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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.

Answer by Nikki
Submitted on 3/17/2005
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This is all very interesting. My dog, a sharpei/chow mix, has been having a few of these symptoms as well At first I saw some discoloration of her coat on her back. I thought it was just her bottom coat shedding like it normally does. When I took a closer look I noticed that it wasn't the undercoat shedding. It was simply that the top coat had just come off. Ginger has always had an odor and has been an itchy dog so I try to keep her washed every week. I noticed the smell getting REALLY bad (and that is something because I'venever really been able to smell her odor before when everyone else could)I looked at her back again and some some hair trying to come out..still thinking it might be shedding I gently pulled it away and it started to bleed. She has patches like this all over her back and they seem to be spreading. As many others who have posted said...the smell is just unbearable. Can this be contracted to humans? Or is it just me being grossed out and paranoid because I'vebecome itchy as well.. has anyone else had this happen? Oh, and on a last note. We did take her to the vet and he said she probably had skin allergies and prescribed benedryl. SHOCKER- it didn't work. Where are dependable vets these days???????

Answer by putty_tat007
Submitted on 3/24/2005
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My little two year old Pom is starting to show signs of this problem. I have checked into everything and I hear it is an allergic reaction to store dog food. I found two of the best books and I think this is the most likely way to get the whole problem to go way. It is a little work but I think well worth it. I have to books for you guy's. Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide To Natural Health for Dog's and Cat's and Anitra Frazier The natural cat for those of us who also have cats. Dr Pitcairn's book is also for dog's and cat's and it talks about every thing it's really great. It has recipes for different conditions and even what to do about emergency's. They are both less then 20 dollars and I know you'll love it as much as I do. Just got mine and can't stop reading it. It really has everything even places to buy certain things mentioned in the book. I wish you and your little one's much health and long life.

Answer by Kaci
Submitted on 6/6/2005
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My 8 yr old teacup chihuahua began having dark brown/reddish spots on her skin some time ago. At the same time, HORRIBLY dark tearstains appeared under her eyes. I noticed that she would be licking these darkspots and biting at them, so I thought maybe the darkening of the fur was from her saliva, which was a possibility of the new vitamins I had started her on. She NEVER had tearstains before, and her fur was always clean, white, and soft. We stopped the vitamins and noticed no improvement, so we began giving them to her again. Last week, we noticed her belly seemed very swollen, which went away the next day. My dog has always been a little chubby, and now seems to have lost quite a bit of weight. Her hind legs and bottom seem to be where all the dark spots and most of the hairloss are. She does have a problem with one of the joints in her leg, which causes her to drag them sometimes. It's a possibility the grass or blooms from the tree in the backyard gave her an allergy. I am taking her to the vet tomorrow and I am going to ask about this Black Skin Disease and also have her thyroid checked (I myself had a thyroid disease, so I know how dramatic and horrible it can be, but can't imagine how it would be for a poor little dog!) Thank you to everyone who posted information about how they treated their dogs. I have never heard of this condition and am trying to find as much info as possible now! Did anyone else notice any weight gain/loss in their dogs? Tearstains?

Answer by jules
Submitted on 6/23/2005
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I have two pomeranians, male and female. Both have had there own set of hair problems. My 3 year old male started losing his hair, not just in patches but all over, and was itching and biting excessively. Then my older 8-year old female started getting dark patches on her hind legs and losing her hair back there. I took them to a Holistic Veternarian and he told me dogs get allergies to their food and to their enviroment,(Seasonal Pollen, dust, etc.)just like people. He did testing to determine what food they could tolerate, I made my own at home and he gave some thyroid and adrenal supplements and Homeopathic remedies, and I just changed their food and they have not had a problem since. So try changing their food to the best food you can find, or make your own with meat, veg, and grain or rice. Find an Holistic vet, even if you do not believe, It does work!!

