Puppy with red tongue

1 year-old rescue Sheltie mix. Had her about a month.

Has bright red tongue and gums. Soft stools, but not diarrhea. Diagnosed, treated for Giardia and Kennel cough. Has had all her shots and checkups. Clean bill of health last week.

Confident, happy playful dog suddenly became terrified of something, hid under the bed, panting, would not come to call. Finally got her onto my lap, took almost an hour to calm her down, now asleep on my feet.

Suggestions?






Hi
As for the red gums, this could be a sign of a systemic infection or that she's ingested something poisonous/toxic.

She's being treated for Giardia and Kennel Cough, so it could be a result of either of these and Giardia particularly 'fits the bill' in terms of a systemic infection. If she's got into anything she shouldn't then it's also possible she's eaten something toxic, it could possibly cause the other symptoms you mention, such as excitability, panting and so on.

For example if a dog eats chocolate it can cause some nasty side effects and even death if enough is ingested... and for a small to medium sized dog 'enough' can be a very small amount!

You can learn more about this on my Poisonous Foods a and Help, My Dog Ate Chocolate! pages.

I'd recommend having your vet check her out again to be safe, even though she was given a clean bill of health last week. Giardia in dogs can take more than one round of treatment to eradicate too.

Hope this helps, and that your dog is doing better soon. Good luck.