german shepard gum color

Question
Yesterday while I was playing ball with my shepard I noticed her gums are not a normal pink color but a dull orange color.  I have 2 other dogs, have had dogs my whole life and I don't ever remember seeing gums this color.  She is 2 years old.  Any ideas what this is?  I wonder if she is not drinking enough water.  We live in the Arizona heat, and although she is in the house most of the time, she may still become dehydrated.

Answer
Debby,

You can check for dehydration by picking up some of your dog's skin and checking the elasticity. If it pops right back onto the dog, she is fine, but if it takes a while to return to its  place, she is dehydrated.

The first concern with discolored gums is that the brain isn't receiving enough oxygen for some reason, but this will turn the gums a purplish color, so I'm not worried about it in your case. My advice to you is to have her seen by a veterinarian. Many health issues can cause discolored gums - for example, anemia. You can press a finger firmly above one of her upper teeth, and when you take the finger away, the white imprint left should immediately return to pink (if her gums were pink in the first place). If there is a delay, or if the gums are pale to begin with, this is symptomatic of anemia, and possibly other things. Blue or muddy red gums indicate serious respiratory or heart problems. If it were my dog, I would have her seen by a veterinarian as soon as I could.

Good luck!

Ashley