What is the black stuff on my dog’s skin? A Comprehensive Guide

Flea Infection

Your dog’s skin appearance can tell a lot about his health. If your dog has dirt-like dark spots, you should take him to the vet. You may not see any fleas on your dog skin but chances are high that your dog suffers from a flea infection. One flea is enough to drive your dog crazy if he is allergic to flea’s saliva. Note that flea contamination can be very complicated and the flea product you used may not an effective one. So, always consult your vet for proper evaluation. This disease is usually treated with long-term antibiotics, generally for around 6-8 weeks.

Antibiotics and antifungal medications can be used to treat yeast infections and bacterial infections of your dog’s skin. Medicated shampoos may also be utilized to help your dog’s skin. Treatment is applied 2-3 times a week and the progress may be slow. Relapse of hyperpigmentation will only be high if the underlying cause of the symptom is not taken care of correctly.

My one year old yellow lab (Tucker) developed a darker brown spot on his leg shortly after getting his rabies shot. He had no itching or irritation and was walking and running fine. The spot has grown into a large place on his leg now and upon shaving the fur off of that leg his skin is also discolored. Tucker is on a flea/ tick/ heartworm pill and was scratching some but we also added the dinovite to his regime and he seems to be much better. There is a tiny bump that looks as if it could possibly be a bug bite but again this place has been there for 8 months. He has seen the vet.

As you say, unfortunately the picture isnt very clear. Sometimes, pigmented patches are normal. Other times, we may be dealing with a lichenification (thickening and darkening) of the skin due to chronic infection / lick trauma. Another consideration would be a yeast overgrowth; you may also notice greasy fur and a musty smell. He likely has an underlying issues such as atopic dermatitis which should be looked into and treated. Many, for example, will need anti itch medicine prescribed by their vet.

Thank you for your question. I”m not sure what you are actually asking, but that is a large area of irritation 8 months later! I would be concerned about clotting or immune disease, but if your veterinarian has seen him and the dinovite is helping, that might be totally fine. I hope that that spot is smaller soon and he continues to do well!

Diagnosis of hyperpigmentation is accomplished by your veterinarian looking for the typical signs of the condition. Your veterinarian will want to perform a full physical exam and history. Gentle scrapings of his skin may be taken to determine any underlying causes such as parasites or infections. If allergies are thought to be the culprit, food trials may be done to attempt to isolate the cause of symptoms.

Well, you dont know for sure at first. But if the condition responds well to a natural topical antifungal, the hair grows back, the black skin disappears, the itching and licking stop, and the underbelly returns to a normal pinkish white, that should tell you something. All these symptoms respond to antifungals, especially to DERMagic Skin Rescue Lotion or Hot Spot Salve. It could well have been an allergic reaction to something that started all this, like a bug or flea bite or a bad reaction to grain in food, for example. But what then happens is that the local immune system doesnt function properly and this allows the yeast to bloom and invade. This is what many veterinarians can miss.

Yeast is a fungus, and it is always present on pets as part of the normal flora of the body, both internally and externally. As long as the body is in balance, all is well. But when the immune system becomes depressed, or when the dog is given antibiotics, or is shaved, or scratches himself, yeast can invade the skin and go underground where it thrives in the hair follicles and throughout the body.

On some dogs you can observe the very earliest signs of yeast when it manifests as little black or brownish specs on the underbelly, around the genitals, or where the legs join the body. These often go unnoticed, being mistaken for dirt, flea specks or simply part of the ageing process. By the time you see this, the yeast infection is systemic throughout the body, similar to seeing a mushroom pop up on the forest floor. By this time the rhizomes (or roots) of the fungus have already covered acres underground. Yeast is the same. And similarly, it comes and goes in a typical annual cycle, waxing and waning with the seasons but it never goes away on its own.

Black Skin Disease | Skin Disease in Dogs | Dr Pallabi Vet