She was born in early 2013, a beautiful pup with promising confirmation. She was a dream in the show ring, beautiful animation, taking her first Best-of-Breed at age 7 months, over specials. There was a series of events that led to the dog ingesting nearly two doses of Frontline, the topical flea medicine. A few weeks later, when she was about 9-months old, developed a pink spot on her brown nose. Then, it started spreading. It seemed her pigment was just… disappearing. Within 2 months, she lost pigment in most of her nasal planum and about 1/3 of her face. Her facial hair turned white, over regions of depigmented skin. In early December, as the condition advanced, my husband capitulated and said, “Take her to the vet”. His diagnosis was canine vitiligo, though he did express some uncertainty in his diagnosis, and encouraged me to take her to a veterinary dermatologist. A local dermatologists office informed me they were no-longer accepting new patients. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise, and led me to call UC Davis. Of course, by then, it was mid-December and the UC Davis veterinary hospital was shutting down for the holiday season. I could not get an appointment until late January. The wait felt interminable and excruciating, as the depigmentation continued to advance. UC Davis was wonderful. My dog must have been seen by at-least a dozen veterinary students and their supervising veterinary professors. They confirmed the vitiligo diagnosis. To my surprise, they prescribed vitamins. Vitamin C, daily, and, three days a week, a tablet of Trinfac-B, which contains vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12 in a compound that contains the gastric juice called Intrinsic Factor, which aids in the absorption of the B-vitamins. Within a week of starting the vitamins, I could literally see the tide turn. The pigment started returning. Within three months, perhaps 80% of the pigment had returned to her face. Then, the process slowed, significantly. Somewhere in there, I read about the work of Dr. Amala Soumyanath, at the Oregon Health and Science University. She has attained some success in treating vitiligo with piperine, a black pepper extract. I began to apply piperine, topically, to the dogs depigmented areas. The repigmentation continued, very slowly. It is now 4.5-years later, and we have probably regrown another 15% of the pigment. Almost all of the pigment has returned to her nasal planum. At the base of her right nostril, has been the most persistent patch of white skin. Recently, pigmented nubs have developed into the depigmented area, and a fine, light brown mist is appearing between the nubs, indicating, that pigment will soon bridge between the nubs. I remain optimistic, that in the next 1-2-years, we will completely re-pigment her face. Photos of the re-pigmentation, are available, upon request.
To see your dog suddenly start to change its color or become patchy and slightly strange looking can be alarming at first. Although it doesn’t cause your dog pain and he remains his usual healthy self, getting him checked by the veterinarian is a wise decision as there may be health issues causing the vitiligo. Your specialist will evaluate your dog’s condition and run diagnostic tests to distinguish the cause of the change in colors. Skin scrapings taken from your dog’s skin where the fading is occurring will help with the diagnosis, as will a blood test to rule out other disorders such as a hormonal imbalance, or hypothyroidism. If your dog is showing anxiety, a change in lifestyle and behavior may be needed to settle the anxiety which may be causing this condition.
Management is the option here, as recovery for the lost color is usually irreversable. Very rarely does the natural color come back on its own accord. Once you have checked with your dog’s veterinarian expert and he has confirmed the vitiligo condition, it is a matter of living with it. A healthy and varied diet, plenty of exercise and time outside in the sun, and that is the best you can really do for a dog with this condition. Providing a stress-free environment for your pet accepting your dog for what he now looks like is important for the mental health of your four-legged friend. It has been noted that Omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants such as vitamin C may help this problem, so that is worth discussing with your veterinarian.
Your dog may suddenly start going grey in patches in front of your eyes. While these patches and depigmented areas can be esthetically displeasing, they are not generally considered as dangerous to your pet’s health. Vitiligo is often hereditary but sometimes can develop as an autoimmune response related to and affecting the melanocytes. Stress can sometimes be a cause of this condition as well. There is no known treatment for vitiligo and if stress isn’t the problem, your dog will continue being his happy self.
Diagnosis is usually based on the skin and blood samples examined under the microscope. While the condition is not in any way life threatening, it can be quite anesthetic, meaning your dog may look a little odd especially if he is dark by nature and breed and suddenly starts changing color and pattern. A Rottweiler that produces blond or white patches looks quite unusual because people are used to that breed being very dark, but your dog won’t worry about it and will continue as if nothing has happened so there is no need to be concerned once you have your veterinarian’s positive diagnosis.
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The spots in your picture look like hyperpigmentation, comparable to freckles in humans.
They are actually very common and usually appear with age. They can affect the skin, nails and even the tongue and other mucous membranes. Most people just dont notice them under the fur of their dog.
As long as these spots are not accompanied by any other symptoms, they are completely harmless.
If you notice any change in behavior, especially scratching or licking of the affected area or if the skin has a different texture (is thicker or rougher than normal), you need to have a vet analyze the cause of the spots. They could be caused by:
You can read more about it here.
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There are several management options for vitiligo that you can discuss with your veterinarian. For example, some veterinarians recommend increasing exposure to the sun to stimulate production of new melanocytes. If blood tests revealed a medical cause of your pet’s vitiligo, your veterinarian will prescribe treatments for that medical condition. Reducing stress, whether by making the home environment less stressful or treating the underlying medical condition, may improve vitiligo.
Vitiligo is an uncommon skin condition that causes skin to lose its natural pigment, a process called depigmentation. In addition to affecting the skin, vitiligo can also cause hair to turn white. Like humans, dogs and cats can develop vitiligo. Although your dog or cat may start to look a little funny with patches of white skin and fur, there is no need to worry. Vitiligo is painless and won’t bother your pet at all.
After taking a close look at your pet’s skin and fur, your veterinarian will perform a few diagnostic tests. She will take a blood sample to rule out medical causes of vitiligo. Your veterinarian will also take a skin scraping from an affected area and look at the skin sample under the microscope. To get an even closer at the skin, your veterinarian might take a skin biopsy, which would show a lack of melanocytes in the affected area.
Here’s everything you need to know about vitiligo so you can continue loving your pet, even as his skin and fur turn white.
Vitiligo that spreads beyond the face can affect the footpads and other parts of the body. The full extent of the spread, if any, will occur within three to six months of the first appearance of vitiligo. Once the affected areas turn white, they might stay that way, re-pigment, or even wax and wane.
Found Crusty Scabs on Dog’s Back? Here’s Why and What to Do
Vitiligo is an uncommon skin condition that causes skin to lose its natural pigment, a process called depigmentation. In addition to affecting the skin, vitiligo can also cause hair to turn white. Like humans, dogs and cats can develop vitiligo. Although your dog or cat may start to look a little funny with patches of white skin and fur, there is no need to worry. Vitiligo is painless and won’t bother your pet at all.
Here’s everything you need to know about vitiligo so you can continue loving your pet, even as his skin and fur turn white.