Answer by peggy
Submitted on 7/5/2005
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I have 3 male poms. One is the daddy dog (all 4.5 lbs), the other 2 came from 2 different litters. One lost his puppy coat and the adult coat didn't grown-in. The other two were beautiful for 3 years. Then I had those 2 clipped close last summer. Both of them developed black skin and no hair returned. They all had hair on their head and legs but no where else. I was sick because I had the 2 with hair clipped. I didn't know it wouldn't grow back. I knew nothing about treating the problem. I had taken my poms to 3 different vets for tests. I finally read an article in "Pomerian" magazine. A canine dermatologist cited all the reasons for "Alopecia X", "Black-Skin-Disease","Sudden Skin Loss Syndrome" related to genetics: the X gene, testosterone production, etc., as possible causes. She also gave a treatment recommendation AND It works if you will take the time to do it! 1.Bathe your pom in GOOP hand cleanser. I use a soft bristled brush and lightly scrub their skin. Use a lot of GOOP on them, scrubbing several minutes, using the soft brush. 2. Rinse and then apply SELSUN BLUE SHAMPOO. Scrub lightly and massage into skin several minutes. Rinse. 3. Apply an ANTI-BACTERIAL DISH DETERGENT. Massage well. Rinse. 4. Apply a canine conditioner. Massage gently. Rinse. 5. Towel dry, rubbing skin softly.Blow dry. This can be done 2-3 times a week. It sounds unreal but my poms had little patches of new hair growing back in spots within a week!Really! I now have finale found a vet that knows the problem. He recommended OxyDex Canine Shampoo. OxyDex opens the pores of the skin which helps the leathery, scaly, black skin. With that you apply shampoo, have dog sit for 5-10 minutes with OxyDex, then condition. Overall, I found alternating the two treatments above works best. (I use a tearless baby shampoo around their eyes). Good Luck.

Answer by cairnfamily
Submitted on 7/5/2005
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Our 5 year old male Cairn Terrier has been on antibiotics for bladder and ear infections in the past. The first indication of any problems was the chewing of his paws. He has black skin over most of his body, scratches himself constantly, and SMELLS AWFUL. His Vet ruled out different skin diseases by doing a scrape/test and says he probably has allergies. We have tried antibiotics, steroids, benadryl and medicated shampoos. Unwilling to continue the steroid/antibiotic route, we sought help from NZYMES.COM. We have been following the their advice for 2 months with little progress but we knew from the start that it can take around 5 months to get some results. If you are at your last resort like us, you may want to check out the website and see if your pet has similar symptoms.

Answer by pshawed
Submitted on 7/17/2005
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have a 30-pound mixed nine-year old female dog. at the first sign of spring her skin starts turning black. this started years ago. my first instinct was this is an allergy and i cut a benadryl (generic brand) into thirds and give a.m., lunch, and p.m., and continue doing this until the first snow. she has been fine. a few weeks ago i went to the health food department of my local grocery store and bought Nelson histaminum hydrochloricum 12 and give her 2 three times a day. it's too early to be able to say this is working but if not i will put her back on the benadryl. if you suspect allergies, which is what i think she has, before you try steroids you might try benadryl. a vet never told me to do this so you might check it out with yours before trying this.

Answer by Jady2
Submitted on 8/18/2005
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The skin on the back and front legs of my Sheltie mix have turned black. She had chewed herself raw under the "pantaloons" on her rear legs before I discovered it - and scratched her stomach and under one front leg. The vet said "food allergies" (I'd been feeding her a premium dog food for 4 years but was told allergies can develop at any time). We put her on a limited ingredient dog food from the vet and immediately everything got better (except the black skin). I've been reading extensively online about dog food and got quite an education about it and the pros/cons of different approaches. The old adage "you are what you eat" applies to our pets as well as us. I started sharing some of my organic meals with her - meat, vegetables, fruit - by adding it to the vet dog food and it seems she's fine with it. I'm still worried about the black skin and may request a thyroid test (my vet said it's about $300.00 dollars). I so appreciate finding this forum.

Answer by Dotsie
Submitted on 9/28/2005
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I have a Lab/Shep mix and finally found out that these black patches are from a YEAST INFECTION. The patches would start out small and scabby, and then he would lose his hair - but skin would remain black. He was very smelly!!! I found this site with a photo of another dog with the same problem - it looks just like my dog's problem. I keep looking for answers and thought perhaps that he had Black Skin Disease. At least now I know what he has and can pursue getting him the correct treatment. Here's the link to the photos: http://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/feed_program_for_systemic_yeast_problems.htm Hope this info helps someone else in search of the right answers.

Answer by lizz
Submitted on 10/11/2005
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I have a 1 yr. 8 month old Chihuahua and I recently noticed black spots under her neck where she has no hair. In about 3-4 weeks time the spots have grown. They don't seem to bother her, she has no hair loss, and no bad odor however, I'm concerned. Does this sound like black skin disease? Also, she was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy about 8 months ago, we just got rid of her mites 4 months ago and a nail fungus 2 months ago. My poor puppy has been through so much and I am in a state of confusion when it comes to the spots. Does anyone know what it might be? *She will see the vet (her 2nd home) in 3 days but I would like a heads up on what I might hear from him.

