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My dog has pale gums, but his eyes look normal. Should I worry?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Yorkshire Terrier | Female | 6 years and 2 months old | 7 lbs

My dogs gums are pale and i did research but dont know why it's happening because the tissue of the eye looks healthy. His gums have black spots and the teeth are yelowish , mostly the canine teeth

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4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Penelope Graben, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on September 28th, 2018

Hello, The pinkness of the gums in the picture does not alarm me to paleness, but if you believe that they have recently become significantly lighter, I would absolutely recommend a vet check. The mucous membranes of the gums and the inner eyelids should be roughly the same light pink color and moist texture as our own. When the color starts to fade from pink to white, this can be a sign of anemia, or blood loss. Blood loss can happen from stomach ulcers, autoimmune diseases, or other various causes. This reduction in red blood cells usually makes the pet lethargic or sickly, but some dogs are excellent at coping with and hiding their problems. It would be helpful to know if Jessica was showing any signs of illness, such as sleeping more or eating less. If she is doing any of those things, or acting sick in another way, I absolutely recommend a vet visit. A simple blood test than can usually be done quickly with a small sample called is called a PCV. Packed cell volume, or PCV, tells us what percent of the blood is red blood cells. This can let us know if she is anemic or dehydrated, and what direction of testing to go from there. This is generally a first line test done to confirm or rule out anemia with pale gums. :) I hope this has been helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

    Veterinarian

    Published on February 8th, 2019

    From the photos, Tiny’s gums appear to be a normal color. A few of the photos made the gums look maybe a little lighter pink but it could have been the lighting. I hope this helps to answer your question. Please feel free to post any additional questions!

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    Answered By Dr. Paula Simons

    Veterinarian

    Published on March 30th, 2022

    Hello, Thank you for sharing the photo of Gracie. Color is very hard to determine through a photograph. I would say she looks light pink but not pale persay. She does look to have mild tarter buildup on her canine. Otherwise, I do not see anything concerning in the photo. If you are concerned she is unwell and looks pale to you, you should take her to your nearest veterinarian as soon as possible.

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on September 19th, 2018

    From the picture, they don't appear pale to me but it's hard to tell from a photo. Given that Luna isn't lethargic and has lots of energy, that tells me it's much less likely they are pale and she is probably fine :-)

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