A dog’s tongue is not only a muscular organ for recognizing the taste of food, but also an indicator of diseases in its body. It pushes food and liquid into the mouth into the esophagus. This organ is a powerful thermostat. The dog, in order not to overheat in the heat, sticks it out, cooling the body. In addition, dog saliva has a powerful bactericidal effect. And the tongue is a tool for cleansing wounds, abrasions on the surface of the skin and removing dirt and dust. If a dog has a white tongue, then the dog has problems with digestion or other organs.
Why does my tongue turn white?
There are many reasons why your tongue may become discolored or have a white coating on it. This could be anemia, leukemia, gastritis, hypotension, serious blood loss, swelling of internal organs, oncology, lack of food, or lung problems. The cause may be thrush, which manifests itself in young individuals.
You need to check if your pet has other symptoms of disease:
- Heat
- Vomit
- Bloated belly
- Stool disorders
- Discoloration of other mucous membranes
- Smell from the mouth
- Possibly shaking
What to do?
If primary symptoms such as trembling, shortness of breath and palpitations occur, first aid at home must be provided:
- If the animal is lost in space, then most likely it has suffered heatstroke. In this situation, your four-legged friend should be placed in a cool place, given a drink of water and his head covered with a damp cloth.
- In heart failure, the tongue often turns blue and loss of consciousness occurs. With such signs, the paws are warmed with a heating pad and the pet is wrapped in a blanket.
- If there is swelling in the lungs, furosemide helps.
- The dog's panic, followed by loss of consciousness and a bluish color of the tongue, may be signs of a heart attack. Cardamine (five drops) or Corvalol (10-15 drops, depending on the weight of the pet) is dripped onto the tongue.
- When a dog chokes during sleep, wheezing occurs. Medicines intended for the normal functioning of the cardiovascular system are used.
- If breathing is very difficult, give flavored oil or salt a whiff.
- Anxious animals are given medications to reduce stress.
- If your pet exhibits signs such as: avoidance of light, poor coordination of movements and breathing rate with dilation of capillaries, burst and inflamed eyeballs. These are symptoms of severely high blood pressure. Medicines that lower blood pressure: Ramipril, Prazosin. But before giving them, be sure to consult your doctor.
- When a foreign object gets into the mouth. You need to use the Heimlich method. Hug your four-legged pet from behind at the waist. Using the thumb of your hand formed into a fist, press in the area above the navel a couple of times until you inhale forcefully and cough.
In complex therapy, diuretics are used to eliminate the symptoms of the disease, which alleviate the condition of the animal.
Manifestations of gastritis
How to recognize gastritis? The dog is unwell and sometimes has a fever. Taste preferences become non-standard, she loses weight. The tongue is covered with a whitish coating. The wool becomes dull and loses its shine. The pet has frequent belching and vomiting after eating.
What measures should the owner take?
- Be sure to contact a veterinarian.
- Elimination of the inflammatory process in the gastric mucosa with the help of special nutrition and medications (Omez, De-Nol).
If the dog is not treated, the acute disease progresses to the chronic stage. A dog suffering from chronic gastritis loses weight; her metabolic processes are disrupted; She lags behind other pets in growth and development.
How to help a dog at home
Before doing anything, assess your pet's condition. Make sure your dog has a clear airway. Check to see if there are any objects stuck in the back of your throat. If yes, then try to extract them.
Did you know? The first list of popular dog names was compiled by the ancient Egyptians. In the scroll found by archaeologists, 77 of them were recorded, which reflect the character or color of the dog. Therefore, the nicknames Chernysh and Brave can rightfully be considered the most ancient of those historically documented.
If not, then provide coolness and the absence of stimulating factors (noise, loud music) so that the dog can calm down. Pets who wheeze, cough or have difficulty breathing should be provided with oxygen. Also create a calm environment in the room. After eliminating the threat to life, be sure to call your veterinarian.
Manifestations of anemia
Anemia in dogs is divided into several types. For example,
- Posthemorrhagic pathology (occurs after major blood loss). Symptoms: pale mucous membranes and tongue, hemorrhages under the pet’s skin.
- Hypoplastic anemia. Characterized by a lack of vitamins, micro- and macroelements in the body. May be caused by toxic damage to the bone marrow.