Answer by Sammie's Mom
Submitted on 10/22/2005
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Pomeranian Black Skin Disease can be cured with... Melatonin... I met a man on a plane while I was traveling with my 7 year old Pom, Samantha. Samantha is a 5 pound, teddy bear faced, black Pom...She started losing her hair a few months ago, her skin underneath went from pink to black, it was very dry, but not oily or smelly.I took her everywhere to try and find a cure, but they just offered me shampoos or medicines, none of which worked. Then this man sitting next to me on the plane told me that his neighbor has a Pom and it too lost it's hair and the skin turned black, they found a vet that told them to try Melatonin, he said within a few months the Pom was a big puffball again. I was so excited, I immediately called my vet and asked her to look into it for me and find out possible side-effects, dosage information, everything that she could. She called me back a few days later and said, dosage is .02 micrograms per pound, and it can make them sleepy, just like humans, it should be well tolerated given at bedtime. So I went to my pharmacy and had them compound a liquid Melatonin with a chicken flavor. I gave it to Samantha every other night for 3 weeks, then every third night for a month, and then once a week for about 2 months. All of a sudden, Samantha is growing long, black, silky hair all over.. She never lost the hair on her head or her legs, just her torso and now it's all coming back in.. I am so happy and I needed to share this will other Pom mommies & daddies. Please call your vet, talk to a pharmacy that does compounding, give it a try, Samantha did not experience one negative side effect, and now she has hair again to keep her warm, and I can tell that she's much happier. I hope this works for you...It did for us..

Answer by Shera
Submitted on 11/10/2005
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Hi all. My 7 yr old female Pom had started losing hair like crazy, black skin and only seemed a little itchy. Visits to several different vets resulted in buying expensive shampoos, sprays and antibiotics in spray and pill forms. After months of shoving pills down her throat, having her squirm like a speared toad as soon as I grab a spray bottle and getting deathly ill over some "vitamin supplement", I said "Enough!" Started looking into the nature of commercially prepared dog food. If you love your dog, you may be physically sick over what they sell you to feed your dog. I started both my "old girl" and her 3 yr old "puppy" on the BARF diet. It stands for Bones And Raw Food. Dogs have a digestive system better suited to raw meat and vegetables chopped finely. It took awhile for their systems to clean out and I honestly considered going back to that crap baked "totally balanced" garbage they had been living on. Just think what your body would do if you had been eating nothing but kraft dinner all your life and then started to eat healthy meat and vegetables. You may be aware of what a treat a Pom with diarrhea is. Expect it if you plan to try the BARF diet for them. I think it was worth it. Gizmo's fur is thick and soft again, her breath smells good and even her arthritis seems much better. No more diarrhea. No black spots, no itching. Their favorite is ground lamb, a cube of home pureed liver and ground carrots. ooooo such yummy slop. Good luck everyone. We all know what it's like to have a suffering animal.

Answer by luckydoodle
Submitted on 12/21/2005
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My dogs a sheltie, he only has the black spots. And does not appear to scratch himself, or gnaw on himself, at least no scratching that wouldn't be perceived as not-natural. Nor does he smell. He has two half inch diameter circle spots on his chest, but he scratched them, one was even indented, but recently they have disappeared. Now he has some more spots down near his tail on his stomach. He has already been neutered, and is anywhere between 8-12 years old. I was just wondering if this disease could occur on shelties? Or at least part shelties? I am only 15 but I will tell my parents, that he should go to the vet and get checked out. I'm thinking it could be some kind of bug, because my cats are scratching a little more then normal too! (not that, that has anything to do with it) sincerely A worried animal owner.

Answer by Ashelie
Submitted on 1/30/2006
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I have a tan female Min-Pin mix who is only about 10 weeks old. She had a lot of fleas when I purchased her so I gave her some flea medicine that was perscribed by my vet. I then started to notice that her under body was turning a greyish black color. Just her chest, belly, inner thighs and genital area. She's not itching or licking and she doesn't stink, she seems perfectly healthy. I asked my sister who is a vet assistent and she thinks it may be a thyroid problem. Has anyone seen this problem with puppies? Has anyone heard if flea bites can do this? I'm hoping and praying that it's not Black Skin Disease. She is only a puppy! If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. :O

