The violet, blue or black tongue is an eye-catching trait that identifies certain breeds of dogs, for example, How Chow is a blue-tongued dog known and loved in Brazil for its charming appearance, which resembles that of a lion.Have you ever wondered why some dogs have blue (or violet) tongues?
And more…Did you know that there are ancient legends in Asian culture, mainly in China, that mythically explain the birth of the purple-tongued dog?Of course, in addition to mythology, are there scientific theories to explain the?Birth? of this characteristic so peculiar in certain animals of nature, including Chinese dogs such as Shar Pei and the aforementioned Chow-Chow.
- So you want to know why some dogs have blue tongues? Continue reading this new article by Animal Expert to understand the origins of this feature.
The scientific explanation of the birth of a violet-tongued dog is found in the genetic structure, a blue or violet-tongued dog, such as chow chow or Shar Pei, has a lot of special cells containing certain pigments, responsible for giving such a striking color to the hairy tongue.
These pigment cells are present in the body of all dogs, mainly in the mucous membranes and in the tongue, so precisely these regions have a more intense pigmentation than the rest of the skin of the rest of the body, however, unlike most dogs that have a pink tongue, some dogs have a purple tongue due to a higher concentration of these cells.
Generally, it is possible to observe that a dog with blue tongue also has lips, palate (roof of the mouth) and gums in a tone similar or even darker than the tongue, in the case of Chow-Chow, for example, some individuals of this breed may show almost black lips at first sight.
Well, the amount or concentration of these pigmented cells is determined by the genetic code of the animal, in nature it is also possible to find the purple tongue in other species, such as giraffes and polar bears.
However, there is still much research to try to discover the origins of breeds as old as the Chow Chow and understand why genetic inheritance makes some dogs have bluetongue as a characteristic feature.Some hypothesis studies show that Chow-Chow May come from Hemicyon, a species of mammal that lived in the Miocene and consists of a ‘Link’ in the evolutionary chain of dogs and some bear families, but it has not yet been possible to find conclusive evidence to confirm this possibility.
As we mentioned in the introduction, the origin of the blue-tongued dog is also the protagonist of mythological stories in the East, especially in Asian countries.In China, there are several very interesting legends about the birth of Chow-Chow.Although mythological reports require scientific evidence, it is worth sharing to further knowledge about the importance of this purple-tongued dog in the culture of his home country.
One of the legends of Chinese mythology says that Chow-Chow was a dragon dog that loved the days, but hated the nights, every night, tired of the darkness, the cheeky dog decided to lick all the sky so that the night would cease.However, this behavior greatly angered the gods, who decided to punish him by making his tongue remain dark blue or black as darkness forever.Thus, the Chow-Chow would remember every day for the rest of the existence of his shameful attitude and would learn not to contradict the gods again.
Another legend states that the Chow-Chow tongue turned blue because the dog decided to accompany the Buddha when he painted the sky blue.Curious by nature, the puppy would have licked the small drops of paint that fell from the Buddha’s brush.And from that day onwards, the purple-tongued dog carries with it a little piece of heaven.
As we have explained, some dogs have blue tongue due to their genetic structure, so if your best friend belongs to one of the purple-tongued dog breeds, this trait is perfectly normal and you don’t have to worry.you have adopted a bastard, it is also possible that your fur has some relation to these breeds and, therefore, may have a particular pigmentation in the mucous membranes and tongue.
In both cases, it is possible to notice that the blue or purple color is part of the physical characteristics of the puppy and is present since childhood, that is, the color does not appear suddenly and does not interfere with the behavior or behavior of the animal.Bless you.
However, if you notice that your dog’s tongue or mucous membranes have changed color, they have strange spots or warts that appear suddenly, quickly take your best friend to the vet. Sudden color changes in the tongue and mucous membranes can indicate a variety of health problems.anaemia or liver failure, or may be a sign of dog poisoning.
To learn more about blue-tongued dogs, also watch our video on YouTube:
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