This Dog’s Unusual Tongue Makes Everyone Stare — But Nobody Knows the Battle She Endured
Every time Gracie — a Golden Retriever — is out and about in public with her owner, people often do a double-take once they spot her. Not because Gracie is an attention seeker, but because there’s something uniquely different about her tongue. (Watch Video Below)
@fosterpup_tales I think people think I’m sensitive about Gracie and maybe I am. I guess when you go through so much with a dog, and really thought death was inevitable at one point, you take on some mama-bear qualities. You may see her tongue, I see a badass survivor of distemper— a sickness that is everyone’s worst nightmare in rescue. Gracie didn’t deserve this but she was bred in shitty conditions with a backyard breeder who only cared about profit & pedaled sick dogs to people who didn’t know any better. Everyone has a story, even a dog. So just remember to be kind always 🤍 #dogs #dogstory #rescue #fosterfail #distemper #distempersurvivor #story ♬ To Build A Home – The Cinematic Orchestra & Patrick Watson
Gracie’s entire tongue hangs out on the side of her mouth; you’d at first mistake it for a long, soft pink ribbon. Some find it oddly cute, others chuckle when they see it because of how adorably funny it looks. What people don’t know is that Gracie’s tongue isn’t just a mere quirky feature; it tells a fierce story of survival. Gracie is a survivor of the deadly canine distemper, which is what led to her tongue slipping out of position permanently.
Gracie’s Near-Death Battle
Gracie was a young puppy when she was rescued from horrible living conditions while under the care of a backyard breeder. Besides being dangerously malnourished, Gracie had, sadly, contracted distemper by the time rescuers came to her aid.
In most cases, backyard breeders hardly adhere to vaccination protocols, putting their dogs at risk of contracting potentially fatal diseases like canine distemper. This is what happened with Gracie.
The disease caused her unimaginable pain, and she’d experience worrying symptoms such as pooping blood, teeth loss, and constant neurological muscle spams. Lucky for Gracie, her rescue led her to a loving foster family (now her forever home) that ensured she received the best possible treatment and care to pull through.
Given how deadly distemper is, the vet team tending to Gracie couldn’t promise whether she’d make it. Nobody had much hope that Gracie would bounce back, but this lovely Golden made sure to defy all odds.
A Wiggling Warrior
Sadly, distemper destroyed Gracie’s teeth as well as the nerves and muscles in her mouth that held her tongue in position. Not even surgery could fix Grace’s tongue situation; the damage was irreversible.
Even though her tongue now flaps freely outside her mouth, the big picture is that Gracie overcame a health battle that most puppies never survive from. She went from a dog staring death up close to being a living miracle of what resilience looks like. Now, Gracie is making the most out of her second chance at life with the family that stayed by her side even when her situation seemed hopeless. She’s a cherished pet who’ll never know she’s different, and that’s because she’s part of a family that treats her like a gem.
“You may see her tongue, I see a badass survivor of distemper,” Gracie’s owner, Katie, captioned in a touching video posted on her TikTok account @fosterpup_tales.
Gracie is a playful, confident, and happy-go-lucky dog who’ll drench your face with love, all thanks to her signature tongue that’s ever ready to show affection.
Distemper in Dogs: What You Should Know
The American Veterinary Medical Association defines canine distemper as a highly infectious viral disease that attacks a dog’s nervous system, respiratory system, and gastrointestinal system. Canine distemper is preventable through vaccination, which is why unvaccinated puppies and adult dogs are greatly susceptible to this disease.
The canine distemper virus is mostly spread through airborne exposure (when a distemper-infected dog coughs, sneezes, or barks near a non-infected dog), sharing of food &water bowls between infected and non-infected dogs, and through the placenta (a pregnant, infected dog can pass the virus to the unborn puppies).
Canine distemper has no known cure. Treatment interventions for this contagious viral disease often include the administration of intravenous fluids and medications to manage symptoms as well as prevent secondary infections. According to findings by the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, canine distemper has a mortality rate of 80% in puppies and 50% in adult dogs. Thankfully, this virus isn’t transmissible to humans.
