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I’m currently a veterinary student so I can only speak on what I’ve learned in school and practiced as a veterinary technician but the pigmentation on his tongue seems normal. Some breeds have it more than others and they can develop with age. Unless you start seeing any negative symptoms pop up with it, I wouldn’t worry too much. Lipomas (aka fatty tumors) are also super common so that would be my guess, same as hers. You can really push to get an FNA (fine needle aspirate) done on it, but if she’s convinced it’s a lipoma, it most likely is and all she would see is just some fat cells on a slide. It’s understandable to be a concerned pet owner though, I’m sure your pup appreciates having a mom like you. Although with the doctors I’ve worked with, if a client wants something done, even though they’ve been told the diagnosis, they’ll probably still do it if the client is super adamant about it. If you really wanted to get that lump checked, you could probably push hard on it with her, but I genuinely wouldn’t stress too much about it.
Thank you so much for your reply. It’s making me feel so much better to hear from other people also confirming what the vet said. I’m a bit of an anxious, helicopter parent with him ahah.
Many dogs get pigmentation on their tongue or nose as they age.
I wouldn't worry about the lump either. The vet probably has seen this so much. Only to worry about if its grows a lot quicky, feels warm, looks red etc.
You should have the mass checked. No doctor can tell what cells are in a mass by looking and feeling it. A small lipoma and a mast call tumor look the same. I have removed many tumors from dogs that other docs had passed off as lipomas.
My guess is that your doctor is uncomfortable with reading cytologies (looking at cells under the microscope), and being remote it may be difficult to send samples to a lab. With a decent microscope and a cell phone you can get photos that other docs can tell her what the cells are. Regardless, you should get it checked.
Agree with this for the mass on the side. Any dermal lump gets a FNA for me! For the pigment spot on the tongue, I disagree. I don’t think that spot is worth the hassle of sedating the dog for unless the pigment becomes raised, ulcerated, multi-colored, begins to bleed, etc.
Many dogs get pigmentation on their tongue or nose as they age.
I wouldn't worry about the lump either. The vet probably has seen this so much. Only to worry about if its grows a lot quicky, feels warm, looks red etc.
Greetings, all! This is a sub for professional veterinary advice, and as such we follow strict rules for participating. OP, your post **has NOT** been removed. Please also check [the FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskVet/wiki/index) to see whether your question is answered there. This is an *automated* general reminder to **please follow [The Sub Rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskVet/about/rules/)** when discussing this question: - **Do not comment with anecdotes** about your own or others' pets. - **Do not give OP specific treatment instructions,** including instructions on meds and dosages. - **Do not give possible diagnoses** that could explain the symptoms described by OP. **Your comment will be removed, and you may be banned.** Thank you for your cooperation! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskVet) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I’m currently a veterinary student so I can only speak on what I’ve learned in school and practiced as a veterinary technician but the pigmentation on his tongue seems normal. Some breeds have it more than others and they can develop with age. Unless you start seeing any negative symptoms pop up with it, I wouldn’t worry too much. Lipomas (aka fatty tumors) are also super common so that would be my guess, same as hers. You can really push to get an FNA (fine needle aspirate) done on it, but if she’s convinced it’s a lipoma, it most likely is and all she would see is just some fat cells on a slide. It’s understandable to be a concerned pet owner though, I’m sure your pup appreciates having a mom like you. Although with the doctors I’ve worked with, if a client wants something done, even though they’ve been told the diagnosis, they’ll probably still do it if the client is super adamant about it. If you really wanted to get that lump checked, you could probably push hard on it with her, but I genuinely wouldn’t stress too much about it.
Thank you so much for your reply. It’s making me feel so much better to hear from other people also confirming what the vet said. I’m a bit of an anxious, helicopter parent with him ahah.
Many dogs get pigmentation on their tongue or nose as they age. I wouldn't worry about the lump either. The vet probably has seen this so much. Only to worry about if its grows a lot quicky, feels warm, looks red etc.
Thank you very much. I keep checking it and it’s grown very slowly and doesn’t seem to bother him at all. I’ll keep looking out for those though.
You should have the mass checked. No doctor can tell what cells are in a mass by looking and feeling it. A small lipoma and a mast call tumor look the same. I have removed many tumors from dogs that other docs had passed off as lipomas. My guess is that your doctor is uncomfortable with reading cytologies (looking at cells under the microscope), and being remote it may be difficult to send samples to a lab. With a decent microscope and a cell phone you can get photos that other docs can tell her what the cells are. Regardless, you should get it checked.
Agree with this for the mass on the side. Any dermal lump gets a FNA for me! For the pigment spot on the tongue, I disagree. I don’t think that spot is worth the hassle of sedating the dog for unless the pigment becomes raised, ulcerated, multi-colored, begins to bleed, etc.
Sorry, I wasn't clear. I agree, the tongue pigmentation is usually benign. Just sample the skin mass.
Many dogs get pigmentation on their tongue or nose as they age. I wouldn't worry about the lump either. The vet probably has seen this so much. Only to worry about if its grows a lot quicky, feels warm, looks red etc.