Pale gums

Does my girl’s gums look pale? I won’t go in full detail but she was a runt and breeder who I thought was reputable lied about her age after I drove 5 hours to pick her up. She had a bad seizure at 7 months ( no causes, was watched all day every day ). She had two awful back to back heats and ever since has had horrible anxiety and a few behavioral issues we are hoping to at least help with a spay. Could just be bad breeding. She has had urinary issues for as long as I remember ( frequent urination + constant drinking ) but for the last month maybe it changed and she won’t drink plain water so I put a bunch in her food bowl. I didn’t think anything of the frequent peeing until she hit a year and thought it was odd since she was no longer a puppy really. She also has had ongoing loose stool for months- I ruled out chicken intolerance and she was treated for campylobacter twice ( second time thinking maybe she ate her stool over the winter so the medicine was a precaution ). Amongst other issues those are the main. Oh and she has been making weird noises for a few months so I have not had a collar on her at all which has helped. Vet is going to check her trachea and organs during spay. She told me to watch out for pale gums. Her gums have gotten lighter over the last month ( used to be a solid pink color like the little lines around her gums ). Is this an indication of liver issues or trachea issues? Is it safe to put her through her spay when we don’t know the cause of her loose stool? She has lost weight- still a healthy weight but it is noticeable. There was a shadow over her but I took the best picture I could.

It’s hard to say from a photo, but on a first glance, yes that might be a little too ale for a young dog. It sounds like she has a number of issues going on, poor girl; and I don’t really want to step o to your vet’s toes in such a complicated situation. That said, it might well be worth getting pre-op bloods run to measure her red blood cell numbers, liver and kidney function before going to anaesthesia. I think this needs a discussion with your vet sooner rather than later, especially if you think her gums have got paler recently.

Hello!   I would second this.  Frequent urination and constant drinking may turn out to be polyuria / polydipsia, as seen in kidney disease, pyometra etc and if the gums seem to be an abnormal colour on top of that (one really can't tell from a picture), it may be that the circulation is affected and an urgent check-up is needed.   We would advise calling your vet or emergency vet and mentioning the frequent drinking / urinating in case they would like to see you sooner rather than later.

David Harris BVSc MRCVS I apologize for the late reply! I definitely am in close contact with the vet. Thank you both for answering. I found out recently that her breeder lied about age/ genetic screening etc. I managed to find a few of her half siblings, and they seem to all have similar issues. We did 2 urinalysis, first one showed high white blood cell count but after 2 weeks she tested it again ( while still on the antibiotics ) and it was normal. Her spay appointment was for May 15th but unfortunately she started her 3rd heat, super irregular heats/ time frames. Her heat is still ongoing at almost 4 weeks. I had a scare and contacted her vet because one day I woke up to her diaper soaked in blood, which normally she only has a few splotches. Her vet said she wants to risk it and spay her June 10th ( she prefers waiting 2-3 months post heat but can’t as my girl may start another odd cycle. ) Today I woke up and put her diaper on per usual as she was on the carpet, I change them frequently to avoid infection. When I took it off her blood almost appears chunky, with chunks in it. Not like blood clots. I may call my vet again today to see if it is normal ( or not urgent ). Our vet did say she is going to take a scope and search her organs to see if any tumors are around causing all of her urinary issues/ irregular cycles. Her liver and kidney enzymes seemed good.