If you have a long-haired dog or just haven’t look at your dog for a long time, you might have noticed that your dog’s skin had suddenly got black spots and patches all over it. This event can happen to all of us, but what are you going to do about it?
A scientific term for your dog’s skin turning black is called hyperpigmentation, and in this post, we will be talking about several major causes behind this color change. But before we do, let’s get into the science behind this skin variation.
The primary causes of hyperpigmentation work through skin inflammation which can be caused by a variety of factors. You might smack your head after reading through all the common causes, but they are prolonged sun exposure, skin infections, and more!
Causes of Dog’s Skin Turning Black
With each respective cause, I have listed potential solutions that might help you fix that particular case. Make sure to read the description carefully, and figure out the ones that might have caused your dog’s skin to go black.
Being a fellow pet owner myself, going to the vet can be expensive and time-consuming, but you still need them for regular check-ups. If left untreated, this skin problem can spread to other parts of their body, so be warned!
1. Prolonged Sun Exposure
If you stand in the sun for too long, you might have experienced a painful ordeal called sunburns. The same logic applies to your dog as well since your dog has a sensitive layer of skin underneath all that fur.
As I have mentioned before, the primary method of hyperpigmentation is by inflammation, and sunburn can be quite a way to achieve this goal. After being exposed to the sun for a long time, your dog’s skin will literally burn and start to turn red.
If your dog regularly goes out into the sun for a prolonged amount of time without any sort of sun protection, your dog’s skin will slowly but surely start to change in color. Take a close look at your dog’s skin at regular intervals!
Solutions to Sunburns
This is basic knowledge for any dog owner out there since you have probably used it during summertime. Sunscreen is the best way to prevent potential sunburns, which can lead to your dog’s skin turning black.
This product by Epi-Pet is a sprayable sunscreen that has shown remarkable results in various types of pets. Mostly used in horses and dogs, this sunscreen has proven effective in sun protection, and it is highly resistant to sweat and water.
In addition to sunscreen, I thought it would nice to include a medicated shampoo for inflamed skin. If you touch your dog’s skin and if it feels hot to the touch, you might need to use cold water and this shampoo to reduce skin inflammation.
2. Skin Allergies
The most common skin problem among dogs is probably due to allergic reactions. Common symptoms of skin allergy are inflammation, itching of the skin, and red rashes, which can be a gateway for hyperpigmentation.
Similar to what we face in our everyday lives, dogs can be allergic to pollen, dust, specific foods, and environmental changes. Skin allergies can be very hard to spot and even harder to determine the cause since there are so many factors to choose from.
Solutions to Skin Allergies
The best way to solve this problem is to determine the cause behind that skin allergy, and the best way to determine the specific cause is through a visit to your vet. They will conduct a physical examination and skin biopsy to determine the culprit behind all this.
One of the best ways to prepare your dog for future allergic reactions is to strengthen his immune system for a future attack. This allergy supplement by Zesty Paws does just that through natural ingredients and immune-enhancing chews.
With the immune supplement in hand, you might need various topical treatments for your dog’s allergy meds. This product set by Clearmax provides allergy relief for both dogs and cats, and it even developed a standard for pet safety and protection.
3. Skin Infections / Wounds
There are three types of skin infections, which can be separated into fungal, bacterial, and parasitical infections. The first among our list starts out as an irritating patch of skin that deserves frequent licking and biting from your canine companion.
Very similar to the formation of an athlete’s foot, that wet spot is then hidden under the folds of skin, which never see the light of day. Due to its ideal conditions, the fungus begins to grow on that wet patch of skin and continues to spread out.
Bacterial infection can spread through a variety of methods, but you can probably figure this out since humans experienced this many centuries ago. Bacteria can invade your dog’s body through untreated wounds, which are gaps in your dog’s skin.
All of these infections cause inflammation in your dog’s skin, which can lead to hyperpigmentation that can lead to your dog’s skin darkening. By figuring out the source of all that inflammation, we can stop the color change from taking place.
Solutions to Skin Infections
For the majority of the time, you often see the skin infection taking firm control of your dog before noticing any notable change. You’ll probably smell it before seeing it, but it’s never too late to take action!
