Disease Description: A syndrome where the tongue does not retract into the mouth properly, due to neurologic or anatomic defects. Commonly seen in Cavalier King Charles spaniels.

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Disease Symptom: Dogs who have developed hanging tongue syndrome may experience several different symptoms that are likely to require attention and may even be indicative of additional disorders. Some of the symptoms that you may want to watch for include: Bad breath ;Bleeding and cracking; Dry tongue ;Swollen tongue; Thickening of tongue.

Disease Cause: Several situations can lead to hanging tongue syndrome in dogs, some of them congenital and others acquired. Brachycephalic and toy breeds can be prone to having a tongue that is overly long compared to their mouths compared to other breeds and dogs with either an underbite or an overbite are more likely to develop this condition as they age. Hanging tongue syndrome can also be triggered by damage to the facial area, particularly damage that involves the jaw, as well as by dental disease that results in the loss of teeth. Damage to the nerves that control the tongue and other forms of neurological damage may also induce the tongue to hang loosely.

Disease Diagnose: When you bring your pet into the clinic in regards to its hanging tongue, the visit is likely to start with a complete physical examination, including standard diagnostic tests such as a urinalysis, complete blood count, and a biochemical profile. These will be done to rule out other causes of a protruding tongue, which could include illnesses or medications that induce swelling, ulcers or tumors on the tongue, or minor injuries to the tongue. When examining the mouth area, the veterinarian will also evaluate the state of the dog’s teeth and check to see if the tongue is abnormally large for the oral cavity. If the tongue is too large for the oral cavity, the examining veterinarian will also evaluate how much of an effect it is likely to have on the animal’s quality of life. In some cases, an x-ray of the mouth and jaw area may uncover poorly healed breaks or other trauma that may be causing the inability to better control the tongue.

Treat Method: Treatment for dogs with hanging tongue syndrome can differ somewhat, depending on the reason that the tongue is hanging limp and how severely it is affecting the animal. In many cases, the tongue requires only maintenance treatments such as appropriate moisturizers for the tongue typically just olive oil or water and close monitoring to check for changes in texture or indications of frostbite or sunburn. Dogs who have tongues that are already swollen or cracked may be offered drugs for pain relief, and if the tongue has developed an infection, then the appropriate antibiotic or antifungal medications will be prescribed. For dogs that do not have control of their tongues, the veterinarian may recommend that you feed your dog food that is soft and easy to swallow in an attempt to prevent damage to the tongue during feeding times. For some dogs with overly large tongues, sometimes referred to as macroglossia, the size of the tongue may severely interfere with eating, drinking, and even sleeping. In cases where the size or condition of the tongue is interfering greatly with the patient’s quality of life, surgical resection of the tongue, known as a glossectomy, may be recommended.

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Disease Description Source: Link