Answer by masonkitten37
Submitted on 2/17/2006
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I have a 2 year old terrier mix. I have had her since she was 7 months old. She was abandoened by her previous owners by being place outside to tend for her self.I did find them but still they did not want her back.When she turn 1, her skin began to stink bad and her ears was very black and crusty. I took her to the vet and they gave me some antibotic lotion to put in them that worked. But then her condition turn to her entire skin stinking awful like a nasty foot smell and she scrathes awfull all the time. Some patches of dark skin is there and she lost hair from back next to her tail up to back to her back. I do wash her with medicated shampoos but she only stops stinking for about 2 to 3 days. I put conditioner on her after her baths to help the itching but she scrathes continueously. I have even tried oatmeal baths to help the scratching which didn't work. I heard of the Black Skin Diease but I havent read upon it yet. Her hair is so dry and dull.Her hair grows back after winter but its not shining as it use to be. But once winter comes again, the hair lost does to. If anyone could help me or give me any suggestions, please e mail me at bird82004@yahoo.com subject: Black Skin Diease. I havent tried the bathing in Dawn dish soap yet, but I am going to. The smell of her skin is so bad and she is such and loveable dog. But to pet her is impossible cause of the smell of her skin and her coat is to much to take.

Answer by Billie
Submitted on 2/17/2006
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I had a little three pound female Pom. Molly was about six years old when I noticed , some black spots on her belly. The Vet didn't know what it was. As time went on she started loosing her beautiful hair. Her skin became terrible . It was like an elephants skin. By the time she was eight years old she had very little hair. But she still had her personality. We took her to several vets and pet stores . we tried the tar baths and thyroid medicine etc. nothing ever helped. There was no smell.She had started laying around a lot and you could tell she didn't feel good. Then one night she started running and playing like a puppy. Later that night she crawled under the covers ( she always slept with us) and went to sleep snuggled up next to my husband and never woke up. So now I have a new pom. I got her when she was 8 weeks old. She is now one year old and my husband called me to come look at her last night and her tummy is looking blackish instead of pink. I got a cloth with some soap on it and tried to wash it off.My heart dropped , it wouldn't wash off. I have been on the computer for quiet a while now. Trying to see if a can find something that will help. She is wonderful, If any one has found any thing I can do to stop this in the early stages I would appreciate hearing from you. My name is Billie Belew , my e-mail address is www.bjbelew@comcast.net Thank you

Answer by Leah
Submitted on 3/15/2006
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I "adopted" a rat terrier from a friend of mine because the dog is having a severe allergy to something. After reading these posts I think she might have a yeast infection because she has an odor 1 day after a bath. She smells a bit like urine or something like burnt urine. That is just what comes to mind when I smell her. She is missing hair on her back which is from biting. I think this was from fleas, as she had a number when I picked her up. After her bath, I applied flea stuff. I was thinking the rash was from fleas, but she does have allergies because her eyes are swollen and crusty. She also has some hair loss around her eyes. I'm thinking about giving her some microbes for yeast infections. I will post again in a few days after I can make some discoveries. Oh yeah, she does have some black spots on the inside of her hind legs. it looks like mold. I hope it's not black skin disease. I'm happy to read that it isn't fatal!

Answer by BILLIE BELEW
Submitted on 4/17/2006
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I had a little three lb Pom that had black skin disease. Her intire body turned black, and she lost all her hair except on her head and tip of her tail. Her skin looked just like an elephants skin.There was no oozing or smell. This started when she was six, and when Molly was eight she went to bed with us and went under the covers , curled up in the bend of my husbands legs and died. My husband says the way to help heal my broken heart was to get another puppy. So we get another Pom , Rosie is now one year old and the absolute joy of my life. About two months ago we noticed Rosie'sbelly turning dark, today it is pretty black and the black is spreading fast. I am at my wits end, I had taken my other dog to several differant vets and pet stores etc, trying to get help. No one knew what was wrong with her. after she died I went on line and discovered Black skin disease. I am not very good on the computer , and I am so thankful to find this site. Any way I have taken my Rosie to the vet and am trying to explain BSD to them and they still have never heard of it. I am at a loss of what to do. I don't want to loose Rosie too. I am thinking of taking her to University of Tennessee , their Vet. Dept. But I don"t want to put my puppy through to much. I really don't know what to do. If anyone has any ideas I would appreciate hearing from you. Thank you, Billie & Rosie

