What Make My Westie Lose Hair And Skin Turns Black

dogs tummy turned black — If your dog's tummy turned black and used to exist white or pink, the cause could be trauma from abiding licking, bitter or scratching. Photo: Russamee

When a dog's tum has turned blackness, and it used to be cute pinkish or white, some pet lovers get concerned. People ofttimes retrieve this is a sudden change in peel color, but most cases of hyperpigmentation happen over time.

Possibly it'due south the low-cal in the room on a particular mean solar day that causes you to detect the change, or that 1 fourth dimension your dog turns over and says, "Look, Ma, my pink belly has black spots at present!"

Nearly causes of a change in skin color on a dog'southward belly shouldn't cause worry. But there are always exceptions, of course.

What Is Hyperpigmentation in Dogs?

Hyperpigmentation means a darkening of the skin, where more pigment is visible. This is obviously more than dramatic in dogs with calorie-free skin and fur.

Most cases of skin darkening in a domestic dog are secondary to other skin atmospheric condition or metabolic problems such equally allergy, infection or endocrine disorders.

Skin discoloration doesn't happen overnight — there has to be some degree of continual trauma or exposure for hyperpigmentation on a dog's tum or anywhere else to outcome.

dog skin turning black itching — If your dog's skin is turning black, chronic itching could be the culprit. Photograph: 3dman_eu

Allergies and Hyperpigmentation in Dogs

Hyperpigmentation is about often associated with chronic itching. This is chosen pruritus-induced hyperpigmentation (translation: darkening of the dog's skin caused by chronic itching).

You and your veterinary have to manage the allergies causing the itching and chronically inflamed skin to care for the changes in skin color.

Although the skin may never return to its former lite color, treating chronic skin conditions and the causes of itching and self-trauma is important for your dog's health and comfort.

At this betoken, you might be saying to yourself that you haven't seen your dog bothering their abdomen for a long time, so itching can't exist the cause of the hyperpigmentation. This is because the trauma, such every bit chronic licking or scratching or infected pare, could have occurred months earlier, and you lot are but noticing the color modify now.

Think back to that redness that occurred last summer inside your dog'due south legs or when the dog spent a couple of weeks licking their belly in October. Perhaps these aforementioned patterns of itching occurred over months or years. The color modify from that chronic trauma may only be visible now.

Skin Infections and Hyperpigmentation in Dogs

Skin infections can occur on their own or can be secondary to allergies. No thing the cause, if the pare is infected, it tin can pb to hyperpigmentation.

Skin infections, like allergies, can be chronic. Your vet will get to the bottom of this and treat accordingly.

Bacterial and yeast infections are the virtually common causes of skin infections in dogs.
Mange (demodex and sarcoptic mange) tin can cause the skin to darken. Demodex lesions are unremarkably local. Sarcoptes usually becomes generalized. The discoloration can resolve one time the mange is treated only will remain in severe cases.
Ringworm (dermatophytosis) can crusade temporary or permanent hyperpigmentation in dogs.

Hormone imbalances could cause hyperpigmentation in dogs. Photo: safepaws

Veterinarians will ask themselves the same questions you might be asking yourself on the way to a diagnosis:

Why is the dog's belly cherry-red or black? (Many causes are possible.)
Why is information technology itchy? How itchy is it? (Allergies?)
Why is it smelly? How smelly is it? (Yeast?)
Is the dog itchy merely at certain times of the year? (Allergies?)
Exercise we have a thorough history on this dog since they were immature? (Previous allergies or traumas?)

Once these questions are answered through history taking and diagnostics similar peel scrapings, cytology, food trials — and maybe even biopsy — nosotros will know how to treat the thing that'south causing your dog'due south stomach to turn black.

If yous've adopted a dog who now has quiet skin but has obvious areas of hyperpigmentation, information technology's likely the domestic dog suffered from skin trauma such equally allergies when they were young.

Endocrine Disorders and Hyperpigmentation

Hypothyroidism, hyperadrenocorticism (Cushing's disease) or sex hormone imbalances can cause hyperpigmentation. We generally have many other things going on with the dog than merely a blackness stomach if the domestic dog is hypothyroid or has another hormone imbalance.

Along with hyperpigmentation, these dogs tin take large areas of fur missing, patchy fur loss, secondary skin infections, thinning hair, thin or thickened skin equally well every bit changes in free energy, thirst, appetite, etc.

