Q:  My dog has pale gums, and it seems like he has little energy what could this be??

A:  Pale gums are usually a sign of decreased blood pressure or anemia (a reduced number of red blood cells). So, if your dog's gums are pale and he has a reduced energy level it is imperative that you get your dog to the veterinarian immediately! The vet will do a physical evaluation of your dog and begin some testing to find out the reason behind the pale gums. Both decreased blood pressure and anemia can be triggered by various causes. For example, decreased blood pressure can be due to a malfunction in one of your dog's organs or it can be due to systemic shock. Anemia can be caused by an immune system disorder that results in the destruction of the red blood cells or by external or internal bleeding. As you can see, the clinical sign of pale gums is too broad for me to give you a definitive answer without examining your dog myself. However, pale gums definitely warrants a trip to the vet as soon as possible!
 

 Your question has been answered by the following veterinarian:
Daniel Lauridia, DVM

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