does this when it is hot or running away from some other animal, as well as immediately after exertion and emotional stress.