Answer by kattykat
Submitted on 5/7/2006
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I was doing some research on the net for my 8-year-old Maltese, Casey. About 3 months ago, I noticed a black, scaly sore on her left hip. I also noticed that her skin, mainly on her back and sides looked peppered and if I softly scratched at this the little peppered spots would flake off. It did not seem to bother her, but in the past 3 months, her skin has turned from pink to black. The only area that is still somewhat pink is her abdomen. The hair on her back has also seemed to become brittle and has not turned to her soft spring coat, as it should have. She does not seem to be in any discomfort, only a little licking of her legs. I found this site for blackened skin treatment and they talk about the majority of symptoms discussed on this site being caused by a Yeast Infection. The treatment they offer worked for the dog discussed and her symptoms were bad. I will be taking Casey into the vet again soon to have them test her thyroid and check for a yeast infection. Good luck to all of you! http://www.nzymes.com/Testimonials/blizzard_cotton_itchy_skin_rash_chewing_feet_hair_loss.htm

Answer by Dee
Submitted on 6/7/2006
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I have a purebred neutered Pom and I recently got a female puppy that was Pom mixed with miniature American Eskimo. When I brought her home I noticed a spot on her belly that looked like a hive or a bee sting. I immediately took her to the vet. He wasn't sure what it was and they did a scrap and tested it. It was ring worm. We didn't know until a week later when the test results came back. We treated it but it was tough to get rid of and my purebred Pom also got it because he and the pup would play before we knew what it was. Anyways several weeks later we noticed the skin on my Poms back looked black almost bruised. We also noticed that my new puppy's skin on her belly always looked dirty though I had just given her a bath. I think that it is connected to the ringworm or a reaction to the antibacterial soap that I used to bath them. I wish I knew for sure though. This has really been frustrating to deal with.

Answer by Anno
Submitted on 6/11/2006
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Thanks to all for this interesting information. Our black, non-neutered, 3 year old female lab has developed something similar. Itchy belly, underarms, which begin red and turn scaly. Happens only in the summer so far. No "black skin" as described above - skin remains pale grey. No thyroid abnormalities shown in tests thus far. My stopgap emergency treatment seemed to deliver some comfort to the dog: I spread Nivea and, when I ran out of that, Zinc Oxide cream (for diaper rash) on the dry, scaly, irritated skin on the belly and underarms. Skin became smooth and scales disappeared within 24 hours. Then I powdered the red,damp, irritated areas on her belly with cornstarch based, non fragraced talcum. CAUTION: I have no idea whether this treatment will affect a long-term cure. It simply relieved the dog until we can get her to the vet.

Answer by Gary
Submitted on 6/15/2006
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I had a Bulldog and we spent thousands of dollars (vet, University Vet clinic (scrape tests, allergy tests, thyroid tests) trying to figure out why her skin was turning black and her hair fell out in the places that turned black. She got hers on both sides of her abdomen. I don't know for sure but I think it had to do with Frontline. When I switched to Bio-spot it went away. Two times I ran out of Bio-spot and used Frontline and the spots started returning about a month after using it and then after using bio-spot for a while, they went away and the hair grew back. Like I said, I am not sure but it looks awfully suspicious. Also, note that after ceasing Frontline it took months to see any change and almost a year for the spots to totally go away and the hair to grow back. I have nothing against Frontline (except the price tag), have used it on all my other dogs (we have 8) with no problems and recommend it to my customers (we own a boarding kennel). Something in my Bulldogs constitution just did not seem to like it. I told the vet my suspicion, but have no idea if he did anything with the info. All I know is giving the experts thousands of dollars could not find a cause. If your dog is on Frontline, just try one of the others and see if the condition gets better (remember it takes a very long time to go away after the last dose of Frontline) If that proves not to have any effect, by all means go back to Frontline, in most cases it is an excellent product. If your dog is not on Frontline, maybe just switch your flea protection product and see if there is a change.

