9 Facts You Should Know About Dogs' Tongues

Dogs' tongues are much more than just an organ they use to bring food to their mouths, swallow, or lick themselves. The tongue is actually quite important for dogs as a limb that allows them to interact with their environment. Dogs can grasp a ball with their tongues while playing fetch, or they can show their owners their loyalty through tongue movements. While there are significant similarities between dog anatomy and the human body, the dog's tongue is an exception. The tongue serves many functions in dogs and also provides important information about their health. Therefore, when you wonder "why do dogs' tongues turn purple?", you should keep in mind that this could be a health problem. In this article, you can find surprising information about the unknown functions of dogs' tongues.

Controlling Body Temperature

Dogs cannot sweat like humans. Dogs only have sweat glands called merocrine glands in their paws and noses. Like humans, dogs have apocrine glands throughout their bodies. However, these glands, unlike in humans, do not cause sweating. Their function in the dog's body is to release pheromones. Due to these physiological differences, dogs try to cool themselves by breathing rather than sweating. You might sometimes ask yourself, "Why do dogs breathe with their tongues out?" When you see a dog like that, it actually means its body temperature has risen significantly and it's trying to cool down. When dogs breathe rapidly with their tongues out, they send air over their tongues into their mouths and from there to their lungs. This allows moisture to evaporate, thus cooling them down. This behavior in dogs is called thermoregulation. Thermoregulation is extremely important for dogs, especially in excessively hot weather. If you see a dog like this in hot weather, you can give it water to help it cool down. Extreme heat can cause heatstroke in dogs, and sticking their tongues out doesn't help them cool down. Leaving clean water out for dogs in your neighborhood during hot weather is vital for their well-being. Taste Sense Although dogs have more taste receptors on their tongues than cats, the number of receptors is nowhere near the number on a human tongue. Humans have approximately 10,000 taste receptors, while dogs have around 1,700. Dogs, like us, can taste sour, sweet, salty, and bitter flavors. However, because they have fewer taste receptors, they use their much stronger sense of smell before eating or licking something. When you see a dog sniffing around with its tongue sticking out, the answer to the question "why do dogs stick their tongues out?" is that they are trying to taste things. Dogs have very strong senses of smell and use their tongues when smelling, which is why they enjoy licking people's faces, feet, ears, or hands. The Relationship Between Tongue Temperature and Body Temperature When a dog licks your hand, you'll notice it's quite warm. This is because the normal body temperature for dogs ranges between 38.3 and 39.2 degrees Celsius. When a dog's fever rises, the temperature of their tongue also rises. However, it is not possible to accurately measure body temperature from the tongue. The most accurate way to measure body temperature in dogs is to use a rectal thermometer. If your dog is breathing rapidly to cool down in a cool room or licking an ice cube, it is to cool its tongue by cooling the saliva on its surface. However, they return to their previous temperature very quickly when they stop breathing rapidly. This behavior, if done in a cool environment, may indicate that the dog has a fever.

You might sometimes ask yourself, "Why do dogs breathe with their tongues out?" When you see a dog like that, it actually means its body temperature has risen significantly and it's trying to cool down. Dogs breathe rapidly with their tongues out, sending air over their tongues into their mouths and then to their lungs. This allows moisture to evaporate, thus cooling them down. This behavior in dogs is called thermoregulation. Thermoregulation is extremely important for dogs, especially in excessively hot weather. If you see a dog like this in hot weather, you can help it cool down by giving it water. Extreme heat can cause heatstroke in dogs, and having their tongues out doesn't help them cool down. Leaving clean water out for dogs in your neighborhood during hot weather is vital for their well-being.

Taste Sense

Although dogs have more taste receptors on their tongues than cats, the number of receptors is still nowhere near the number on a human tongue. Humans have approximately 10,000 taste receptors, while dogs have around 1,700. Like us, dogs can taste sour, sweet, salty, and bitter flavors. However, because they have fewer taste receptors, they rely on their much stronger sense of smell before eating or licking something. When you see a dog sniffing with its tongue out, the answer to the question "Why do dogs have their tongues out?" is that they are trying to taste things. Because dogs have a very strong sense of smell and use their tongues to sniff, they also enjoy licking people's faces, feet, ears, or hands.

The Relationship Between Tongue Temperature and Body Temperature

When a dog licks your hand, you'll notice it's quite warm. This is because the normal body temperature for dogs ranges between 38.3 and 39.2 degrees Celsius. When a dog's fever rises, the temperature of their tongue also rises. However, it's not possible to accurately measure body temperature from the tongue. The most accurate way to measure body temperature in dogs is to use a rectal thermometer.

