Why Do Some Akitas Have Black Tongues?

Pink is the most common color of a dog’s tongue but some breeds normally have dark tongues due to normal pigmentation.

Many Akitas have dark tongues – blue and purple or even black. Puppies are usually born with pink tongues, which gradually darken by the time the young dog is about a year old. Your Akita may have a solid dark or pink tongue with dark spots or specks.

If your grown Akita’s tongue has always been dark and there has not been a sudden change, it is probably just a normal variation.

Black Tongue Due to Normal Pigment Variation

The pigment responsible for the dark color of your Akita’s tongue is Eumelanin.

When tissue has a lot of Eumelanin, it looks darker. The individual hue varies from raspberry to very dark blue or purple. Phaeomelanin is the pigment that turns the tongue and nose pink. The traits are genetic, so the prevalence of each pigment in both parents determines the offspring’s phenotype.

Among dogs, the peculiar features of the dark tongue, nose, and mouth are unusual but rare. Purebred Chow Chows have blue tongues. Other breeds that sometimes have dark tongues of various hues are Pomeranians, Char-Pei, some mastiffs, German Shepherds, and border collies.

This characteristic is quite common in other species, too. For example, giraffes and polar bears are among the most charismatic blue-tongue mammals.

Should I Worry About the Dark Color of My Dog’s Tongue?

Since only a portion of Akitas has this unusual but normal variation, it is important to be mindful of the need to assess your pet’s well-being regularly.

Is the dark tongue a new and sudden change? It is not a concern if the tongue’s color changes as a puppy matures into a grown dog. If your grown dog has always had a pink tongue and suddenly turned dark, especially if it happened within a few days, you should consider some pathological causes.

• If you notice that your dog’s health status has changed, the tongue color change could be significant.
• If you notice any new foul odor on your dog’s breath, it is significant in combination with any color change.
• If your dog seems tired, has any changes in her breathing patterns, and appears to pant more, she may have trouble delivering oxygen and other nutrients to her organs. Cardiac and respiratory problems are often at fault and a dark tongue is just one manifestation of the problem.
• In some dogs, a sudden change in tongue color could also point to kidney problems.

If you notice any of those changes in your dog’s condition, paying attention and contacting a veterinarian is important.

To Summarize

Blue tongues in Akitas are usually very normal, albeit unusual.

As long as this trait develops gradually when the dog is still young, the blue tongue is probably nothing to worry about. If your dog is an adult and produces a change in the color of her tongue and mucous membranes of the mouth, especially if you notice any other changes that you find concerning, then it is