- Nutritional. Root cause: incorrect, meager, unbalanced pet menu from an early age. Sometimes the reason is a pathology of intestinal absorption.
- Aplastic form. Develops due to impaired hematopoietic function.
Symptoms: the dog has a white or hot tongue, the dog does not get up on its feet very often, does not stand up when called by name, moves less, gets tired quickly, lies a lot. She has poor appetite, her mucous membranes and tongue turn pale and may even turn blue. The gums are cold to the touch upon palpation. There is shortness of breath, abnormal bowel movements, the pet often drinks, and may have a fever. The examination reveals an increase in organs.
Additional symptoms of rapid breathing in dogs and their explanation
In order to relatively accurately identify the cause of tachypnea “by eye”, you need to look closely at the nuances. Here are additional symptoms of rapid breathing in dogs and their explanation. If you carefully compare the data obtained, you can speak with relative confidence about the nature of the pathology.
The dog often breathes with his mouth open
If your pet often breathes with his mouth open, then he is most likely simply hot. Dogs have almost no sweat glands (minuscule amounts) so they can cool down. If there is no wheezing or gurgling when breathing like this, then everything is fine.
Breathes with mouth closed through nose
But if a dog often breathes with its mouth closed through its nose, this is much worse. This sign indicates severe pain. The animal is “squeezed”, does not move again so as not to disturb the sore spot and breathes quickly (with hyperventilation, the pain intensity decreases).
If the dog is shaking and trembling
In cases where your dog is shaking and trembling (in addition to rapid breathing), it is time to call the veterinarian. Such signs indicate severe respiratory infections.
Most likely, your pet has a very high body temperature. This causes bouts of trembling (the animal’s body “thinks” the room is cold), and rapid breathing helps the dog cool down.
A dog breathes with its tongue hanging out in the not hot season
If your pet breathes with his tongue hanging out during the cooler months of the year, then excess body weight is often to blame. It may be due to physical activity, heat in the room, stuffiness and similar factors. In these cases, the dog is hot anyway.
The dog breathes frequently in his sleep
If your dog breathes frequently in his sleep (and only in his sleep), there is most likely no reason to worry. It is quite possible that your pet is dreaming about something exciting, or that he is feeling hot in his sleep (dogs also like to sleep near the radiator). It happens that a dog eats heavily before going to bed, which also helps speed up breathing (the body needs more oxygen for the digestion process).
The pet drinks a lot of water
Another reason to contact a veterinarian is a situation where the dog drinks a lot of water and breathes frequently. This indicates poisoning of any etiology. The dog’s body strives to remove toxins faster (water) and speeds up its metabolism (lots of oxygen) to do this. In addition, such symptoms develop in almost all serious illnesses (the reason is still the same - intoxication).
Pet has a hot nose
If a pet has a hot nose and breathes frequently, then the dog has almost 100% probability of an increased body temperature. Let us remind you once again that without a large number of sweat glands, the animal has no other way of cooling.
The dog is restless and does not find a place for itself
If the pet “puffs”, is restless and does not find a place for itself, then such signs often indicate prenatal behavior. This also happens during estrus, false pregnancy, emotional arousal, and hormonal pathologies.
Lethargic, walks slowly or does not get up at all
If the dog is lethargic, walks slowly or does not get up at all, does not eat, and even pretends to be a “locomotive”, it needs to be shown to a veterinarian immediately. Such signs clearly indicate serious illness; it is impossible to say anything specific without examining the animal.
Coughs or wheezes
If your pet not only breathes rapidly, but also coughs or wheezes, this is 100% a sign of serious diseases of the respiratory system.
Due to damage to the lung tissue, the body has to compensate for the lack of oxygen by breathing quickly.
Tongue color red
In cases where the pet’s tongue is red, and she herself is breathing heavily and quickly, things are also bad. This symptom is very characteristic of incipient pulmonary edema. Foamy effusion accumulates in the lumen of the organ, “excess” blood accumulates in the upper parts of the respiratory system and oral cavity, normal breathing is impossible.
Treatment
- Diagnosis using blood, urine, stool, ultrasound of internal organs
- Infusions into veins to increase blood volume
- Transfusion of blood components to an animal
- Bone marrow transfusion
- A course of antibiotics if the root cause of anemia is an infection.