Answer by Allison
Submitted on 7/18/2006
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I have a boxer who has been experiencing a skin problem. He was found to have a lump in his testicle. Based on Vet advice, we had him neutered. I am also treating him with melatonin & a vitamin supplement. I have seen some minor improvement thus far, but it has only been two weeks. The reason I am chiming in is a co-worker of mine who is a master researcher found the follow site that has many different types of skin problems (including what my dog had) that may be of help to some of you. Sorry it is so long, I couldn't get access without sending it cached. http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:pdVWRhfezZ0J:www.ivis.org/advances/Mueller/part2chap5c/chapter.asp%3FLA%3D1+%22sertoli+cell%22+tumor+dog+%22hair+loss%22&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=9

Answer by junkite
Submitted on 7/29/2006
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My dog Jethro started getting black spots and raised bumps along his back. Has anyone had raised bumps? He started having problems last year when we found he was allergic to flea medicine -- all kinds. He had hives everywhere that lasted for 3 days and kept everyone awake. The same thing happened this year as soon as we noticed the first flea on him. Cool baths seemed to calm him. Then he started having red spots on his stomach and was running a temperature so I took him to the vet who went epileptic when she noticed he had not been fixed. Wanted to make an immediate appointment to cure that for $430. I don't have that for a 6 year old mixed breed light-skinned half bichon half yorkie dog at the moment. I went home with antibiotics and stuff for itching. I started looking and so far have found that sebaceous cysts form on some dogs and are "dermoepidermal to subcutaneous in location. They may open and exude a gray to white-brown, cheesy material" which is very smelly (yeast-like). This describes my dog to a T. Have not found what "cures" this, but since it's not fatal, I'm hoping this is what he has. I am going to go to the above referenced web sites on black skin disease and see if this is the problem. I'll check back again if he gets "cured."

Answer by Jan
Submitted on 8/2/2006
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http://www.nzymes.com/Testimonials/blizzard_cotton_itchy_skin_rash_chewing_feet_hair_loss.htm Check out this link...I know that many dog foods are, simply put, "garbage" and that more and more dogs are suffering from diseases due to diet. I've never tried the nzymes product myself but I'm going to order for preventative maintenance since I KNOW most grocery store dog food isn't good for dogs and even the all-natural ones leave a lot to be desired. (I've done a lot of research because my sons bakes non-allergenic dog treats and what I've found is truly horrifying..) This does NOT mean that you shouldn't go to a vet or that genetics and thyroids are not culprits (among other things) but if you love your dog, do the research!

Answer by shovelcadet
Submitted on 8/18/2006
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I have a 2 year old english bulldog who started having "worm" like patches of hair fall out in mass quantity's when i brush her and bath her. There are black spots all over her and some of the bare skin has a soft crust like all over her. I have been doing homework on this for about a week and a halve now and think she has the black skin thing I have been seeing, and it seems that a $500.00 or so trip too the vet is not the answer. Does anybody know if the hair will come back? It is coming out in clumps and you can grab ahold of some hair and pull it right off, I'm freaking out as I can imagine what my poor dog is feeling! I got her from a breeder out west who has been breeding for some time and was wandering if it is in the gene pool or something. I bought her on the hopes too breed her with my 3 year old male and wonder if anybody can tell me if it is a good idea or not and is it contaches. Thank you.....My dog thanks you.

Answer by Pat
Submitted on 8/24/2006
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ANOTHER POSSIBLE REASON for blackening: Dogs seem to get black or darker skin when given HEART WORM PREVENTATIVE. I don't know why this is, but especially their tummies, seem to get dark during the summer months when we are giving them Heart Worm Medicine. In the fall and winter in MN, we don't give these (as no mosquitoes), and then their skin becomes beautiful and pink again! Then, when the next year's dose is given in the spring, the skin grows dark to black again. I suspect folks living in the south, give these pills year around, (?) and thus may never see the beautiful pink skin return, once heart worm prevention has begun. Thank you Lord, for our furry babies!

Answer by BitsOfGuy
Submitted on 9/14/2006
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A solution to Black Skin Disease. We have a F/S Chow Chow, she is coming up on 4. She developed the disease when she turned 1 year old. Our vet took one look at her and diagnosed her on the spot. Told us it wasn't Thyroid for sure. No Cure. Knit her a sweater. My wife found "Ultimate High" from Great American Products http://www.greatamericanproducts.com/pages It is sold as an overall good health product for people and kick starts the human growth hormone. We gave one a day to our chow 2 1/2 years ago. She started growing fur within 3 weeks of going on it. She gets one a day for the rest of her life. The vet told us to keep giving them to her. It works. It is not listed on the label for dogs, but the vet says there is nothing in it that can hurt her. As far as we know, we are the only ones giving this product to a dog for Black Skin Disease. She has the best fur coat again. It took a while for it to fully grow in, and she lost parts of it along the journey a couple of times, but it is now stronger and thicker and she doesn't have to wear a coat this winter. She should be good to -35C, like she was when she was a puppy. email me at PGXPSMPJKEGD@spammotel.com for pictures and more info.