These products by Curaseb can be of great help for dogs who are struggling due to skin infection. For immediate relief, you can use the antifungal/antibacterial spray, or try an antifungal/antibacterial shampoo for long-term recovery.
4. Parasitical Infections
If you had ever experienced an insect bite in your life (I did), you’d probably notice the sting and a formation of a welt rising from the location of the insect bite. The same concept applies to our pets since they really like spending their time outdoors.
Parasitical infections can cause darkening of the skin due to the inflamed skin patches that they leave behind. Similar to our previous case, the insect bites will probably welcome more licking and scratching from your dog, which can make things worse.
External parasites that are most commonly found in dogs are fleas, ticks, and mites. You can probably see signs of parasitical infections in your dog’s bedding, and they come in form of eggs, larvae, and even adult parasites.
Due to their microscopic nature, killing the parasites from off their host is not the only problem out there since you need to kill all the remaining pests in your house. This can be done by thoroughly cleaning your pet’s living area and replacing the beddings.
Solutions to External Parasites
Even then, it might not be enough if you are facing several parasitical infestations. For cases like these, contact your nearby veterinarian for courses of action, and make sure to buy the needed products to remove the parasites from off your dog!
For treatments of ticks and fleas, the medication produced by K9 Advantix will do the trick for you, and this dose is a topical treatment, which is highly effective within 12 hours and continues to do its job for 30 days straight.
For demodectic and follicular mange infection, this ointment by Goodwinol works very well and received many positive reviews from many dog owners worldwide. Make sure to check this product out by clicking on the link above!
5. Bodily Disorder
If your problem is not solved by the first four, your ailment would probably lie in this general category. Common examples of bodily disorders might be due to hormonal imbalance, hereditary diseases, and even adverse effects of a topical treatment.
Hormonal imbalance can result in the formation of acne in dogs, which can lead to inflammation of the skin. Hereditary diseases can be genetically inherited, and this can also lead to a darkening of the skin.
Last but not least, your dog’s skin might be showing an adverse effect due to a topical treatment that he has received in the past. This means that your dog’s skin is allergic to one of the ingredients that are included in the dog shampoo, spray, or conditioner.
Solutions to Bodily Disorder
The problem continues to add up since there are many types of bodily disorders that can lead to hyperpigmentation (darkening of the skin). If you can’t figure out the cause behind this on your own, the best way to solve this problem is through your vet.
By conducting skin tests with an overall physical examination, your veterinarian will figure out the culprit behind all this sooner or later. If left untreated, the darkened skin patches will spread out to other parts of the body, and it will spread sooner and more further than you think!
What Are Some Ways of Preventing My Dog’s Skin From Turning Black?
Most of the time, we spot the dark patches and spots on our dog’s skin before doing any research, which is very typical of us. However, if you want an obvious method to prevent dark patches, make sure that your pet doesn’t stay out in the sun too long!
Also, frequently check your pet’s skin for any parasites or any swellings under the skin. Make sure to spend enough time with your pet, and care for him/her as you would your own family member!
What Are the Common Symptoms of Dog’s Skin Turning Black?
The common symptoms of a dog’s skin turning black often start with inflamed skin. Due to the increased and prolonged body temperature, the skin color will change from light pink to brownish-black.
Conclusion: Keep Your Eyes Peeled!
As I have mentioned beforehand, this event doesn’t happen overnight since it comes to pass due to a series of chained events. You probably know your responsibilities by now, and I’m not going to criticize you but please keep an eye out for your dog each day.
This means that you need to spend time with your dog each day or assign someone else in your household to do the work. Unless you put forth your time and effort, your dog’s health can slowly deteriorate right in front of your eyes.
This is enough advice for one post, and I hope that this post called Dog’s Skin Turning Black (Causes & Remedies) was helpful to you. If you have any questions regarding this post, make sure to comment down below for further inspection.
Thank you for your time spent reading through this post, and I hope that you have a great rest of your day. Thank you again for listening to all my rantings, and please come back to our website for regular updates!
