Pale gums a warning sign for your pet
Recently I read a story on pet health that all dog and cat owners should be aware of.
A dog's owner noticed that her dog was having trouble jumping down from the couch. He would go up the stairs, but wouldn't go down them, and he seemed to be favoring his foot, so they thought he had injured it somehow. Because this occurred on a Saturday, they decided to wait and see how he was the next day. The next day, the dog showed a loss of appetite, and became increasingly lethargic, so they took him to an emergency veterinary clinic.
It turned out it wasn't his foot at all, and when the vet checked the dog's gums, they appeared very pale, almost white. The vet explained pale or white gums in a dog was a sign of internal bleeding, and the ultrasound showed a small mass on his spleen, which had torn. Emergency surgery was performed and the dog recovered.
Internal bleeding deprives the body of oxygen and can cause severe organ damage, brain damage, and death. Catching it early means the difference between life saving surgery or death.
Likewise, pale or white gums in cats can mean shock, an illness or anemia from fleas or worms.
So if your pet isn't acting right, check their gums and if they're pale or white, get your pet to the veterinarian immediately.
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9 comments:
Wow what an informative post ~ thanks so much ~ we never thought of that even though our human is a doctor and looks for pale oral mucosa/conjunctiva in humans to look for anemia. In case of internal bleeding and shock, there's often cyanosis as well...but he never looked for these signs in cats..thank you for this ~ and we're glad that the dog survived :)
Our mix breed has seizure problems. When he starts acting odd we always check his gums first. If they are pale, we know he is about to seize.
This is a very useful tip. I had no idea, but it definately makes sense.
This is a good reminder. Nature is so good about giving indications about problems we can't see.
I did not know that, so thank you for that information. It's just something the average person wouldn't think to look at. But it's good to know.
I never knew this but will definately remember it! Always good to know these things. There is nothing scarier than a sick or injured child or animal!
Thank you so much for this information! I have two mini dachsunds and a cat. :)
Interesting information I had never heard about the pale gums.
We sure did miss you guys and your very informative blog while we were on vacation!
It's so nice to be home!
Love ya lots,
Maggie and Mitch
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