Answer by chococat
Submitted on 9/16/2006
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i found a dog that is roughly 3 years of age and she has some sort of skin condition.I believe she is a terrier mix.At first her skin had ant-sized black dots. She would constantly scratch, lick, and bite them.They are located on her lower abdomen. Then i noticed her getting larger pink dots that would ooze a yellow liquid.Now she has very large purplish spots that look like large bruises.All of these symptoms have occurred on her lower abdomen. I am getting very concerned and am not sure what i should treat her with. She doesn't show signs of pain, but she is constantly biting right above her tail and licking her abdomen. I have also noticed a horrible oder, especially right after i walk her. I would greatly appreciate anyone's help.

Answer by Guidou
Submitted on 9/16/2006
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I have a 4 year old female sheltie and she appears to have the same problem. It started 2 years ago and was diagnosed with food allergies than pollen allergies and it seems to come back every summer. I think she might have black skin disease because of all the symptoms presented in all your comments. She was on antibiotics but now she's finished and it's still coming back! I have to wash her twice a week with special shampoo and I had to shave her. I just bought a male sheltie and he is now 6 months old. My intention was to breed them but now if this is genetic, I don't know if I should breed her... I saw 2 vets and I still don't know what she has... I was watching the news on TV few weeks ago and they were talking about bacterias in public pools. The first symptom on children was ear infection and 4 of my children had it. My female is always in the pool, could it be the bacterias? and if so, should I completely forget the idea of breeding her?

Answer by Ida's Mom
Submitted on 9/23/2006
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Ida has some golden retriever in her, possibly collie or German shepherd. She suffers from allergies every year. This year her hair has fallen out on her abdomen and she chews and licks her skin until it is red and spotty. Has some dry patches too. Did an allergy test and she's allergic to lamb, wheat and barley, peas, venison, kelp, brewer's yeast, grasses, pyrethrins, thistles, some molds and cat dander. Its tough to find this girl something to eat! Finally put her on van patten's natural balance for allergies. It hasn't really helped. She's still suffering, although the rashy areas are now more spotty and she has black skin in places. Wondering if this could be a result of the "overvaccinating" some vets talk about. We haven't had her vaccinated since she was a pup except for a couple yrs ago for rabies. Anyone know if there is something that can be done if this is the culprit to clean out her system and get her healthy again? I've been washing her in dawn cut w/vinegar (sposed to help keep the fleas away), sometimes use 100% aloe gel on her but she usually licks it off. I was using listerine before the allergy tests on some of the spots and it seemed to help somewhat. I didn't want to "burn" her sensitive skin so I stopped in case it was hurting her. Also used hydrocortisone cream but since she licked that off too, decided to discontinue it. Any ideas? T

Answer by Jane
Submitted on 10/24/2006
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Good luck to all with this black skin disease. Roscoe is 90 percent better, he's a brindle cardigan corgi. I treat him with now weekly or every 2 weeks with alternating malaseb shampoo or dawn dishwashing liquid or a sulpher tar/salicylic shampoo and every other day ketoconazole pills a dosage perscribed by a vet. He is a show champion and when he turned 7 yrs, I neutered him. I think this is about the time the black skin got really bad or it went wild. He never lost hair, he just lost his energy, became slow, a bit cranky and limped alot,his paws once large, became larger. Its a long story, and I think he contracted a case of bird or rat mites too just to complicate matters. I spent an absolute fortune sterilizing the house, all bedding, carpets, clothes, flooring, outside yard removing pine mulch for both dog and 2 humans. I removed all bird feeders and bird food from the yard. Roscoe was dipped in sulpher forever to the tune of another fortune. Finally, I found a slightly understanding vet who,for whatever the reason recognized that his red toes and feet had a serious infection,he was itching,I was itching, and his skin had black areas that had never been that way before. The feet were treated 3 times for 3-4 weeks with twotypes of antibiotics. They are so much better, no limping. Whatever this black skin is from, it is not permanent. I see it gradually clear up and then sadly a spot reappears. I suspect several possibilities. I told you what's helping Roscoe. Now, I can tell you that, I had no idea how bad the house stunk till I cleaned it throughly and through out the latex backed grasswoven mats in several rooms. Do not let your dog sleep with you and do not let him eat scraps off of any humans plates. Now Roscoe eats vegetarian unless he cheats, but thats not often. In the past he's been hiking and camping, wading and drinking lake, river and stream water. Perhaps we are dealing with and endotoxin from and water or food contaminent and a weakened immune system. There may be a connection. I am seriously concerned that vets are not telling the whole story and this may be contracted by humans and given by humans, skin dosn't turn black, it itches. If this blackskin disease has a thyroid connection, recently I read is some vet magazine, that ketaconazole is a treatment for Cushing's (another name for a thyroid condition) For Roscoe's feet I also found that Epsom Salt soaks helped discomfort and kept his skin less oily. Keeping him dry is a very good thing too. Blow drying is necessary for him after baths. Each dog described in this blog is a little different with symptoms however I note similiar trends. What a finanial nightmare.

