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My dog's skin is turning black. This started on the tip of...

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Answer by gem
Submitted on 12/17/2003
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I have a Pomeranian, I suspect that he has this black skin disease. After he started shedding his coat when he was a puppy, his adult coat didn't grow back completely. I hadn't noticed the dark skin right away but when I did a few months ago I took him to the vet. They told me they didn't know what it was so I bought a few books and did some research for myself. Turns out this disease is extremely common in male Pomeranian and will not affect their health, just causes them a slight discomfort. More recently he has developed a couple of raised bumps which I am actually surprised I noticed since they are so small, I have never noticed a smell. Do you think it will get worse over time? He had seen 3 vets over the course of a year and none of them could help me out, I'm starting not to trust them since when I did research myself it was right in front of my face. Even when I asked one of them if it could possibly be this disease he said he'd never heard of it!

Answer by slidbeck
Submitted on 1/19/2004
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Our black male neutered Pomeranian came down with this skin disease at 4 years of age. His long, thick hair became cottony and lifeless, then fell out or broke off. After a year the hair began growing again, but he has never regained his "top, shiny" coat. His skin periodically gets scales, and the hair falls out in patches. Other than being itchy, our Pomeranian has lived with this disorder now for three years, and seems quite healthy otherwise. We bathe him often, using medicated shampoo, conditioner and even baby oil to keep his skin soft. I also keep his hair cut to under 2 inches, because it tends to get matted easily. I did research and apparently this is a genetic disorder which was first noticed in a Pomeranian in the 1930's. It doesn't show up until they are several years old, so is being passed on through continued breeding.

Answer by Reg Phillips
Submitted on 2/9/2004
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My Dog is an 8 year old pure bred Keeshond. He began having dark patches on his skin 6 months ago, and then it spread with his hair falling out. He has lost all of his hair off his belly and around his neck.He was a champion show dog but now looks pathetic and sad.He does smell if I don't wash him at least once a week with a medicated wash. He has a distended stomach and keeps getting abscesses on his elbows and between his toes. He has been under the vet for about 4 months. is on thyroid tabs, iron tabs, and omega 2 and 3 liquid medication.He has picked up in himself since taking the thyroid tabs but his fur is still falling out and fresh black spots have appeared on his neck. I have tried changing his diet, currently he is on raw beef as apposed to cooked mince chicken, and I think that has made things worse. So it's back to the Vet tomorrow for another Guess.

Answer by Genki
Submitted on 2/16/2004
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My experiences with black skin on my neutered male Pomeranian are slightly different but may be informative. First instance was brought on by cat flea bites. No hair loss, but bad "sewer" smell while black. Over the winter, skin resumed pink color. Vet says many breeds can get black skin from irritation. Subsequent summers, black crusty or scabby spots appear on belly, legs, and eventually on shoulders and back. Suspect grass contact as source. These crusts cause black skin also. They itch mildly. No or minimal hair loss. Until this year (8yrs old), the crusts always went away in the winter. I bathe weekly and then while scabs are soft, gently remove them and disinfect with alcohol. This seems to work. Skin eventually returns to pink. Dog has never been clipped and still has a uniform thick coat.

Answer by BBWnTX
Submitted on 2/25/2004
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My experience sounds like a combination of everything I read here. My 5 yr old neutered pomeranian started getting these 'wet' scabby patches on his belly about 3 yrs ago. That's when I started going to a vet but nothing could be figured out. Over the last 3 yrs, the wet scabs seem to get worse in the summer. He also has lost his hair on the backs of his legs, tail and back where his tail touches. In addition to the hair loss, the skin is dry and looks like light mold growing on the part where the hair is most scarce. He does not itch or smell (thank God). He is in general good health. Last yr, my vet diagnosed a low thyroid but medicine does not seem to make a difference. I took him to a different vet last week who checked his blood for possible difficencies...none found. I told him I had heard about Black Skin Disease. Neither he, or any of the other Vets at his clinic had ever heard of it, so he contacted an Animal Dermatologist at Texas A&M University who had never heard of it either. So, of course, it was dismissed. I have heard of taking Melatonin for it but not sure how much I can/should give. I am at my wits end. He used to have a gorgeous coat and comes from a champion show family.

