Purple tongue?

Question
My bulldog's tongue is purple. Well, the whole tongue is not purple, just the tip. I've looked it up on the internet and most of the information refers to heat stroke however, she doesn't seem to be hot(she isn't panting, has had lots of water, and the ACs been on all day). I was just wondering if she could have just somehow bit her tongue or something? This has never happened before and she'll be six years old in a month. Have you heard of anything similar to this at the practice you work at? What do I do?

Answer
Robin,

If your dog was having a heat stroke, you would definately know. The signs of heat stroke are intense panting, salivating, weakness, etc., and it can leave them near death in a matter of about 10 minutes. The other thing that can make a dog's tongue purple is a shortage of oxygen - but if the rest of the tongue, and all of her gums, are nice and pink (and she is breathing fine), I don't think this is a problem either. However, you may want to call your veterinarian if the purple just developed or if it it is a larger area now.

From what you are telling me, it sounds like it is just some natural pigmentation in your dog's tongue. Lots of mixes, and even sometimes purebred dogs, will have black or purple spots on their tongue. If it's been there all along, it's nothing to worry about.

Ashley