Blue spots on the tongue of a cat. What causes black dots on the tongue in cats? Why do mucous membranes turn blue

Sholicheva Alisa Andreevna
veterinary cardiologist

Cyanosis or cyanosis of visible mucous membranes is always a frightening sign!
It is not an independent disease, but at the same time, it can be a symptom of several (including life-threatening animal) diseases.

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 the blood does not receive enough oxygen, the mucous membranes acquire a bluish tint.
In the event that 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, up to and including 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 of the cheeks, tongue, if the cat is aggressive and there is no way to open her mouth, you can see the color of the conjunctiva (the inner surface of the eyelid).

The most common causes of cyanosis in cats are:

• pneumothorax and hydrothorax
  Most often it occurs as a result of injuries in the chest area, falls from a height, car accidents, bites.
  Pneumothorax- accumulation of air in the chest cavity, hydrothorax- accumulation of fluid. Under these conditions, the lungs do not have the ability 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, then the animal dies from suffocation.
  If you notice that for some time your animal begins to breathe worse, shortness of breath develops (breathing is frequent and with an open mouth) and cyanosis (from several minutes to several days after injury) you need to contact the clinic to rule out these life-threatening states!
  To confirm this diagnosis, the doctor will need to take x-rays. And then the liquid or air from the chest cavity is removed. This procedure is usually performed under sedation (a small dose of a sedative drug) in some cases, general anesthesia is required.
  It is also necessary to identify the cause of this condition. This may require examination of the fluid removed from the chest cavity. Further treatment will be aimed at preventing the onset of symptoms and treating the disease that caused them.
  In cats, when falling from a height, it is often found diaphragmatic hernia(rupture of the diaphragm and prolapse of the abdominal organs into the chest). In this condition, the lungs are also inadequately filled with air due to their displacement. A lack of oxygen and cyanosis develops.
  This problem is solved by surgery - all organs return to their places, and the gap in the diaphragm (the tissue that separates the chest from the abdominal cavity) is sutured. However, such an operation is appropriate only if the rupture of the diaphragm has occurred recently, with chronic injuries and the normal quality of life of the animal, the operation is not always indicated.

  Causes that also cause chest effusion in cats are FIP, or feline infectious peritonitis, and lymphosarcoma(viral feline 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, a study of the detected fluid will be required. Blood tests and ultrasound of the chest and abdomen.

• 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. Upon receipt of an animal with such symptoms for admission, the doctor will urgently assess the condition of the animal 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 of the body).
  An x-ray of the lungs is required to confirm the diagnosis, determine the severity of the condition, and discover a possible cause. To relieve the symptoms of edema and improve the condition of the animal, active diuretic (diuretic) therapy will be carried out.
  After normalization of the animal's condition and identification of the cause of pulmonary edema, the cat should receive treatment for its underlying disease, in order to avoid the recurrence of this symptom.
• feline asthma- a disease of cats of different ages, accompanied by coughing and worsening of breathing, in severe cases, respiratory failure and cyanosis develop.
  This disease can be suspected by detecting characteristic changes in the lungs (on an x-ray in a lateral projection) and confirmed by the detection of 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, for its treatment, the cat is prescribed and selected the minimum dose of glucocorticoid hormones for life.
• congenital heart defects
  Owners notice persistent cyanosis in their pets at an early age.
  The so-called "blue" (causing cyanosis) defects include:
  • atrial septal defect
  • ventricular septal defect
  • combined defect "tetralogy of Fallot".

The incidence of these congenital heart defects in cats is very low.
To make such a diagnosis, it will be necessary to undergo a full cardiological examination: ECG (electrocardiography), ECHO (ultrasound of the heart) and chest x-ray.

Remember!
The presence of cyanosis always indicates that the body does not have enough oxygen and there is an excess of carbon dioxide. It is always life threatening. Your task is to deliver the animal to the clinic as soon as possible.

