Possible diseases
Quite often, cats have black spots in and around the mouth. Often their appearance is associated with a genetic predisposition and does not cause any inconvenience to the pet. But in some cases, these spots indicate an incipient pathology. Therefore, if you find dark spots on your cat’s tongue, you need to visit a veterinarian.
Lentigo
Lentigo is a genetic disorder in cats that results in dark, freckle-like spots. Lentigo can appear on the lips, gums, and tongue. As they spread, the spots may also appear around the edges of the cat's eyes or on the eyelids. Lentigines can sometimes be found in the ears and even on the pads of the feet.
Lentigo can appear in cats of red, tortoiseshell, peach, sandy and red colors. Freckles are the result of pigment-producing cells called melanocytes, which have more melanin than the surrounding skin. No one knows why some cats have a genetic predisposition to lentigo.
Features of glossitis during pregnancy
The causes of glossitis of the tongue in pregnant women are due to the fact that the immune defense weakens to allow the fetus to develop, which means that the body during this period becomes practically defenseless in the face of various bacteria and viruses. The second risk factor is a lack of vitamins and minerals obtained from food.
According to statistics, most often pregnant women experience a picture of desquamative and Gunter's glossitis. Symptoms that should alert you during pregnancy include:
- Profuse drooling. During the period of bearing a child, a woman already secretes a larger amount of saliva than usual, but a sharp increase may indicate the onset of glossitis.
- "Lacquered Tongue" A specific symptom that indicates the development of B12 deficiency anemia.
- Color change. White spots on the surface of the tongue alternate with spots of rich red color.
- Refusal of food. Acute glossitis in pregnant women is characterized by severe pain in the tongue during chewing and speaking, which, among other things, affects appetite.
As for the treatment of glossitis in pregnant women, the safety of the fetus comes first. Therefore, all therapy is exclusively local in nature (sprays, rinses), eliminating the penetration of the drug through the placenta. It is recommended to adjust your diet in such a way as to remove any foods that irritate your tongue.
Attention!
In order to avoid complications that can negatively affect the health of the fetus, treatment of glossitis during pregnancy must be carried out under the supervision of an obstetrician-gynecologist monitoring the woman.
Preventing HPV infection
Condylomas must be prevented by preventive measures:
- use of contraceptives during sexual relations;
- increasing immunity;
- proper balanced nutrition;
- taking vitamins;
- compliance with hygiene standards;
- fight against bad habits;
- increasing stress resistance.
Regular visits to the doctor are a good preventative measure. The use of antiviral ointments, as well as vaccination against HPV, is prevention that will make people’s lives full.
Treatment
The treatment your veterinarian prescribes depends on the cause of the dark spots and spots. For example, acne is a consequence of liver dysfunction, especially in old animals. Treatment in this case includes changing the diet in such a way as to minimize the load on this organ.
It is important to prevent stress; cats should be comfortable in the house. Bowls and tray must be clean. It is better to replace plastic bowls for food and water with glass or stainless steel bowls to avoid allergic reactions.
It is best to use glass dishes and stainless steel bowls when feeding cats.
It is necessary to use vitamin supplements for cats aimed at normalizing the functioning of the immune system. To rule out food allergies, you can switch your cat to diet food and medicated food.
Infectious diseases in cats are quite easy to identify, since this will affect the behavior of the pet. Infections weaken the body, the animal becomes apathetic, lethargic, refuses to eat and sleeps a lot. But the occurrence of infections can also be determined by black spots on the tongue, lips, and around the mouth.
For predators, the condition of teeth and gums is of particular importance. The easiest way to prevent serious oral diseases is to have your teeth cleaned regularly by a veterinarian. The doctor will help not only remove plaque from the cat’s teeth, but also get rid of tartar. It will also apply a special solution to strengthen and prevent re-formation of the stone.
Only a veterinarian can make a correct diagnosis after examination.
How to warn?
Cats are quite clean animals, so rashes on the lips, apart from hereditary ones, are quite rare. A poorly balanced diet and the inability of a cat to replenish its diet with the vitamins and minerals it needs leads to an imbalance of the entire body. The owner needs to monitor the animal’s food and wash the food bowl on time, since bacteria multiply well in dirty dishes, which can get into the mouth while eating. Air pollution and frequent psychological stress from aggressive behavior with the pet by its owner can also cause the appearance of spots and spots. Only the care and quick reaction of the owner to any changes in the behavior or appearance of the pet will give it a long and happy life.
Associated signs of disease and treatment
Dark spots
In this condition, the animal spends a lot of time sleeping.
Pellagra, or simply hypovitaminosis, affects cats very rarely. Poor or unbalanced nutrition leads to problems in the animal's body. Drowsiness, apathy, as well as the presence of dark spots on the tongue are reasons to contact a veterinary clinic. If the diagnosis is correct, then treatment will be focused on replenishing the pet’s nicotinic acid. Depending on the way you eat, you need to add to your diet:
- vitamin supplements for cats;
- kidneys, liver and fish;
- dairy products and carrots.