- Taking vitamin K1, drugs with a high content of iron, potassium, etc.
- In difficult cases, operations are performed.
Manifestations of thrush
The symptoms of the disease depend on the source of its damage. When localized in the ears, the pet shakes its head and scratches the itchy areas. When the oral cavity is affected, the animal's salivation increases, and the tongue becomes white and coated. Ulcers may appear on the skin, fever and skin irritation may occur.
How to treat the disease?
The main goal of therapy: to increase immunity by forcing the dog’s body to resist Candida fungus. Antifungal drugs are applied topically to areas affected by the disease (mucous membranes, skin). After the acute manifestations of the disease have subsided, the course of treatment is continued for another 14 days. After therapy, the doctor takes tests for the presence of the pathogen.
How a healthy dog should breathe: normal physiological indicators
In general, to talk about “rapid” breathing, you need to know how a healthy dog should breathe.
This largely depends on the breed and age of the pet:
- Small and young dogs breathe at a very high speed. Some Pinschers inhale/exhale up to 27 times per minute, and St. Bernards breathe at a rate of up to 13 cycles per minute.
- Short-haired and small breeds may pant even more frequently. This is due to the fact that their body has to constantly “accelerate” its metabolism to maintain normal body temperature. Accordingly, the pet needs a lot of oxygen.
This indicator for dogs can vary in a very wide range: from 14 to 30 (!) inhalations and exhalations per minute. And all this fits into the norm.
You need to pay attention to the nuances:
- Puppies breathe much more often than adult animals.
- Bitches have a higher breathing rate.
- During pregnancy, the number of inhalations/exhalations also increases.
Important! Normal breathing should be calm, measured and deep, without interruptions, pauses or acceleration (provided that the dog is calm).
Manifestations of adenovirus
Adenoviral infection can also cause a white coating on the tongue and mucous membranes. This is a viral disease that affects the respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract. Clinical picture: the animal’s throat becomes red, it is tormented by a cough, runny nose, the dog wheezes when breathing, and stool disturbance and vomiting are often observed.
The animal moves less and eats poorly.
Treatment:
- Course of antibiotics
- Increasing the body's defenses with medications
- Nasal drops
- Expectorants
If left untreated, the virus will lead to pneumonia and may well lead to the death of your pet.
Symptoms and signs of ARVI, rhinitis, runny nose
During a cold, your dog may develop a runny nose.
The symptoms that appear depend on the severity of the cold and increase in severity:
The nose is an important indicator of a dog’s well-being. If there is dryness and a local increase in temperature, you should be wary. Rapid breathing. There are exceptions. After sleep, the nose may be dry and warm.
Stomatitis
Clinical picture of the disease: the appearance of a white coating on the tongue, bad breath from the pet’s mouth. The dog refuses to eat, its jaw trembles, and the lymph nodes in its neck become enlarged.
Many single formations form in the oral cavity, which often merge. The disease affects dogs between 7 and 9 months of age, develops for about 5 months, and then goes away on its own.
The disease is treated with conservative methods and surgical intervention. If single neoplasms are widespread, they are cauterized with electric current or cauterized with liquid nitrogen. When affected by multiple ulcers, immunity is increased and local treatment is used aimed at destroying the causative agent of the disease.
How is the diagnosis carried out?
To establish a diagnosis, the doctor needs to examine the dog and listen to its breathing, to make sure there is a presence or absence of noise in the lungs. The color of the gums will also be assessed, as this indicates whether oxygen is being delivered effectively to the organs and whether there is anemia (the number of red blood cells in the blood will be low).
Additionally, a blood test will be performed and the following may be prescribed:
- X-ray;
- Ultrasound of the lungs and heart.
Until breathing improves, the dog may be hospitalized. Treatment will be prescribed depending on the symptoms and diagnosis.
Important! Your pet may be given oxygen to quickly make breathing easier.
Tumors in the oral cavity
Such neoplasms, as a rule, do not cause any concern in the early stages; the dog feels well, is mobile and active. The main symptom: hot and white tongue, mobility of one or more teeth. If the gums are of normal color and all teeth are healthy, this is a reason to suspect a malignant neoplasm.