Sholicheva Alisa Andreevna

The strong, long, spiked tongue of cats performs many functions. According to the state of this body, an attentive owner may notice that the cat is sick. For example, if a cat has an ulcer on its tongue, calcivirosis is suspected. Knowing how a healthy cat's tongue should look like, how cats use their tongue in a given situation, why a cat sticks out the tip of its tongue and other useful "little things", the owner understands the pet better.

The cat's tongue, like the human one, consists of many transverse and longitudinal muscles, with the help of which our pets can not only stretch and hide the tongue in the mouth, but also move it in different directions and fold the tongue into a ladle. The latter is especially convenient when drinking - the water lingers in the recess without splashing out of the mouth.

One of the reasons why a cat sticks out the tip of its tongue is the function of thermoregulation. A wet tongue quickly releases some of the heat accumulated by the cat's body, somewhat easing the pet's condition in extreme heat. If the pet is very hot, the cat breathes heavily with its tongue out. For dogs, this behavior is the norm, but for cats it is a signal that the ambient temperature has reached a critical norm. If you do not help your pet, it is possible.

Although the reason why the cat sticks out the tip of the tongue may be much more banal - the pet has recently eaten or washed, and simply “forgot” to put the tongue in her mouth. Especially often the owners of Persians and exotics notice this - the cat shows its tongue, as if teasing others. It's all about the shortened bones of the skull: the shape of the muzzle is changed by selection, as is the structure of the jaws - the tongue either does not fit in the mouth, or the tip sticks out between the teeth (malocclusion, in which the cat shows the tongue, which normally rests on the inside against tightly interlocked teeth when the mouth is closed ).

An inexperienced owner, especially if he has previously interacted closely with dogs, is always surprised why a cat has a rough tongue. Touches of the cat's tongue can even be unpleasant - the surface of this organ is so hard and prickly. The inhabitants of Ancient Russia did not have the opportunity to examine the cat's tongue close-up, but they had enough tactile sensations to give the cat's tongue the apt nickname "grater". It's all about the many papillae, similar to spikes and growing inwards towards the pharynx. Long “scales” help the cat keep food and water on the surface of the tongue, thoroughly clean the fur coat and remove small litter from the surface of the wool - the dog will never be able to wash itself so cleanly.

Knowing why a cat has a rough tongue, it is easy to imagine what happens to the tinsel or thread that gets into the cat's mouth: the pet cannot spit out the thread (thorns on the tongue that hold a thin foreign object interfere). The cat swallows a thread or tinsel - she simply has nothing left to do. Noticing this, you can not drag the end of the thread: carefully cut off the visible part and give the pet a couple of tablespoons of petroleum jelly.

If you look at the cat's tongue in close-up, you will notice that in addition to the "thorns" it is covered with short "sticks", flat dots and other "growths" - these are also papillae, and they all perform certain functions. In particular, many of them are equipped with taste chemoreceptors, which allows the cat to taste salty, sour and bitter tastes. When examining a cat's tongue under a microscope, scientists were unable to detect receptors that are sensitive to sweet taste, so it is believed that cats do not feel this taste at all. Or they can taste it, but only in high concentration, which is harmful to their health.

The tongue of a cat consists of several groups of muscles that move in different directions. cat tongue is unique in that its surface is covered with what appear to be spines (called papillae) that form a rough surface that acts like a brush when it licks its fur.

The cat's tongue has several functions, such as helping with the cat's daily grooming, removing food debris from the cat's mouth and face, tasting food, and measuring the temperature of food. The tongue is used when swallowing food, as well as drinking with it.

Healthy is pink. Any change in color or shape of the cat's tongue is indicative of a problem that should be evaluated by a veterinarian.

Why does a cat have a rough tongue

This is due to the papillae on the surface of the tongue. There are four types of papillae:

Filiform papillae (cone-shaped)- are the most common form of papillae. They grow in the opposite direction to the palate and help the cat in grooming. They are located on the front half of the tongue. And they're the ones that cause the grater feeling when your cat licks you.