Answer by i_luv_poms
Submitted on 2/26/2004
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Hello, since this is an active, current discussion, I would like to share my (well my dog's ) experiences with this terrible skin disease. We first noticed this problem last year when my pom was 5 years old. His regular vet was not able to help so he referred us to an animal dermatologist. Before concluding that your dog has Black Skin Disease, you must first rule out: a) thyroid deficiency b) allergies - could be food, environment, flea bites, etc. c) bacterial infection (those black patches could be bacterial infection) If none of the above, then your dog may have black skin disease. Not much is known about this condition (people started noticing it in the 80's) and research is still going on. The dermatologist told me that the skin infection is easier to treat but the hair loss much harder. Sometimes melatonin is useful if your animal has suffered hair loss (alopecia??) but the hair follicle is still alive. A skin biopsy is necessary. As to dosage, each animal is different. So don't play doctor, consult your vet. As for treating the skin infections (the scabs, the swellings), a medicated shampoo and antibiotics must be used. In addition, examine your dog's diet and environment. Try to eliminate possible sources of allergens. (For my dog, it could be table scraps, Advantage or fleas.) My dog's coat has grown back but he still has outbreaks of skin infections though mild in comparison to before. Overall, his skin condition is now under control.

Answer by MA
Submitted on 4/7/2004
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My 8 year old maltese has black skin under both rear legs and around her bottom. She has little sores on her back where she bites herself all the time as she is so itchy. I have been treating her with liquid antihistamine (polarmine) for the itch and took her to the vet who put her on Prednil (cortisone and antihistamine tabs) as well as Noroclav (antibiotics for yeast infection in her skin) and I have some Malaseb medicated foam which I have to leave on for 10 minutes then rinse. The vet said the strong smell on her smelled like a yeast infection so I hope this works. Have been doing it for 1.5 days and she doesnt seem as smelly already. Havent bathed her yet but will do that tomorrow.

Answer by Mrs B
Submitted on 6/8/2004
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My 3 year old male Pomeranian started losing hair after clipping at one year of age. He didn't shed all his puppy coat either. I first noticed darkening on his chest which progressed to his body. The hair on his back hips fell out completely and the rest refused to grow back. Even though it began post-clipping, I believe he has black skin disease. He has hair on his legs (front continue to grow) and his head but is now losing hair behind his ears and the skin there is darkened. The vet put him on Thyroid for 4 months during which the skin became lighter in color but not much hair came back so we stopped it. I'm considering a biopsy at this time. He was such a beautiful little dog, I hate seeing him like this. He's our baby and is spoiled rotten but I would love to see him regain his coat. I also read about Melatonin and my info said to give 3 mg. but I'm afraid to do that on my own because of his size. It causes sleepiness and I'm afraid that's too much. Will speak with the vet about this.

Answer by a_lil_unwell2003
Submitted on 6/13/2004
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I have 2 dogs that have what seems to be black skin. They are from the same litter and only 2 years old. The male started first, after winter hair fell out, what winter hair he got here in TN, now his bottom, tail, back and stomach are all black and he bites at it all the time. I have notice now one of our females has the same thing, same areas, and does have some fleas, they are outside dogs. I also noticed the siblings did not get this, just the 2 with tan fur. They look so sad and look like they have been shaved and burned. I am at a loss..does this black skin hurt the dog? or does it kill them? what should i do.they do whine all the time and the male one howls and whimpers a lot, like someone is trying to kill him..please any advice would help.

Answer by lisadarkstar
Submitted on 6/21/2004
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Hi, my dog Marshall is a Chow/Shepard/BorderCollie. He also began gnawing at his hind legs, and has gone bald on both his hind legs due to constant biting on them. We took him to the vet, who did a scraping and found nothing. He did prescribe him Cephalexin 500 mg which he is taking 2 times a day. In case it is an infection. Theyre may be a slight improvement, I can't really tell. He is not gnawing at himself, but the legs are turning blacker. I can't see any hair returning though. He has a beautiful coat aside from his legs. I am very confused and unhappy about this. He seems to be just fine, just bald & black legs, but when he gnaws on his legs, it is as if he is losin ghis mind!

