What to do if your cat has a blue tongue? Possible reasons

The color of a cat's tongue can reveal a lot about your pet's health problems. If the owner notices that the cat’s tongue has turned blue, you should contact a veterinary clinic and undergo an examination of the cardiovascular system, as well as pulmonary work. It should be understood that blueness of the lips, tongue, gums and oral mucosa indicates a lack of oxygen. Dangerous and serious diseases include pneumothorax, pulmonary edema, and heart disease. All these diseases can cause death, so it is very important to start health restoration therapy in a timely manner.

Why do mucous membranes turn blue?

The color of the mucous membranes depends on the saturation of the blood with oxygen and carbon dioxide. If for some reason a sufficient amount of oxygen does not enter the blood, the mucous membranes acquire a bluish tint. If cyanosis is persistent and the body does not receive the required amount of oxygen for a long time, a serious condition for the animal’s body can develop, even leading to death.

Normally, the color of visible mucous membranes is pink (from intense to pale pink). The color is easy to see in the oral cavity: gums, lips, inside cheeks, tongue; if the cat is aggressive and there is no way to open its mouth, you can see the color of the conjunctiva (the inner surface of the eyelid).

What to do during an attack?

When children develop bronchial asthma, parents experience fear and often panic, but they need to calm down and take measures such as:

• place the child on something solid;
• tilt your torso forward, ask to rest your elbows on your knees;
• open the window, but without overcooling the room;
• Give your child an inhaler prescribed by your doctor;
• Until the unpleasant symptoms go away, calm the child down, distract him by talking or reading aloud.

Even if you are worried and worried, do not show it, do not provoke fear in the child - this will significantly aggravate his condition.

If the child’s condition does not change while taking the drug and the measures taken, it is necessary to call an ambulance.

The most common causes leading to cyanosis in cats

pneumothorax and hydrothorax

Most often it occurs as a result of injuries in the chest area, falls from a height, car injuries, and bites. Pneumothorax is an accumulation of air in the chest cavity, hydrothorax is an accumulation of fluid. In these conditions, the lungs are unable to fill with air normally, and in some cases, part or one entire lung collapses (does not function). If the process of fluid or air entering the chest cavity does not stop, the animal dies from suffocation.

If you notice that for some time your animal begins to breathe worse, develops shortness of breath (breathing frequently and with an open mouth) and cyanosis (from several minutes to several days after injury), you need to contact the clinic to exclude these life-threatening conditions. states! To confirm this diagnosis, the doctor will need to take x-rays. And then the fluid or air is removed from the chest cavity. This procedure is usually performed under sedation (a small dose of a sedative); in some cases, general anesthesia is required.

It is also necessary to identify the cause of this condition. This may require testing of fluid removed from the chest cavity. Further treatment will be aimed at preventing the onset of symptoms and treating the disease that caused them.

a diaphragmatic hernia (rupture of the diaphragm and prolapse of the abdominal organs into the chest) often occurs In this condition, the lungs are also inadequately filled with air due to their displacement. Lack of oxygen and cyanosis develop.

This problem is solved surgically - all organs are returned to their places, and the rupture in the diaphragm (the tissue separating the chest from the abdominal cavity) is sutured. However, such an operation is appropriate only if the diaphragm rupture has occurred recently; with old injuries and a normal quality of life of the animal, surgery is not always indicated.

Causes that also cause chest effusion in cats are FIP , or feline infectious peritonitis , and lymphosarcoma (feline viral leukemia). With these diseases, fluid accumulates in the chest and abdominal cavity (not always), the general condition of the animal worsens, the cat refuses to eat, and cyanosis appears. To make such diagnoses, examination of the detected fluid will be required. Blood tests and ultrasound of the chest and abdominal cavity.

