Expert: Tina - 11/7/2007

Question
We have a kitten who is about 6 weeks old. We have raised her since she was about 4 days old. My husband has noticed that she has what looks like black "tastebuds" with the most of her tongue is pink. It does not seem to be interfering with her eating and drinking. Is this something I should be worried about? What could have possibly caused it, and is there anything I can do to get rid of it?

Answer
Hi Kimberly,

I have never seen this before, and it's definitely something I would consult the vet about. Normal cat tongues are all pink, there are no breeds with black tongues like there are in dogs. I haven't heard of any diseases or problems that would cause black specks but one possibility could be some kind of bacterial infection, so it would be best to take the kitten to the vet ASAP. If you don't mind, let me know what your vet says because this is one I've never heard before!

-Tina