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.
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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.
What Are The Other Gum Colors, And What Do They Mean?
We need to be aware of what different gum colors mean because that can be a sign to take our dog to the vet. If you are not sure about what the color means, then your dog might suffer.
Pale Gums
If the gums are too pale and you notice that the gums are paler than before, there could be one of two problems. If your pet is anemic and has gone through a lot of blood loss, the gums will look pale because the blood isn’t reaching the gums, and the blood pressure is low.
Suppose the body goes into shock because of dehydration or some trauma. In that case, all the blood vessels away from the heart do not get enough blood because the body tightens those capillaries to ensure that the heart pumps blood properly. If a pup eats something he is not supposed to eat, he will experience dehydration if he vomits all that food, leading to him being in a state of shock.
Blue Gums
This is also called cyanosis. The gums start to look more grey. This is because of a lack of oxygen reaching the tissues and a lot of carbon dioxide buildup. Blue gums might be inherited or acquired. Some dogs might also be born with some heart problems that could lessen the blood flow. If you notice that your dog has blue or grey gums, then make sure that you visit a vet as quickly as possible because this can be harmful to your dog.
Conclusion
Even if you visit the vet often, you must know about these things because you should not ignore such signs, as your dog might suffer even more. The gums can show us a lot about our dog, as you might have seen in the above article. All we have to do is keep checking their gums and be aware of what could go wrong, and our dogs will be safe and healthier if we do so.