Pulmonary edema

A very life-threatening condition - requires urgent assistance and immediate treatment to the clinic! In addition to cyanosis, pulmonary edema is also accompanied by other symptoms: incessant shortness of breath (the cat breathes with its tongue hanging out), anxiety. When an animal with such symptoms arrives for an appointment, the doctor will urgently assess the animal’s condition and decide on the need to place the animal for inpatient treatment (which is indicated for animals with severe symptoms of respiratory failure). Also, at the very initial stages of diagnosis, it is necessary to determine the nature of the edema - its cause (since this is not an independent disease, but only a clinical manifestation of some hidden problem in the body).

An X-ray of the lungs is required to confirm the diagnosis, determine the severity of the condition and detect a possible cause. To relieve the symptoms of edema and improve the animal’s condition, it will be given active diuretic (diuretic) therapy.

After the animal’s condition has normalized and the cause of pulmonary edema has been identified, the cat should receive treatment for its underlying disease in order to avoid recurrence of this symptom.

Cat asthma

Feline asthma is a disease of cats of all ages, accompanied by coughing and deterioration of breathing; in severe cases, respiratory failure and cyanosis develop. This disease can be suspected by detecting characteristic changes in the lungs (on a lateral X-ray) and confirmed by detecting an increased number of eosinophils (blood cells responsible for the body’s immune response) in the blood.

This disease in cats is of an immune nature - therefore, to treat it, the cat is prescribed and selected a minimum dose of glucocorticoid hormones for lifelong use.

Bronchial asthma in children: symptoms and treatment

Signs of bronchial asthma in a child

Bronchial asthma is very similar to other respiratory diseases. It is often confused even with the common cold. Therefore, parents need to monitor their child extremely carefully. The first signs of the disease are:

• wheezing (wheezing) - occurs periodically, sometimes during laughter, sleep, crying, can have a different tone;
• dry cough, attacks of which occur more often at night or immediately after waking up, can be allergic in nature - occur when inhaling allergens, and also intensify when crying, laughing, or physical activity;
• difficult, constricted breathing;
• periodic shortness of breath.

More serious problems

Thus, a cat's tongue can be a real "barometer" of health. A change in color is an indicator that your cat may be sick. You can remember a simple truth: “A pink tongue is a healthy pet.”

This rule is immutable; exceptions are very rare.

Why is that? The fact is that the tongue, as a muscular organ, is literally penetrated by many blood vessels, visible through the thin epithelial layer. If it is pink, everything is in order - the blood supply is normal, the red blood cells contain the required amount of hemoglobin. In many cases, a white tongue is a sign of poor oral hygiene.

, but below we will describe much more serious pathologies in which this organ also changes its color.

Language structure

The feline organ consists of many muscle fibers that allow vertical, horizontal movements, extension and downward bending. On top is the mucous membrane. Under a microscope, hardened protrusions are visible across the entire surface of the tongue, which are inclined towards the pharynx. Numerous capillaries are visible through the outer shell, covered with a protective substance keratin. The muscle also contains short, thin projections on which receptors are located for detecting the three basic tastes - bitterness, sourness and saltiness. Whether a pet can distinguish sweetness is unknown, because the processes responsible for recognizing this flavor have not been found in cats.

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Causes of red spots

The characteristic spotting on the surface of the tongue can be accompanied by severe discomfort and pain. In this regard, it is quite difficult for the cat to take food and water; it may completely refuse to eat and drink. These actions will lead to exhaustion and dehydration, which is extremely dangerous not only for the health of the pet, but also for life. Loss of fluid of more than 10% of the total mass causes cell death, which leads to death. If the pet does not drink on its own during the day, you need to give it a drink through a syringe without a needle or from a pipette. To avoid severe consequences, it is recommended to go to the clinic from the first days and begin recovery therapy. Among the reasons why a red spot forms on a cat’s tongue are the following factors:

1. Glossitis is inflammation caused by infection;
2. Calcivirosis is a viral disease;
3. Herpes is a pathology of a viral nature and is very dangerous for the cat’s body;
4. Actinomycosis is an infection that manifests itself in cats as red spots on the surface of the tongue;
5. Pathologies localized in the liver;
6. Kidney failure manifests itself as dark red spots on the tongue of cats;
7. Violation of metabolic processes in the body;
8. Diabetes;
9. Stomatitis;
10. Tissue swelling;
11. Mechanical damage during a fight or eating, such as bones;
12. Poor care and inadequate nutrition may also cause similar symptoms.