Answer by Niki
Submitted on 7/11/2004
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Hi I have two Labrador retrievers, brother and sister. The female is yellow and the male is black. Our black male lab, who is five, has epilepsy. In the recent years, every summer he has had sores develop on his abdomen. They are red nodules, and then develop into crusty sores. Hair is lost in these areas and then the skin turns black. His skin is scaly and dry and his hair is greasy ans smelly. His black coat is also turning reddish. I have gone back and forth to the vet. We have tried antibiotics, shampoos, and allergy pills. At first they said it was atopic dermatitis, then it could be seborrhea. Does anyone know if it could be something like hypothyroidism? or anything else. I don't think it is his food, because it only happens in the summer; he eats Iams for large breed weight maintenance. Please help!!!!!!!!!!!! Tucker's mom

Answer by Charlene
Submitted on 7/12/2004
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I have a teacup poodle puppy,only 4 months old. Has anyone heard of this with poodles? She got very sick with Giardia about 2 days after we bought her. We found out later that the same "breeder" has sold over 50 puppies, and only 8 have survive (may be coming from Mexico). Anyway, she had to be in the hospital for over a week and get blood plasma transfusions. When she got home we were so happy and now all of a sudden, her hair is falling out and the skin on her front paws and around her little rear is turning black. We just charged our credit card over $3,000 to keep her alive and now it sounds like she may have this black skin disease. Can puppies get it, does anyone know? Where do you find a dermatologist for dogs?

Answer by deblynste
Submitted on 8/10/2004
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I have a boy who is a chow/beagle mix. I have had him to the vet consistently at least once a month for over a year. He is four years old. He has what appears to be this black skin disease. The vet has treated him for allergies with pretnisol injections and tablets. This medication caused him to swell and become very lethargic. Besides only helping temporarily. The last shot did nothing as well as upping the dosage on his tablets. He has also had antibiotic shots. He has also been tested for hypothyroidism--negative. I have tried many shampoos and home remedies. So far, nothing works. Some things seem to help temporarily. I hate to see his suffering continue. He has very little hair left on his body and is almost half black. He itches BADLY!! I hope someone out there knows or finds a cure soon.

Answer by Lord Robocop
Submitted on 8/10/2004
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I've had a pom with scaly skin and itchiness for a year now. His hair loss is due more to the licking and scratching than anything else, I'm sure of that. I had some success with expensive medicated shampoo from the Vet called KetoChlor. She also suggested Miconazole conditioner, but I felt it had little or no effect. This was used in conjunction with an antibiotic to squash secondary infections. My Pom'scoat returned to normal, but did not last. I noticed stepping up the wash helped tremendously. Last: Here are two links I would read, very clear and discusses both ordinary dry skin and yeast skin in canines... http://www.dachshund.org/health_yeast_problems.html http://www.dachshund.org/health_sebborhea.html Good hunting. Anyone finds a better answer, post...this battle has been long and non stop.

Answer by miecha12
Submitted on 8/12/2004
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I have a part springer spaniel...and cocker spaniel.Over the past 6 years we have been fighting this.The dog was tested for thyroid troubles.It was determined that he in fact has low thyroid problems.But this is not all.He suffers seizures frequent ear infections (yeast)his skin does turn black,hair loss,and smells awful during this phase.Our vet has said that the fleas in the summer triggers this reaction.However to cure it the thyroid medication works great.Amazingly enough in the winter months this condition disappears totally.It is also thought the dog has some sort of autoimmune disorder.Please have them tested for thyroid...the medicine returns the skin to normal color...and hair growth begins very quickly.

Answer by Lourdes
Submitted on 9/21/2004
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Hi I have a three year old Pekinese mix. I just recently noticed her skin turning black, but months ago i noticed a reallly rank odor coming from her reproductive area. She has been fixed and the smell doesn't last more than a day, but the smell comes back once or twice a month. None of her hair has fallen out, and she's in high spirits. I usually give her Advantage, but not as of late. We have also moved in with a cat. Lola, my dog, has had allergies in the past, she itches and sneezes. i'm not sure if it is just an allergy, or what. Thing is i can't really afford to have every test run on her. Bless her little heart, she knows when she stinks, and no one wants to hold her during those times.