If your dog is breathing rapidly to cool down in a cool room or licking an ice cube, it's to cool its tongue by cooling the saliva on its surface. However, they quickly return to their normal temperature once they stop breathing rapidly. This behavior in a cool environment may indicate that the dog has a fever.

Not All Dogs Have Pink Tongues

Although we remember dogs having pink tongues, not every dog ​​has a pink tongue. Chinese-origin Chow Chow and Shar-Pei breeds have blue or blue-black tongues. New breeds descended from these breeds usually have black or black-blue patchy tongues.

In the vast majority of dog breeds, a moist and drooping pink tongue is an indicator of a normal and healthy dog. When a change in the color of the tongue occurs in dogs that normally have a pink tongue, this may indicate a health problem. A dark red, purple, or bluish tongue color is a sign of heatstroke, poisoning, electric shock, heart or lung disease. A pale pink or white tongue is a sign of anemia due to internal bleeding or an immune system disease. If any color change occurs in your dog's tongue, you should contact a veterinarian immediately.

Dogs Use Their Tongues to Calm Down

According to research, dogs release endorphins when they lick things. Endorphins are chemicals that make dogs feel calmer and more relaxed. However, excessive licking is a problem in some cases. Especially when you see your dog licking itself excessively, you should consider the possibility that this is related to stress. Dogs that feel extremely stressed tend to lick themselves constantly. In such cases, you may need to consult your veterinarian to find the source of your dog's anxiety.

Dogs' Mouths Aren't As Clean As You Think

Contrary to popular belief, dogs' mouths are not cleaner than human mouths. According to research, dogs' mouths contain more than 600 types of bacteria, just like human mouths.

The oral flora of living species varies. A bacterium found in a dog's mouth may not be found in a human. The opposite is also true for dogs. The vast majority of bacteria in a dog's mouth do not make humans sick. However, you can catch the flu if you kiss your dog on the mouth. However, dogs' mouths can also contain various bacteria that can risk human health. Therefore, it is recommended to kiss your dog on the cheek.

Dogs' Tongues Don't Heal Wounds

“Is a dog's tongue antiseptic?” The question of why dogs' saliva is licking wounds confuses many people. It's a common belief that dogs' tongues are antiseptic and heal wounds. Indeed, ancient Egyptian and Greek cultures also believed in the healing power of dog saliva. While licking a wound can remove dead tissue and foreign matter, excessive licking can actually damage the skin and lead to bigger problems. However, ancient people weren't entirely wrong in their belief. Both human and dog saliva contain a protein called histatin. This protein prevents the spread of infection. However, dog saliva also contains bacteria that are beneficial to their flora but can cause serious infections in human wounds. Therefore, dogs should not lick open wounds during injury.

However, ancient people weren't entirely wrong in their belief. Both humans and dogs have a protein called histatin in their saliva. This protein prevents the spread of infection. However, dog saliva also contains bacteria that are beneficial to their flora but can cause serious infections in human wounds. Therefore, dogs should not lick open wounds after an injury.

Dogs Have Soft Tongues

When a cat licks your arm, it feels like sandpaper is rubbing against your arm. Dogs' tongues, however, have an almost smooth surface. Cats' tongues are covered with hard, backward-facing projections called filiform papillae. These projections act as a comb when cats lick their fur. Most wild cats are powerful predators. However, small cats, including the Felis domesticus species that live in our homes, can become prey to other predators. Their regular licking helps them leave less body odor and makes them harder to find.

On the other hand, dogs hunt in packs and are generally always in a hunter position. Since they are not prey to any animal, they do not need to lick to conceal their body odor. This explains why the tongues of cats and dogs have such different structures.

Some Dogs Have Very Large Tongues

Macroglossia is the name of a disorder that causes the tongue to grow excessively large. Macroglossia is rare in dogs. The size of the tongue is noticeable immediately after birth. Therefore, dogs have great difficulty suckling from their mothers. However, some dog breeds also have anatomically very large tongues. Boxer, Pug, or English Bulldog dogs generally have tongues larger than their mouths. When you see dogs of these breeds, you might wonder, "Why do dogs sleep with their tongues out?" This is actually because their tongues are larger than their mouths.

An excessively large tongue usually does not cause health problems. However, it can lead to various accidents. Dogs with large tongues, in particular, may wet the surroundings while drinking water. They may also bite their tongues while eating or catching toys.