What this means
Gum colour is one of the quickest ways to notice that something is wrong. Lift the lip and look at the gum above the teeth. It is worth doing this ahead of time while your dog is well, so you know what is usual. Some dogs have naturally dark pigmented gums, so the colour is better judged where they are lighter, for example on the inside of the lower eyelid.
Pale gums most often mean anaemia, blood loss or poor circulation. The bleeding can be hidden as well as visible, for example in the belly or chest, so you do not see it and the dog simply becomes weak all at once. Note too whether your dog is lethargic, breathing fast, has a swollen belly or has bruises or bleeding elsewhere.
The causes vary: some involve clotting disorders, some the immune system acting on the dog's own blood cells, and others internal bleeding from a growth. Only a vet can find the cause, from an examination and blood tests. It will help them a great deal if you can say when the gums changed and what your dog was doing at the time.
Possible causes
These are things that can cause this sign. It is not a diagnosis, and they are not equally likely for your dog.
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Internal bleeding from a growth
Some growths, for example in the spleen, can rupture and bleed into the belly. A dog may suddenly weaken and have pale gums although no blood shows on the outside.
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Von Willebrand disease
An inherited clotting disorder that causes prolonged bleeding. A dog may lose blood after a small injury or bleed from the nose or gums.
About the condition: Von Willebrand disease -
A platelet function disorder
The platelets do not stick together well enough, so bleeding does not stop as it should. Bruises and blood from the nose or gums are noticed.
About the condition: Thrombocytopathy -
Immune system disorders
When the immune system attacks the dog's own blood cells, their numbers fall. The dog is pale, lethargic, breathes fast and sometimes turns yellow.
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Haemophilia
An inherited shortage of a clotting factor, mostly found in males. Even a minor knock can cause long or internal bleeding.
About the condition: Hemophilia A
What else to watch for
These observations help your vet build the picture faster. Note down what you saw and when.
- When the gum colour changed and what it is usually like
- Whether your dog is lethargic, weak or tires quickly
- Whether breathing is faster than usual
- Whether the belly looks swollen
- Whether there are bruises, nosebleeds, or blood in the urine or stools
- Whether your dog could have had an injury or swallowed a poison
When to book a routine visit
Pale gums are a reason to see a vet the same day, even if your dog looks fairly normal. If the gums are white, your dog is weak, struggling to breathe or bleeding, go straight away.
Related conditions
Conditions whose entries mention this sign. The list is somewhere to read on, not a way to reach a diagnosis.
- Hemangiosarcoma Cancer Hemangiosarcoma is a malignant tumour that arises from the cells lining blood vessels and can develop in the spleen, heart, liver or skin. Because the tumour is made of fragile blood-filled vessels, it can grow unnoticed for a long time and then rupture, causing internal bleeding. It is mainly a disease of older dogs.
- Von Willebrand disease Blood and immunity Von Willebrand disease is an inherited bleeding disorder in which the body lacks a protein that helps platelets stick together and plug a damaged blood vessel, or the protein doesn't work properly. As a result even a small wound can bleed for longer than normal, and the disease varies in severity, sometimes only coming to light after an injury or a procedure. Genetic tests exist for some forms.
- Thrombocytopathy Blood and immunity Thrombocytopathy is a blood clotting disorder in which the blood has enough platelets but they do not work as they should, so bleeding is slow to stop. It can be inherited or arise from another illness or certain drugs. In such a dog even a small wound or a veterinary procedure can lead to prolonged bleeding, so it is worth telling the vet about it beforehand.
- Autoimmune disorders Blood and immunity This is an umbrella term for conditions in which the immune system, instead of defending the body against germs, starts attacking the dog's own tissues. The skin, blood cells, joints or internal organs can be affected, so these diseases can look very different from one another. What the condition is and what caused it is for the vet to determine.
- Hemophilia A Blood and immunity Hemophilia A is an inherited blood-clotting disorder in which the body lacks one of the clotting factors, so blood clots too slowly. Even a minor injury can bleed for a long time, and blood can also leak into the joints or muscles. Bleeding that will not stop is life-threatening, so the dog then needs a vet immediately.
- Babesiosis Parasites Babesiosis is a tick-borne disease caused by microscopic parasites that settle in the red blood cells and destroy them. In Lithuania it is spread by the ornate dog tick, so it is worth every dog owner knowing about. It can become life-threatening within days, so the dog needs a vet immediately.
- Anaplasmosis Infections Anaplasmosis is a tick-borne bacterial infection whose bacteria settle inside white blood cells. In Lithuania it is spread, like Lyme disease, by the castor bean tick. Some infected dogs show no signs, while others develop a fever and a limp within a few weeks of the tick bite; what caused the illness is for a vet to establish.
Body systems: Cancer Blood and immunity Parasites Infections