Discoloration of fur

[Lee Seidman]

Billy has the strangest discoloration of his fur in different areas. It isn't a rash, there is no skin irritation, but on his chest, the back of his neck, and between his toes and on all four paws his coat is turning a deep reddish almost maroone color. He is acting fine, we had him groomed today and th groomer had no idea what it is. The Vet seemed to think it was nothing to worry about, but it is weird and seems to be happening to a larger area........Has anyone experienced a color change like this, especially to such a weird color?  Billy just turned one year old..............Please reply if you have any knowledge about this. You can see the color change in the attached picture, Toes and chest.  Thank you

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

Angel Eyes works really really well, but it is an ANTIBIOTIC so you DO NOT want to have your dog on this long term. I recommend my customers to use it for a short while til the problem clears up (or almost does) then switch to one of the other product such as lotions, creams, wipes etc

[Camilla and Darwin]

I have noticed that as Darwin grew up and got his adult coat, he developed a darker, more course hair on his back. However, the color difference is not nearly as extreme as the cream and dark maroon on your pup. I don't think it's the same thing... hopefully someone else can be more helpful... :-) He sure is a cutie!

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

I just tried inserting a hyperlink to a site where someone is discussing their dog's hair on its legs turning raspberry red. I don't know who the 'expert' is in this case but the answers are kind of interesting and may apply. They think it could be the saliva or possible yeast infection in those areas.

http://www.justanswer.com/questions/2m5te-my-shih-tzu-has-some-disc...

[Debbie and Thomas]

Our dog has exactly the same thing...a deep marronish colour on his paws..between his pads and even on his elbows..I call them elbows...but on his front legs at the back. It started on his feet and he was licking his paws...we took him to the vet and as soon as he saw the discolouration of the hairs on his feet he said he knew it was caused from "yeast". He gave us a oatmeal shampoo to use and told us to keep his feet clean and dry. His paws are still the same colour but he has stopped licking them. It doesn't seem to bother him at all.

[Melissa & Porter]

In addition to the oatmeal wash Debbie recommended, maybe you could ask the food group if a probiotic or some plain yogurt might help...keep the yeast level in his saliva down.

[Ali & Sonny D.]

Sonny has it too. Mostly between his paws and "elbows" and then the mouth area but that I attributed to food/water etc... Sonny rarely ever licks his paws so it can't be that. Maybe just permanent staining of somesort?

[Lee Seidman]

I am reading every word and really appreciate everyones comments. Thank you all.

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

Sometimes a discoloration will happen around the neck if the dog is wearing a martingale (training) collar. You can buy some with fabric rather than the chains

[F, Calla & Luca]

Calla has the same maroonish discoloration around her vaginal area and I've seen other females with it as well.

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

Gracie Doodle is an Apricot and has always had the maroonish red between the toes, around her vaginal area and under her chin it is on the verge of being pinkish. It of course wasn't all that dark when she was a baby but it darkened up with age. She is 3 years old and her paws are always wet. I really haven't felt that the paws had anything to do with water. I have always attributed it to the Golden Retriever side. Golden Retrievers can be very dark and red even though these days we seem to see more of the blond lighter ones. Gracie's father was a dark color. The chin is another story because it is so pinkish! The new thing that I am seeing is she overnight within a 10 day period started growing a dark red, coarse flat hair area on the top of her back about 4 inches from her tail. There were two spots and this started in August. It has now grown together into one long strip and has started to get wavy. She looks like she is trying to become a Rhodesian Ridgeback. I posted a discussion and pictures when it first started appearing. I was told it was "injury hair". Some posted that it was from hot spots, licking or itching. Gracie has NONE of these issues. She has never had a hot spot, itchy spot nor dry skin and she is totally NOT a licker. That aside, the only thing I could come up with was that she was staying at a Dog Ranch for 9 days and that is when it started to show up. Because someone mentioned injury fur I assume that maybe she was playing with the other dogs, rolling around and possibly bruised her back on a rock or log, branch or whatever would have been on the ground when they were rolling around. I always check her from head to toe and there never was a visible injury, sensitivity, abrasion nor scab. I even took her to the Vet and asked. He was baffled and said "Injury hair" ! So, all I can conclude since I heard the word from DK and then also the Vet is that there must be some validation. But, you would think that if the injury was a bruise that as the hair grew out her new hair would be back to her natural color. Not so. It is a mystery but I know it has nothing to do with water because her back only gets wet when we bath her or she goes swimming. But in conclusion, the paws in the photo of Billy, the chin and (in Gracie's case) the neck look exactly the same. When I keep Gracie's paws long and fluffy you don't see the dark color but it is under there between her toes.

[Lee Seidman]

Thank you, I am thinking it is because he swims so much, his feet seem to stay wet and his chest as well. We try to towel dry him but he is back in the pool minutes later. We had him groomed shorter yesterday and I am hoping he will dry faster. We will wait and see if the color change stops or if this is what nature wants, he is so good in any case!

[Katie and Sophie]

Swimming and being wet will definitely do it.  If he wears a nylon collar they hold water and will cause discoloration.