A pet owner shared a warning about the big sign that indicates your dog should go to a vet immediately.
Sutton, from New York, noticed her dog seemed “grumpier” than usual – but put her behavior down to old age.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Pet owner warning about dogs.
For more Lifestyle related news and videos, check out Lifestyle >>
But when her dog went into cardiac arrest, she knew something was seriously wrong.
“If you have a dog, this information could save their life,” Sutton said.
“I learned about this the hard way last week when my dog went into cardiac arrest… A little thing that you can easily check that I never knew after having my dog for years.
“If your dog is in distress, especially on a medical level, it can be difficult to tell if there is something seriously wrong or if they are just hurt or tired because they don’t have the words to say.
“I have a very naughty dog who was acting more irritated.”
In a wild twist, Sutton discovered that her dog’s distressing behavior was actually a sign that she wasn’t getting enough oxygen.
“For a human to lose oxygen, what happens? You turn blue, this alerts you and other people around you that you need help and oxygen,” he explained.
“But a dog doesn’t have exposed skin, which means it could be suffocating due to an invisible medical condition right next to you and you might not have a clue…or could you?”
Check your dog’s tongue
She said the best way to tell if your dog is losing oxygen is to check his tongue.
“If a dog is losing oxygen or having low oxygen intake due to health issues, their tongue will turn a darker purple or blue,” Sutton said.
“This will appear very dark on the underside of the tongue, like a branch from the middle. The upper part of the tongue will also become dark.
“Any discoloration darker than their normal tongue color is cause to investigate to make sure they are getting the oxygen they need or are receiving medication that can open their airways.
“During his cardiac arrest, my dog’s tongue turned almost black.”
Sutton said that checking your dog’s tongue can alert you to an emergency situation.
“If your dog has breathing or heart problems that are ongoing, you can also use that as a metric to check,” he said.
Fortunately, his beloved dog survived.
“I check my dog’s tongue several times a day, she’s still recovering,” Sutton said.
To share his experience, he wanted to warn pet owners to always check their dog’s tongue if they notice unusual behavior.
“After telling two other people who are dog owners and they didn’t know about it, I knew I had to share this,” she said.
“Now for people who already knew this, that’s great, but I needed to share this in case it might help save someone’s dog.”
“This is scary”
Her video has been viewed more than 1.3 million times – with many pet owners thanking her for sharing the helpful information.
“This is scary,” said one.
Another shared: “My dog at the age of four was diagnosed with heart disease. The vet took him early because he was stressed and panting at his appointment. His tongue was blue. He seven hours and still very mild because we took it first.”
One revealed: “I couldn’t save my childhood dog but my current dog did because as soon as her tongue turned blue we took her to the vet and she’s fine.”
Meanwhile, some dog groomers and veterinary practices have shared their own tips to help pet owners know what to expect.
“Wow, I have no idea how many people didn’t know this. This is one of the first things I learned as a dog groomer to check for signs of stress,” said one.
Another added: “If the tongue is discolored, it is a lack of oxygen. If the gums are discolored, there is a lack of blood flow – something I learned as a dog groomer.”
While one shared: “The veterinary receptionist here. I always check the gum colors to see if they are nice and pink. If they are white, yellow or sticky, we rush them to the doctor.
For more interesting lifestyle content, visit 7Life on Facebook.