Possible diseases

Quite often, cats have black spots in and around the mouth. Often their appearance is associated with a genetic predisposition and does not cause any inconvenience to the pet. But in some cases, these spots indicate an incipient pathology. Therefore, if you find dark spots on your cat’s tongue, you need to visit a veterinarian.

Lentigo

Lentigo is a genetic disorder in cats that results in dark, freckle-like spots. Lentigo can appear on the lips, gums, and tongue. As they spread, the spots may also appear around the edges of the cat's eyes or on the eyelids. Lentigines can sometimes be found in the ears and even on the pads of the feet.

The main symptom of lentigo is single or multiple brown or black spots. They should not cause itching or other discomfort to the cat. The skin or mucous membrane around the spots should not be inflamed. The spot size can be from 1 to 10 mm. If the spots differ from this description, then such lesions should be shown to a veterinarian. Because this could already be a malignant neoplasm.

Lentigo is purely cosmetic and does not cause problems for your cat and does not require treatment.

Cat acne usually looks like black rashes, pimples, or small pimples. They are located on the chin and lower lip, near the mouth. Most often, acne is chronic.

Causes of acne:

Compliance with the listed rules is essential both for the prevention and during the treatment of acne. You can get rid of black spots on the face using folk methods using warm lotions with tincture of medicinal herbs (chamomile, celandine, yarrow).

To treat severe acne, for example, if redness appears around the acne, inflammation and pustules form, ointments and preparations with salicylic acid are used. Only a veterinarian can prescribe the appropriate treatment.

Fungus

Fungal diseases in cats are rare. They occur due to the development of fungi with reduced immunity. Therefore, such symptoms of this disease appear in kittens, cats, weakened after surgery, and elderly pets.

Symptoms of fungus: the appearance of crusts, spots and blackening of the tongue. There are no specific signs of fungal infection.

Oncological diseases

Oncology most often develops in older cats. It appears in the form of dots and black spots on the mucous membrane and gums, which is a sign of a malignant formation - melanoma. In more severe cases, dark spots are metastases that have spread to the oral area from organs affected by the tumor.

Oncology in cats is rare, but if the veterinarian finds spots of malignant origin, surgical treatment is prescribed.

Papillomavirus

Kittens that have not yet reached the age of 6 months often develop black spots on the tongue and inside of the cheeks, similar to voluminous birthmarks with a flat top. These spots are called oral papillomas or warts. Papillomas should be removed, as they can cause pain when eating.

Since these formations can easily be confused with a cancerous tumor, diagnosis and treatment are carried out only under the supervision of a veterinarian. Most often, antiviral drugs are prescribed, which are taken in a course. Sometimes animals are given a special vaccine, with the help of which they develop immunity to the papilloma virus for a long time.

Pellagra

Pellagra is a disease caused by a lack of vitamins B6 and PP. In cats, it is associated with a uniform diet. Most often it occurs in animals whose diet consists of low-quality industrial feed. Pellagra is quite rare in pets.

Symptoms of pellagra: black spots in the mouth, sometimes spots on the tongue, nose and ears. To make an accurate diagnosis, you need to consult a veterinarian, since plaque on the nose and ears can be the result of a tick bite, and spots on the tongue can be congenital pigmentation.

Avitaminosis

Black spots on a cat's tongue can occur due to a lack of vitamin B2. This is caused by an unbalanced diet or consumption of economy-class feed. If a cat has dark spots in its mouth, eats poorly, sleeps a lot and loses a lot of hair, you can add dry brewer's yeast, sprouted grains of buckwheat, peas and corn, unboiled cow's milk, egg white, and dandelion leaves to its diet.

When feeding ready-made dry food, you may need to additionally introduce a B complex of vitamins. But this should only be done with the permission of a veterinarian.