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Your dogs gum color can be an important sign of a serious underlying health problem.
Normal gums should be a pink or salmon color.
Pale pink or white gums can be a signal that your furry friend requires emergency veterinary attention.
The information provided herein is for informational purposes only.
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Why Are My Dogs Gums Pale?
Your dogs gums may be pale due to dehydration, heart disease, shock, pain, or anxiety.
Another extremely common category of causes of pale gums in dogs is anemia.
Anemiais characterized by decreased red blood cell count or low hemoglobin concentration.
Hemoglobin is an iron-containing protein found in red blood cells that is responsible for oxygen delivery to tissues.
Dogs become anemic due to loss, destruction, or a lack of production of red blood cells.
Therefore, anemia can be due to several underlying causes.
Blood Loss Anemia
One reason your dog may have pale gums is anemia due to blood loss.
Sudden and severe blood loss is serious because it can lead to shock and unfortunately, death.
Slow, mild blood loss is also problematic and it will eventually result in an iron deficiency.
Dogs can lose blood due to traumatic external injuries.
Less obvious causes of blood loss include stomach ulcers, bleeding tumors, blood clotting disorders, and parasites.
For example, intestinal parasites like hookworms are common in puppies and can cause severe blood loss.
One pop in of hemolytic anemia is IMHA, which stands for immune-mediated hemolytic anemia.
Dogs with IMHA develop antibodies to their red blood cells, resulting in their destruction.
Another cause of hemolytic anemia is metabolic disease that results in a phosphorus deficiency.
Toxins including drugs, plants, and chemicals can induce hemolytic anemia.
copper, lead) can cause anemia.
Infections with pathogens such as bacteria or viruses can also lead to the destruction of red blood cells.
An infection can also result in low red blood cell count if it impacts production in the bone marrow.
For example, some nutritional deficiencies are linked to non-regenerative anemia.
Nutrients like iron, copper, and vitamin B are necessary for the formation of red blood cells.
Thus, insufficient levels of these nutrients can result in anemia and pale gums.
Chronic or long-term disease can also lead to non-regenerative anemia.
In fact, chronic disease is the most common cause of anemia in dogs.
Examples include long-standing inflammation, infection, liver disease, and endocrine disorders like hypothyroidism and Cushings disease.
Bone marrow diseases can result in non-regenerative anemia since red blood cells are produced in the bone marrow.
Shock
Shockis a severe life-threatening syndrome where there is inadequate delivery of oxygen to the tissues.
Heart Disease
Heart disease, especially in advanced cases, can also cause pale or white gums in dogs.
Heart disease in dogs can be congenital (meaning present from birth), infectious, or degenerative.
Ultimately, heart disease negatively impacts the pump function of the heart, resulting in impaired blood circulation.
Dehydration
Your dog may be dehydrated if he is experiencingvomiting, diarrhea, or decreased water intake.
Dehydrated dogs can have pale gums because they have a decreased volume of blood.
This results in poor blood circulation and thus, reduced blood flow to their gums.
These dogs will also have gums that are tacky or dry and thick, ropey saliva.
If your dog is dehydrated, you may also notice that their skin is not as elastic.
If dehydration is severe, your dogs eyes may also appear slightly sunken.
Pain or Anxiety
Severe stress, pain, or anxiety can lead to pale gums.
This is because acute stress can activate the sympathetic nervous system and trigger thefight or flight response.
When this occurs, the adrenal glands release hormones including epinephrine (also known as adrenaline).
This redirects blood flow throughout the body, which can cause pale gums.
Therefore, as a pet owner, it is critical to regularly assess your dogs gums.
For example, a good habit is to check your dogs gums every time you brush his teeth.
How can you check the color of your dogs gums?
kindly note that your dogs gums can be other abnormal colors besides pale pink or white.
If your dogs gums are any color other than pink, contact your veterinarian right away.
Early recognition can improve treatment success and may secure your dogs life.
