Black Spots on Your Dog’s Tongue: What Do They Mean?

Whenever people see a dog with a black spot on their tongues, they automatically assume it is a hybrid of a Chow Chow or any such specific dog breed. However, the actual reasons behind the visible black spots have more to do with their genetics and the melanin content in their bodies.

Dog breeds such as Chows are specifically known for having totally blue-black tongues or black spots on their tongues. However, dogs from any breed can have such markings on their tongues.

Why are black spots on your dog’s tongue? What causes these spots or points?

Blame it on pigmentation that creates visible black spots on their tongues. To a great extent, genetics even play a crucial role. These spots may not be there when the dog was born, but they tend to grow with time, especially in the first few months of their lives.

When a dog is born, it may have a pink tongue, but spots might appear later in their lives, or the color of their tongues could change when they grow older. It is a substance known as melanin that produces pigment in your skin. It is responsible for the color of our skin and hair. Cells that produce melanin are called melanocytes.

They develop at the time of gestation. It spreads rapidly across the embryo, thus creating random patterns or visible color spots on the skin, and that including its tongueese areas could appear to be of any of the following colors:

• black
• brown
• gray
• blue

These pigmented spots on their tongues are the same as birthmarks, moles, and freckles that you may have on your skin. So, you may wonder why some dogs have spotted or colored tongues while others do not. Veterinary doctors say that genetic factors play a crucial role in this context.

Some dogs have black tongues, and others have spots of that color on their tongues. There is sufficient documentation or evidence to suggest that certain combinations of many genetic variants might explain the variances between the types of tongues.

At times, independent genetic structures could cause such spotted tongues. The good thing is that the natural development of such spots on the tongue is mostly not harmful to them or does not affect how they behave.

Do specific breeds have these black spots on their tongues?

Many dogs have black spots on their tongues. Hence, it may not have anything to do with the dog breed they belong to. However, dog breeds such as Shar-Pei and Chow-Chow have blue-black tongues.

It is attested to by AKC (American Kennel Club) as well. So, it is possible that if your dog has a genetic background of being related to any of these breeds, it could have dark spots on its tongues. When dog breeds were created, the breeders looked for dogs with black tongues.

In the case of the founder dogs, the black tongues were a natural phenomenon. With time and following generations, this practice eventually determined a trait in breeds where all or most members had such black tongues.

Are these spots a sign of a health problem?

It should be considered normal if your dog has had black spots on their tongues since they were a pup. It is harmless and doesn’t require immediate medical attention. As such, those areas must be smooth and not cause any botheration to the dog.

However, if they change in size, texture, or shape, you must take it with seriousness. These changes could happen because of nutritional deficiencies or a metabolic disease – they could be a sign of cancer. Melanoma is among the usual kinds of oral tumors found in dogs.

It could be a sign of any illness if you notice raised black spots accompanied by bad breath. Blood-tinged saliva could indicate a severe health issue. These spots could be a periodontal issue if they were not there before. In the worst case, it could even indicate cancer. Talk to the vet immediately, as your dog would require medical treatment for such a condition.

The other kinds of spots that dogs may have on their tongues

Does your dog’s perfectly pink tongue have some areas where the splotches of pink are a bit on the lighter side? In that case, it could be scars from a trauma that they suffered previously.

It could have been any of the following:

• thorns
• burrs
• fight with the neighbor’s cat

However, at times, they are a cause for concern. It is especially so when they smell foul or have a brownish color. In such cases, you’ll need to take them to the vet.

Dog breeds that have spotted tongues 

It is not as if Chow-Chow and Shar-Pei are the only breeds with blue or black spots on their tongues or ones of that color.

The following dog breeds are seen to have such tongues:

• Airedale
• Akita
• Australian Cattle Dog
• Australian Shepherd
• Belgian Sheepdog
• Belgian Tervuren
• Belgian Malinois
• Bichon Frise
• Bouvier des Flandres
• Bull Mastiff
• Cairn Terrier
• Collie
• Cocker Spaniel
• Dalmatian
• Doberman Pinscher
• English Setter
• Eurasier
• Fila Brasileiro
• Flat-Coated Retriever
• German Shepherd
• Golden Retriever
• Gordon Setter
• Great Pyrenees
• Irish Setter
• Kai Ken
• Keeshond
• Kerry Blue Terrier
• Korean Jindo
• Labrador Retriever
• Mastiff
• Mountain Cur
• Newfoundland
• Pomeranian
• Pug
• Rhodesian Ridgeback
• Rottweiler
• Shiba Inu
• Siberian Husky
• Soft-Coated Wheaten
• Tibetan Mastiff

Is it normal for dogs to have black mouths?

The thing with dogs is they have all kinds of patterns and pigmentation colors on their bodies, and the most prominent reason for this is domestication syndrome. It is known that domesticated animals have a wide range of colors.

There is a possibility that hormones have a role to play here. Since they are supposed to be friendly with people, their hormones change to make them more docile and more social. As melanin happens to be a hormone, color and pigment are the first things to change in such animals.

Are these marks rare?

The thing with such spots on tongues is that they are not that rare. There is a genetic connection over here somewhere – there is a good chance that a dog with black spots on their tongue has a parent or grandparent with the same characteristics. However, this is not given and could also happen to dogs whose ancestors were spot-free.

Science says that genetics determine melanin deposits but has not established how inheritance works when tongue spots are concerned. These spots are commoner among breeds with darker points like noses.

Are dogs with spotted tongues not purebred?

The answer to this question is not all. As you would have seen from the abovementioned list, there are so many purebred breeds with such spotted tongues.

Conclusion 

So, as you can see for yourself, black spots on your dog’s tongue are more or less extensive. However, there are a few conditions in this case. It must be there from their birth or should have developed within the first six months of their lives.

It must also be a flat mark and of the same texture as the rest of the tongue. It must also stay the same in shape and size throughout their lives. However, if you notice or suspect anything abnormal, please get them checked by a vet.

FAQs

Q: What does it mean if my dog has a black mark on their tongue?

A: In most cases, black spots on a dog’s tongue are pigmentation. Like certain breeds, darker points or spots, dark spots on are pigmented cells.

Q: How do you treat a black tongue on a dog?

A: It is better to get them checked by a vet if you notice something suspicious with the spot.

Q: Which breeds of dogs have black spots on their tongues?

A: The most famous for having totally blue-black tongues are Shar-Pei and Chow-Chow. Apart from them, the following breeds have such spotted tongues:

• Airedale
• Akita
• Australian Cattle Dog
• Australian Shepherd
• Belgian Sheepdog
• Belgian Tervuren
• Belgian Malinois
• Bichon Frise
• Bouvier des Flandres
• Bull Mastiff
• Cairn Terrier
• Collie
• Cocker Spaniel
• Dalmatian
• Doberman Pinscher
• English Setter
• Eurasier
• Fila Brasileiro
• Flat-Coated Retriever
• German Shepherd
• Golden Retriever
• Gordon Setter
• Great Pyrenees
• Irish Setter
• Kai Ken

Q: Is it normal for dogs to have black tongues?

A: Yes, breeds like Shar-Pei and Chow-Chow are known to have such blue or black tongues. It could be a spotted tongue as well. AKC says that this happens because of heavy pigmentation.