Answer by redhead
Submitted on 9/29/2004
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Hi everyone: Have a 10 year old, spayed female cocker spaniel. Her skin is pale pink but around age 4 she started developing dime size circular in shape black spots on her body. A few days later these spots would begin to form crusts and clump to her coat. If left alone they would get bigger and harden (dry up) and flake off but not fully. My vet said she had overactive oil glands and the buildup was just excessive oil that clumps to the hair follicle and dries. We've tried many antibiotics, shampoos, change in dog foods, change in products I use at home, and went to a totally 100% cotton dog bedding. Took her to a dermatologist that explained that what she has is called Seborrhea. Here is a short explanation of the condition and what to do. http://www.thepettribune.com/1998/101198/5.html I am on the east coast in NC (the article above is from Florida). I feed my dog Eukanuba FP, give her 1 DermaCap (fish oil cap) a day, bathe her once a week in Sebolux shampoo, use a flea comb to scratch off the buildup while the shampoo is on her, sponge bath rinse her with something called Humilac, towel dry-air dry as hair dryers tend to really dry her out, and due to her skin allergies to most meats, yeast, and flour/wheat, she pretty much just gets raw fruits and veggies for treats. fortunately, she will eat anything heartily and considers the occassional not-so-good-for-her treats as truly special occassions! What I've noticed is my dog's black,scaly spots occur heavily in her hot areas (arm pits, under her tail, around her private areas, chest/belly, insider her long ears, under her chin...her back and sides tend to be free from this frustrating condition. She typically has bouts with this stuff in early Spring and early fall (this time of year is heck on her). She has that awful smell, she's a cocker spaniel so her eyes and ears have issues as well as her skin during this time, she's an itching wreck and the only time she seams peaceful is right after her bath. She's developed black skin on her rear end, belly, and armpits which led me to this group. I'm thinking its part of a bacteria that may have developed due to her oily scabs sitting around on her skin and not getting air--have always been told that skin needs to breathe (ie be exposed to air) to help it heal and her tail doesn't allow that. Heading back to the vet to get something hopefully for her rear end. We'll see. As far as why this happened to her, have been told she's everything from she has a poor immune system, or possible cushing'sdisease even though all tests were negative I was then told she's 'borderline' cushings, all the way to her breed is just prone to this stuff....i hear that one a lot. It's a cycle of trying different things and hoping you find some combination of something that works. For us, the weekly shampooing, flea combing 2-3 a week especially at her bath, and dermcaps seam to be working for her. I hope some find this helpful. I wish everyone good health and lots of quality time with your best friends! Melanie, NC

Answer by Jack
Submitted on 10/17/2004
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Hi I'm Jack's Mom... PLEASE READ VERY IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF YOU WHO ARE LOOKING FOR AN ANSWER! Jack is a Cane Corso. He for years has had ear infections, bad odor, loss of hair, rashes, soars, redness in between the pads of his paws and now his skin is turning black. So I began research because Vets didn't have a answer. They would just give antibiotics that would help the problem for a little bit. I have now found my dog has an allergy to his foods. This has caused a systemic yeast infection. Which means there is a build up or over abundance of yeast in his body. I have had to change his food and give him supplements. Which is curing all of his health issues. For whatever reason most Vets do not tell you this could be a problem. Most dogs who have skin and/or ear and paw problems with a funky smell are for sure to have systemic yeast infection...this is very common. Please for all of you who are having black skin problems with your dogs...please do research on yeast infection in dogs. It causes many different kinds of health issues...even intestinal problems which can be the answer to your dogs stomach swelling...along with black skin condition. This is something that a lot of people miss because the Vets never tells you about it. There are great home remedies for your pooch. There are tons of information on line regarding this health issue. After reading all of these emails...I'm concerned you guys have missed what is really going on with your pet which can lead to other major health issues.

Answer by mjc
Submitted on 10/28/2004
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My dog had the odor and scratching all the time. It is yeast. The vets all want to give him steroids. I stopped all the steroids. I give him super potent acidophilus from Walmart. He weighs 15 pounds. I give him 3 of these a day. If he has an outbreak I give him 6. I bathe him in Dandruff 2 in 1 Shampoo and conditioner, Suave brand every 3 days. I feed him canned tuna in oil. baked sweetpotatoes. Nothing processed at all. I also treat him with Monistat 7 that I warm up and put in his ears. It can be kept under control but you have to keep up his restricted diet. It can flair up at any time. I had him to several vets that never really cleared him up. When he went back for his shots the vet was shocked that he was doing so well. I do feed him meat without any kind of seasoning on it when it is available.

Answer by Michael
Submitted on 12/5/2004
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Hello folks, I was just popping around trying to solve some issues regarding a problem my pet has and I stumbled upon this thread - black skin disease isn't what mine has but I just thought I'd put my two cents in just in case it helps any of you. I've run across the disease here and there in my readings and have found that yeast infection seems to be the central idea experts are accepting regarding the symptoms of black skin disease. It fits as well, when you consider the symptoms and the typical reactions to the treatments that have been tried. Thus I would recommend asking your vet about superficial yeast infection control tactics - it may be the ticket for your darkening dog. I don't have any links off the top of my head except www.nzymes.com ... which is a specific treatment for dogs with yeast/candida problems. Just follow the 'smelly skin' link under the skin problems heading. Good info there too.

