Blackening Of The Skin

[peacefrog]

Hi everyone,

I have recently changed my 5 yo Shih Tzu girl over to a raw diet and have noticed in the last few weeks that her skin has noticeably changed from normal pink with grey pigment to darker, almost black in parts. It is not smelly and doesn't appear to be itchy or irritated.

I have read that it can be normal for their skin colour to change colour but I think it's a little strange that this has happened in in the 6 weeks or so that I have changed her diet and I'm worried that it may be presenting as an allergy.

I feed her a variety of RMB, chicken wings and frames, fresh and tinned fish, offal and raw meats, with the staple of her diet being chunks of beef cheek about 4-5 nights per week. Could she perhaps be getting too much red meat? She is absolutely loving raw, besides becoming a little bit too tubby -which I need to address, but otherwise I would hate to take her back to a commercial or kibble only diet.

She is due for her vacc's this month and I'm going to get her titer tested, so I'm wondering if there is any kind of blood work I can get done at the same time to see how everything is going on the inside??

[Loraine]

I feed raw to my boy. He has a thyroid problem and that causes itchies. When he is having a breakout (usually due to me feeding oats or beef by mistake) his skin goes very black in areas. I initially thought that was caused by him biting and itching at himself, but my vet told me that it is inflammation caused by his allergy to these two foods.

[blacklabrador]

Where is the black skin? Sun exposed areas?

[peacefrog]

Loraine, is it just blackening of the skin or is it raised? It would make me wonder if my girl has the same thing. It doesn't seem to be bothering her in the slightest but I am a cautious mumma atm.

Blacklabrador- It is mostly just to the sides of her belly where her coat ends and the smooth skin begins, if that makes sense. Her belly is still normal colour. She has always had grey colouring in this area and it has only increased in darkness. I gave her a wash yesterday and thought she was darker then usual across her back as well - I could just be paranoid as I really don't wash her enough myself to really know for sure, or it could be from the sun as you say as she was clipped very short a few weeks ago.

[Loraine]

Loraine, is it just blackening of the skin or is it raised? It would make me wonder if my girl has the same thing. It doesn't seem to be bothering her in the slightest but I am a cautious mumma atm.

Blacklabrador- It is mostly just to the sides of her belly where her coat ends and the smooth skin begins, if that makes sense. Her belly is still normal colour. She has always had grey colouring in this area and it has only increased in darkness. I gave her a wash yesterday and thought she was darker then usual across her back as well - I could just be paranoid as I really don't wash her enough myself to really know for sure, or it could be from the sun as you say as she was clipped very short a few weeks ago.

Blacklab - the skin is usually under his arms pits, never in a sun area.

Peacefrog - his 'blackness' is not raised and it is usually on the sides of the belly near the leg joints. I thought is was bruising due to scratching and biting himself. Right now he has a very black patch near the inner joint of a rear leg, not itchy just ugly is he lies on his back

[blacklabrador]

There can be a stage of "detoxing" when changing a dogs diet to raw. Sometimes existing skin and ear problems worsen while the body gets rid of toxins. It usually improves in the long run though.

My Crestie had blackish skin under her arms. No allergy though.

[Rappie]

Hyperpigmentation as you describe can be the body's response to any kind of chronic irritation, including allergic skin disease.

[blacklabrador]

Hyperpigmentation as you describe can be the body's response to any kind of chronic irritation, including allergic skin disease.

In the Crestie I am pretty sure it was just where her armpits rubbed. You see it in overweight humans too - darker, hyperpigmented skin under their arms, around their neck (if they have neck rolls) and between their legs.