Blood tests are required to diagnose endocrine disorders.

This Dachshund presented with a recurrent rash that caused black spots on the canis familiaris'due south belly. Photo: Kong Yuen Sing

Canis familiaris's Skin Turning Blackness and Losing Hair

When a dog'southward tummy has turned black, thickening of the skin (lichenification) and/or hair loss (alopecia) can go along with hyperpigmentation, making the skin and fur look distressing indeed.

Long, chronic peel allergies causing the dog to scratch and seize with teeth volition cause the skin to become thickened (lichenified).

I run across this most commonly in the groin surface area, the armpits and sometimes around the eyes and private parts, depending on where the dog is most itchy.

Genetic Disorders and Hyperpigmentation

Dachshunds: Decumbent to a rare illness called acanthosis nigricans that causes hyperpigmentation followed past alopecia and lichenification.
Huskies and related breeds: Prone to alopecia X, a syndrome that causes pilus loss and hyperpigmentation.
Yorkies, Silkies and crosses: Decumbent to melanoderma, a peel anomaly that usually causes hair loss and hyperpigmentation of the ears also as color dilution alopecia, causing fur thinning and darkening of the skin on the body.

Miscellaneous Causes of Hyperpigmentation in Dogs

Canis familiaris'due south skin turning blackness afterwards shaving? Post-clipper alopecia (translation: no fur regrowth after clipping or shaving) can result in hyperpigmentation. If fur does not abound dorsum after grooming, extreme training or clipping due to surgery, the skin can become darkened in that spot. The darkening may fade with time, and the fur may abound dorsum eventually later on months and months. This is particularly truthful in Nordic breeds. Shaving close to the skin of those wonderful fluffy beauties, like Samoyeds and Akitas, is non recommended.
Saliva from chronic licking can cause paint changes of the skin and fur, particularly in dogs with light-colored coats. Think of the white Poodle with brown-stained feet. The fur besides as the underlying skin is darker from chronic licking. Human foot-licking, usually due to allergy, can frequently exist controlled or lessened but not always cured.
Hyperpigmentation tin can be normal as a dog ages. Mild concealment of the skin from exposure to the sun and elements can occur, particularly in dogs with light or white coats.
Any changes in hair cycle arrest, peculiarly in plush-coated breeds, tin can crusade hyperpigmentation.
Changes in hormones, including giving drugs like steroids or diethylstilbestrol (DES) for urinary incontinence, can cause hyperpigmentation.
Dachshunds are hyperpigmentation mavens. This breed has a lot of paint in their peel, and but about anything tin cause discoloration. A black spot on the pare can result from even a small pimple!
Deep scarring often leaves an expanse with no fur regrowth and hyperpigmentation.
Many different skin disorders, including cancers and growths, tin cause hyperpigmentation. These dogs clearly have fairly astringent lesions and are not simple cases of darkened pare.

This dog suffers from atopic dermatitis, which ways she's very itchy and might scratch her skin plenty to cause hyperpigmentation:

To option upward where we started and end here, the most mutual cause of hyperpigmentation in dogs is chronic licking or scratching (pruritic-induced hyperpigmentation).

Although you lot retrieve you might be noticing your domestic dog's "black tummy" for the first time — possibly you're thinking "Suddenly my dog's pare is turning black and smells" or "Why is my dog'south peel turning black under their leg creases now?" — this is usually non the case. The changes are gradual and non a cause for emergency alert.

If your dog is not exhibiting whatsoever scratching, licking or biting at themselves; has no obvious lesions on the skin other than the change in colour; and seems normal in every other way, bring up the hyperpigmentation at your next vet visit.

References

Hnilica, Keith A., DVM, et al. Modest Brute Dermatology, 4th ed. Elsevier. 2016.
Johnson, Kris. "Skin Hyperpigmentation, Dog." VIN. Apr 2017.
Miller, William H., VMD, et al. Muller & Kirk's Small Animal Dermatology, 7th ed. Elsevier. 2012.
Paoletti, Michael. "Mail service-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation, Canis familiaris."VIN. December 2017.

This pet health content was written past a veterinarian, Dr. Debora Lichtenberg, VMD. It was terminal reviewed Jan. 22, 2019.

If you have questions or concerns, phone call your vet, who is best equipped to ensure the health and well-existence of your pet. This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical communication, diagnosis or treatment. Run into additional information.