Answer by Shawn43
Submitted on 12/12/2004
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I have a 5 year old Shih Tzu. About 6 months ago she developed what looked like a bad rash on her belly. Eventually it started to turn black. I changed her diet to an all veggie dog food, to most recently a fish and potato dog food. I have tried Derma Care Antibacterial Shampoo, and Epi Soothe Oatmeal Shampoo, both help with the itch. I have had her on Apo-Prednisone, this worked very well at keeping the itch at bay, and the redness around the black calms down. However the black never goes away. My vet recently switched her to a drug called Vanectyl-P. After 3 days things are getting worse not better, I guess it will be back to the Prednisone, until I can figure out what is causing this.

Answer by bits of guy
Submitted on 12/19/2004
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We have a 2 year old F/S Chow Chow, developed black skin Disease at 1 year. Vet recognized it immediately. She does not have any sores, but her fur fell out on flanks first, stomach, mane, front legs and ribs pretty much in that order. If your dog truely has Black Skin Disease, it is a growth hormone deficiency. Anything else and it is not BSD. Could be thyroid, or fleas or something else rare and strange. But BSD is a growth hormone deficiency and shows up in light fur dogs of northern breeds which there are 5 common. Males more often than females get this disease. At 1 year to 24 months as the puppy fur falls out it is not replaced by the adult fur and the skin turns black. We tried the following herbal remedy. Off label use. If you use it, you are in uncharted territory. Ultimate High(tm) Human Growth Pro-factors that support the anti-aging process. From: Great American Products 101 Mattie Kelly Blvd. Destin, Fl, 32541 Questions/comments/order 1-800-466-8615 So far she has regrown her tail fur, legs, chest and her back is starting to fill in, and tonight I noticed peachfuzz on her flanks were there was no fur last week. She has been on it for 7 months, 1 pill a day, she weighs 35 pounds. We give it to her in a slice of cheese every morning. The new fur is incredible. It is full of life and healthy. The black skin on her flanks has changed to a fleshy pink color. It has felt like a long time coming because changes are gradual, however, we noticed fur growth after only being on the pills for three weeks. It is just that it takes a long time to grow full length fur from nothing at all. Her ribs are still bare, and her mane is not showing any signs of recovery, but it may be a slower process for her body to build those parts, or it may never regrow. But the fur that she now has is not the wool that was left after her puppy fur fell out.

Answer by QueenofTUT
Submitted on 1/14/2005
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My little 9 year old female pom started developing black spots about 3 years ago. It looked like mold and she was bald over these patches. She also itched constantly and had some raw places. She had a slight yeasty smell, too. It just killed me to see her like that. She used to be a show dog and was well on her way to champion status when she was abused and I rescued her. The vet did everything he could think of, thyroid tests, skin scrapings, etc. We tried various diets, medicines, shampoos, etc. She does have an under-active thyroid, but that was not what was causing the problem. My vet believes it to be a form of psoriasis. We found a combination of medicated shampoos, conditioners and sprays that have worked wonders. I use Malaseb (spelling?) Shampoo every other week, leave it on for 10 minutes, rinse, then use Resichlor full strength and leave it in (do not rinse!). There is a new spray on the market (only through vets) for skin conditions called Genesis. I use it once a week, including after her bath. I also spray an aloe vera solution (1 tablespoon pure aloe vera gel in 2 cups water) on her every other day (make sure skin is wet). She gets brushed every time she is bathed or sprayed to get the old hair and skin off. Her skin has cleared up almost completely and her hair is growing back. Her hair seems to be more cottony and is more prone to matting, but it's so much better than the baldness and constant itching. She was miserable and now wants to play. Talk to your vet about this combination and see if that works. Oh, I also cut out all food except Science Diet Dry Food for Seniors, and the only treats she gets are treats I make myself so they have no chemicals and preservatives in them. I don't know if that has made any difference, but it makes me feel better! You also don't need to have any concerns if you have other dogs that like to lick the sores, none of these treatments will harm them. Most of all, be patient! It took 2 years to find the right combination. Once we found the right treatment, the itching stopped almost immediately, but the spots took 3 or 4 months to clear up completely. You can never stop treating this. It's just like psoriasis in humans, it will come back.