Pet owners often notice how the cat sticks out its tongue. There are many reasons for this phenomenon, sometimes they are associated with diseases, genetic pathology, malocclusion. In most cases, the protruding tongue of the animal is not a symptom of the disease, remaining a consequence of the physiology of the animal.
What is cat language
The tongue of a cat is a muscular organ, which in a calm state lengthens due to stretching of the fibers and peeps out of the mouth when the cat does not consciously control the muscles. This phenomenon can be seen during the distraction of the pet, for example, when licking the coat. The tongue is also a peculiar indicator of cat health. Diseases cause a change in its color, surface condition. When examining an animal, the veterinarian first draws attention to the appearance of the tongue.
Natural causes
Often a cat sticks out its tongue while sleeping. An animal in a calm state does not control muscle tone, which is why the phenomenon is caused. A similar situation occurs during licking, when, at the end of the process, the cat forgets to hide her tongue for a while. A sudden distraction leads to the forgetfulness of the animal, and the tongue located outside continues to stick out of the mouth for some time. The reason for this behavior lies in the confidence in the world, pets are not adapted to constant stress for the sake of survival and are in a relaxed state. When the cat yawns, the muscles of the tongue relax, it becomes longer and climbs out of the mouth. You do not need to take any actions in the described situations, such an effect is ridiculous and safe.
Genetic reasons
Crossbreeding of various cat breeds leads to genetic changes in the structure of the skeleton. With a flattened muzzle, the cat sticks out its tongue constantly due to an incorrect bite and a small depth of the mouth. Such a pathology does not lead to disruption of the vital activity of the animal as a whole, so there is no point in worrying about the constantly sticking out tongue.
Disabilities
Cat's tongue serves as a heat exchanger that regulates the body temperature of the animal. Under normal conditions, the animal does not need additional thermoregulation. If the air temperature is elevated, and the cat breathes, sticking out his tongue, time to worry about the condition of the pet and its cooling. The normal temperature of the cat’s body ranges from 37-39 degrees, the heat has a detrimental effect on the animal’s body.
During stress, cats begin to breathe like dogs or often lick their lips. Stress is caused by severe fear, childbirth, moving a pet in a carrier or in a car, changing environmental conditions, and beating. Sometimes cats feel sick, which also causes a sticking out tongue.
Being a kind of taste receptor, the tip of a cat's tongue is able to recognize odors when the animal's sense of smell is impaired. Burns of the nose, infection, congenital pathology cause the tip sticking out, which the pet protrudes to recognize aromas.
Pathological causes
The cat sticks out its tongue with stomatitis to alleviate its own suffering. Inflammation and sores in the mouth indicate that immediate treatment by a veterinarian is necessary. With stomatitis in a cat, appetite decreases, digestion, smell, and the animal suffer from pain.
Various heart diseases and, in particular, heart failure also provoke the animal to stick out its tongue. The resulting shortness of breath, rapidness and respiratory failure become a natural phenomenon for cats.
Cats in normal condition always breathe through their nose, the development of pulmonary diseases makes pets open their mouths and stick out their tongues to increase the amount of air consumed. Rhinitis, pneumonia and other infections cause nasal congestion, as a result, animals have to breathe with an open mouth.
Many people wonder why cats stick out their tongues with convulsions, strabismus, untimely and constant bowel movements. The reason for the violation of physiological processes in the animal’s body is the deterioration of brain activity associated with old age or pathological changes in the brain.
When a protruding tongue is accompanied by a cough
There are several reasons why a cat sticks out its tongue and coughs. Most often this happens when the cat chokes on a small object or spits up lumps of hair after licking. In both cases, it is common for the animal to stick out its tongue, and the cough is accompanied by vomiting. If expectoration of feline hair is a natural physiological process, foreign bodies entering the throat can cause choking. Such moments are characterized by profuse salivation with an open mouth with an elongated neck and a protruding tongue. Sometimes the gag reflex is accompanied by blood flowing from the eyes and nose to mucus. If it is impossible to remove the object from the throat, the pet must be shown to the veterinarian. Untimely help to the animal will provoke choking and death.
Coughing is often triggered by helminths, which spread through the body and enter the bronchi. In this case, the process is accompanied by a gag reflex. Adding anthelmintic drugs to food solves the problem.
Allergic bronchial asthma also triggers a cough. An allergic reaction to dust, detergents, dry air is accompanied by sneezing. It is often difficult for cats to distinguish whether she sneezes or coughs, so you can focus on the tongue sticking out of the mouth - its absence speaks of sneezing. In asthma, the cat, sticking out its tongue, coughs and wheezes with characteristic signs of suffocation. The initial stage of the disease is characterized by a small number of attacks, but the development of the disease causes a frequent and painful cough. At first, you need to remove new things from the house that could cause an allergic reaction in the pet, but you should not delay the treatment in the veterinary clinic.
When a protruding tongue is accompanied by wheezing
A cat’s wheezing is always associated with serious problems, regardless of whether it is accompanied by a cough or is heard with even breathing. The sound may be loud, dry, gurgling, depending on the cause. Typically, the cat wheezes, sticking out its tongue, with swelling of the larynx or lungs, making a loud noise and panting. This condition is dangerous for cats; immediate treatment is required.
Bronchitis and narrowing of the lumen of the trachea lead to dry wheezing, but in some cases, the mucus accumulating in the bronchi clears its throat with vomiting. Gums and tongue take on a bluish tint. During treatment, cats are given cough medications, antibiotics and vitamins. Sometimes the cause of bronchitis is hypothermia or dry air in the room, so drug treatment should begin with the manifestation of additional symptoms: mucus from the mouth, purulent discharge from the eyes, vomiting, fever, blue mouth and tongue.