Foliate papillae- the largest of all papillae of the cat's tongue. They form two groups on either side of the tongue, in front of the gutter papillae.

fungiform papillae- as the name suggests, they are mushroom-shaped and located on the sides of the tongue.

Gutter papillae- located on the back of the cat's tongue. They are located behind the fungiform papillae in a V-shaped row.

Taste sensations of a cat

The cat's sense of smell is much more developed than ours, but cats have a relatively small number, only 473, compared to humans, who have 9,000. Taste buds are located on the foliate, fungiform, and trough papillae of the tongue, but not on the filiform papillae.

It is not yet clear whether cats can sense. Some people think so, although these sensations are not at all developed compared to the sensations of salty, sour, and bitter.

The cat's tongue is also sensitive to temperature, the preferred temperature is around 30*C. It is useful for owners to know that cats do not like to eat food directly from the refrigerator for this reason.

Diseases of the tongue in a cat

There are several feline diseases that affect the condition of the tongue.

• Glossitis - inflammation of the tongue
• Ulcers - can be caused by some viral infections, the tongue can also affect
• Foreign body - bone fragments can injure the tongue, a thread can be accidentally wound around the tongue.
• Cancer – Cats can get tongue cancer.

Why does a cat stick out its tongue

This happens quite often, as a rule, if the cat licked the fur before, or after sleep. A small part of the tongue remains sticking out of the mouth. This is normal and nothing to worry about - the cat simply forgot to put the tongue back.

In cats with short jaws, such breeds as, or

Cyanosis or cyanosis of visible mucous membranes is always a frightening sign! It is not an independent disease, but at the same time, it can be a symptom of several (including life-threatening animal) diseases.

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 the blood does not receive enough oxygen, the mucous membranes acquire a bluish tint.
In the event that 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, up to and including 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 of the cheeks, tongue, if the cat is aggressive and there is no way to open her mouth, you can see the color of the conjunctiva (the inner surface of the eyelid).

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 accidents, bites. Pneumothorax- accumulation of air in the chest cavity, hydrothorax- accumulation of fluid. Under these conditions, the lungs do not have the ability 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, then the animal dies from suffocation.

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

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

In cats, when falling from a height, it is often found diaphragmatic hernia(rupture of the diaphragm and prolapse of the abdominal organs into the chest). In this condition, the lungs are also inadequately filled with air due to their displacement. A lack of oxygen and cyanosis develops.

This problem is solved by surgery - all organs return to their places, and the gap in the diaphragm (the tissue that separates the chest from the abdominal cavity) is sutured. However, such an operation is appropriate only if the diaphragm rupture has occurred recently, with chronic injuries and the normal quality of life of the animal, the operation is not always indicated.

Causes that also cause chest effusion in cats are FIP, or feline infectious peritonitis, and lymphosarcoma(viral feline 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, a study of the detected fluid will be required. Blood tests and ultrasound of the chest and abdomen.

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. Upon receipt of an animal with such symptoms for admission, the doctor will urgently assess the condition of the animal 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 of the body).

An x-ray of the lungs is required to confirm the diagnosis, determine the severity of the condition, and discover a possible cause. To relieve the symptoms of edema and improve the condition of the animal, active diuretic (diuretic) therapy will be carried out.

After normalization of the animal's condition and identification of the cause of pulmonary edema, the cat should receive treatment for its underlying disease, in order to avoid the recurrence of this symptom.

cat asthma

Asthma in cats is a disease of cats of different ages, accompanied by coughing and worsening of breathing, in severe cases, respiratory failure and cyanosis develop. This disease can be suspected by detecting characteristic changes in the lungs (on an x-ray in a lateral projection) and confirmed by the detection of 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, for its treatment, the cat is prescribed and selected the minimum dose of glucocorticoid hormones for life.

congenital heart defects

Also, the cause of these disorders can be congenital heart disease.