When we have dogs, most of our attention might go towards making sure that their teeth are white and good, but we forget about the gums. The color of your dog’s gums can signify many things regarding their health. Sometimes they can even be more indicative than their teeth. Read below to see what your dog’s gums should look and feel like if they’re healthy.
What Should Normal Gums Look Like?
If a dog is healthy, then the gums sums should be light pink. It should look like a pack of new bubble gum or a shrimp in color. You can touch the gums and get to know more about the dog’s health. When you touch the gums, they should feel moist and not dry. If it is dry, that means that the dog could be dehydrated. You can also check the blood pressure of your dog by using the gums.
If you press your dog’s gums, then it will turn white for a second, but it should return to its pink color very soon. It should take about two seconds for this to happen, and it is called capillary refill time. If the dog has bad circulation, is dehydrated, or has low blood pressure, then the blood will take time to reach the gums again. When you take your dog to the vet, that vet will do these things to check how the dog is, so you should also keep checking it to treat your dog the first time you see any issues.
Different Variations In Gum Color
If your dog has black gums or a mixture of black and pink gums, you do not have to worry because some breeds of dogs have more melanin in their mouth from birth to have darker gums. Even in mixed breeds, you will see black lips and gums. Dogs that have black coats and skin could have black gums. So if your dog has had black gums since childhood, that means that the dog does not have any issues but has black gums naturally.
