The story appeared on the I Love Veterinary Medicine Facebook page. It's an online community where vets, animal health workers, and pet owners share advice and unusual medical issues - just like this one.
It was the first time this vet had ever seen a cat's tongue turn black after a spaying operation:
"Recent case from our inbox," reads the post. "This is from one of my sphynx groups - tongue turned black after his neuter. ER vet apparently didn't have an answer. We thought it was worth a share because it's super weird!! The tongue was pink before."
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That's weird!
The cat is showing no other symptoms and appears happy and in perfectly good health. Although it's still scheduled for a series of checkups to make sure there are no underlying medical issues.
Hundreds of animal health workers commented on the post, with a handful reporting similar things happening to their furry patients. Thankfully, all the kitties fully recovered, with the tongues returning to their 'normal' colour after a few days.
"Same thing happened to a patient of mine, a 3-year-old Sphynx, after a general anaesthetic dental cleaning," posted veterinarian assistant Silvia De Leonibu. "Owner noticed the tongue turning black, but otherwise, the cat acting completely normal. Tongue improved over the next few days."
One theory is that 'black tongue' is a harmless allergic reaction to anaesthetic or antibiotics administered after an operation/procedure.
Nothing to worry about
In humans, a black or discoloured tongue is often a sign of a fungal infection, which can be caused or exacerbated by some courses of antibiotics.
It's important to remember that cases like this are extremely rare and pose no long-term health risk to our pets. In other words, it shouldn't prevent you from spaying your cat.