Lentigo is a hereditary disease characterized by a brown spot in adult animals. In cats, this condition is quite rare; spots are formed due to an increase in the number of melanocytes on the surface of the skin. Often, a smooth brown rash with a diameter of up to 10 mm is located on the mucous membrane of the mouth and can cover the palate, nose, eyelids and ears. Formation begins in kittens before 12 months and localization expands with age. The disease has no symptoms and does not require treatment.
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Black dots
Owners often find such skin rashes on their pets.
Acne is a dark rash on the skin in the form of blackheads. Having tried to erase blackheads and failed, the owner is convinced that the cat has acne. Concomitant signs of skin diseases may include swelling, baldness and redness of the skin, and the number and volume of acne increases. The pet's behavior is restless and it scratches the itchy area. Since the disease is a concern, you should consult a veterinarian and undergo an examination. In animals, as in people, acne on the skin can be a consequence of blockage of the sebaceous glands, and then treatment can be carried out with folk remedies, rubbing the sore spot with herbal infusions.
Melanoma is the presence of malignant tumors in the body. The appearance of black spots or spots on the gums in an elderly pet, as well as apathy and loss of appetite should alert the owner. Since the presence of a tumor can only be determined by a doctor, and treatment requires surgery, you should urgently contact a veterinary clinic for examination.
If there is a putrid smell from the mouth, then the cat may have a serious disease of the teeth or gums.
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Main routes of infection
Veterinarians know four types of viruses that cause calcivirosis, and the incubation period lasts from 5 to 7 days. This infection is mainly spread by airborne droplets, and the sick animal can be at a distance of a meter from the cat. That is, in order to contract such an illness, direct contact with a sick cat is not necessary. It will be enough for the pet to simply bask in the grass that has been stained with the saliva of a sick cat.
This virus can also affect those kittens who never leave the house, since this infection can be brought by humans on clothes, shoes and even hair.
To prevent kittens from becoming infected, it is recommended to avoid large gatherings of cats, since the onset of the disease may not be noticeable outwardly.
The tongue turned black. What to do?
What to do if your tongue turns black, and which doctor should you go to? It must be remembered that a dark coating on the tongue is just a symptom of the underlying disease. To eliminate it, it is necessary to cure the disease itself. First of all, seek help from your dentist. The dentist must rule out dental problems and fungal infection. To treat fungus, your doctor may use topical medications. It is necessary to carry out dental treatment and remove tartar. Toxins produced by microbes that live in cavities and tartar can cause the tongue to turn black.
Oral hygiene rules during treatment
Basic rules for oral care:
- Brush your teeth and tongue 2 times a day
- Use a tongue scraper (removes plaque better)
- Use rinse aids
Reasons for appearance
Gangrenous stomatitis in a kitten or cat can develop against the background of any other diseases, weak immunity, various injuries to the oral cavity (prick with a bone, branch, thorn of a plant). The following may also be the cause:
— chemical burns (swallowed alkaline solutions, salts of heavy metals, etc.);
— thermal burns (too hot food or inhalation of steam);
— fungal diseases (candidiasis);
- diseases of the teeth and gums (gingivitis, caries, periodontal disease);
- diabetes mellitus and other difficulties with the endocrine system;
— autoimmune diseases;
— infectious (calcivirosis, rhinotracheitis, papillomatosis, etc.);
- lack of vitamins (as a rule, stomatitis can be caused by a lack of A, B, C, E and PP);
- oncology, especially in the neck and head area.
Coated tongue
Quite often, black spots on a cat’s tongue go away after eating or drinking water. In this case, we are talking about the usual plaque that appears when eating dark-colored food. Often, a coating on the tongue is discovered after the cat plays with some objects painted in a dark color. Dots on the tongue may remain if the animal has chewed plastic or painted wood. Particles of dye get clogged between the papillae on the tongue and the appearance of dark dots and spots is created.
Why do they appear?
In a cat, black spots and dots in the mouth arise due to the maximum activity of the cells that are responsible for the release of pigment. Cats are prone to pigmentation, especially red cats. A kitten may be born with black dots and spots on the tongue and palate, and then pigmentation appears on the lip, nose or in the mouth, but this is not dangerous. A genetic predisposition to staining with spots may cause them to appear. If a cat develops black spots at an older age, especially an older one, this requires consultation with a veterinarian. There are a number of factors influencing the appearance of blackheads in the mouth, namely:
- hormonal imbalance;
- poor nutrition;
- problems of the gastrointestinal tract and central nervous system;
- poor immunity.
Sometimes dark spots in the mouth disappear after eating. In such cases, you need to monitor your pet. Cats' tongues are covered with hardened nipples that help them drink, hold food, and lick fur. Perhaps the animal is gnawing on some objects, and the remains get stuck on its tongue, causing it to turn black. When eating food, the cat swallows everything along with it. In this case, there is no reason to worry.