It is often confused with stomatitis, because the neoplasm visually resembles a lesion with inflammation. Therefore, for a correct diagnosis, it is better to conduct a histological examination.
As a rule, the prognosis is unfavorable. The life expectancy of dogs with malignant tumors is reduced to a year. It is almost impossible to cure an animal. You can prolong life and temporarily alleviate your pet’s condition with surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy.
Benign tumors are more common in dogs with a flat skull, while malignant tumors are equally common in all breeds. Benign neoplasms make it difficult to drink and eat. The animal refuses to eat and does not take a stick when playing. The owner observes chewing food on one side of the jaw, the animal quickly gets tired, rubs its muzzle against objects, and rubs its muzzle with its paws.
Therapy for benign tumors is aimed at excision of the tumor. During surgery, the tumor is excised along with nearby healthy tissue to prevent recurrence of the disease. If the tumor is benign, then the outcome of the treatment is favorable and the dog continues to live for many years, delighting its owner. It will also be interesting about pemphigus.
Remember that if your pet has a white tongue, you should definitely take her to the veterinarian to diagnose the disease. After all, the cause of plaque or discoloration of this organ can even be cancer or serious pathologies of internal organs.
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The main causes of rapid breathing in dogs encountered in veterinary practice
Let's look at the causes of rapid breathing in dogs. The main pathological causes will be described.
Increased breathing in dogs may be due to:
- Allergies . With these pathologies, the airways may swell, which is accompanied by a narrowing of the lumen of the organs, which leads to a decrease in the amount of oxygen entering the animal’s blood.
- Parasites. Larvae of nematodes (round parasitic worms) spend part of their lives in the pulmonary alveoli and small bronchi. This period lasts about 2 or 3 weeks, during which time an inflammatory process develops, sometimes ending in pneumonia or bronchitis. Accordingly, these diseases are accompanied by changes in breathing.
- Bronchitis and pneumonia of any other etiology.
- Hormonal pathology, as well as diabetes (which can also be classified in this group). With these diseases, the body's hormonal levels are greatly disrupted, resulting in problems with breathing (as well as with the heart and blood vessels).
- Poisoning.
- Pulmonary edema. Since foamy contents accumulate in the lumen of the pulmonary alveoli, the organ can no longer function normally. In these cases, the pet’s breathing increases sharply, as the dog’s body needs to replenish the lack of oxygen.
- Chronic tachypnea in dogs is a common consequence of serious chest injuries accompanied by damage to the branches of the vagus nerve. The innervation of the respiratory organs is disrupted, as a result of which their normal functioning is also impossible.
- Kidney diseases. This disrupts the production of adrenal hormones, causing the dog’s blood pressure to rise and the rate of breathing to accelerate.
- Any severe pain.
In what cases is it better to show it to a veterinarian?
If some alarming signs appear, the animal must be shown to a doctor. During the examination of the animal, an accurate diagnosis will be established.
Main features:
- sudden weight loss;
- loose stools;
- constant urination;
- rapid breathing;
- cough;
- lack of appetite;
- vomit;
- blue tint near the gums;
- constant thirst;
- fast fatiguability;
- lack of mobility;
- rapid breathing of clinical origin.
To establish a diagnosis, the following types of examination may be performed:
- test for helminthic infestation;
- Ultrasound of the chest and heart;
- endoscopic method of checking the trachea, CT and respiratory tract;
- chest x-ray (if there is a possibility of a tumor or a foreign object entering the food system);
- thoracentesis - puncture in the chest area to remove pus or fluid to study the composition (a thin needle is used);
- urine and blood analysis;
- diagnostics of the gas state of arterial blood.
The instructions and recommendations prescribed by the doctor must not be violated. It is prohibited to increase or decrease the dose of medication on your own, as it can lead to negative consequences.
Why can a tongue change color?
There are many pathologies that cause changes in the appearance of the oral cavity. It is not difficult to guess their presence, since the dog does not eat at all, or partially refuses food, tries to swallow food in huge pieces, without making any attempt to chew it at all, you may notice excessive drooling or bleeding. In addition, with many diseases of the oral cavity, the animal’s breath becomes downright foul.