Answer by Shir
Submitted on 1/5/2007
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A couple of years ago I noticed that the fur of my now 14 year old Pom was getting scrappy and sparce. I thought it was just from old age and didn't worry about it. I've always fed him premium foods, and once, when the store was out of his regular, I bought Nutro Natural Choice, Lamb and Rice Small Bites. Later, I saw that his fur was coming back, and was soon as lush as when he was young. I couldn't imagine why that would be, couldn't think of anything different in his life....then I remembered changing his food. I saw on the bag that it says "Guaranteed to improve coat"....hadn't noticed that before.....and now I'm convinced it's what has helped my little old Pom. Don't know if it's related, but he also had Black Skin.....has had it for several years, and doesn't seem to be bothered with by it. The new food hasn't made any difference in this.

Answer by YorkieOwner
Submitted on 1/24/2007
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This can be a very expensive trial-and-error journey, even with a vet, or many vets. I would definitely see your vet, but insist on the least expensive method of treatment first, because likely in this case, with the black skin, you will find it is not costly to fix....but you WILL get taken down the road for a LOT of money otherwise. As mentioned by i_luv_poms, the three main things that contribute to the black skin are usually: 1. an imbalanced thyroid - PLEASE insist that even if the levels come back "normal" that you try a low dose treatment because MANY dogs' results end up in the grey area of values 2. allergies - can be many things, which can cost hundreds of dollars to find out, and often the shots don't even solve it once you go through the whole process; the food allergy...can be worth doing and I would try that but usually vegetables and chicken and rice are pure enough supplemented with a vitamin that includes fatty acids 3. bacterial infection and/or yeast infection - constant licking and possible allergies together with the licking can cause yeast infection, which untreated can go to bacterial infection; or bacterial infections from licking in genital areas also; the bacterial infection definitely needs to be treated by a vet - the yeast infection needs to be treated with weekly and in some cases twice-a-week baths with a shampoo that has a yeast killing agent. Rinsing with a vinegar solution at the end of the bath is beneficial too. The smell is gone once the dog is dry and the vinegar fights the yeast. I have done the Prednisone/Hydroxyzine for years off an on. It always becomes a problem once the vet stops the Prednisone. I think the Thyroid is the key together with grooming maintenance for these special dogs. Some may indeed have allergies but the grooming itself helps keep that at bay unless it is severe. Give it a month. It worked for me and saved me a bundle and made my dog happy.

Answer by cherylesq
Submitted on 1/24/2007
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My pomeranian Fuzzy is 10 years old and he started losing his fur at 3 years old. Doctor's call it "Alopecia X" but all similar problems I read online call it "Black Skin Disease". My pom came from a breeder and was from a family of show dogs, I had him neutered, and perhaps that contributed towards this problem. Over the past 7 years, my pomeranian has lost more and more fur...and now only has fur remaining on his legs and head/ears. The fur loss began years ago above his tail (on his back), and on his upper back - - then slowly spread. We tried everything. UC Davis Vet school and about 5 different local vets. Most experienced vets identified the problem, but of course, had no cure. We tried Melatonin therapy for 1 1/2 years. It minimally helped. Along with Fuzzy's fur loss, he has become increasingly 'frightful' of his environment. Very scared and jumpy. Perhaps this fur loss condition and 'fright' condition go hand-in-hand and the theory is melatonin helps calm them and helps their fur grow? who knows, but it did not help us. Fuzzy did get a few skin infections where his skin smelled bad and had a watery/damp surface. The vet/dermatologist prescribed antibiotics and a medicated shampoo and it went away. The quality of Fuzzy's fur eventually reduced itself to just the inner coat (very cotton-like and easily matted) and no more outer coat whatsoever. I am still hoping/waiting for a cure. We can help by donating your dog's blood to places that are doing studies on this condition and need blood samples. (they are checking DNA, etc.) Visit for how you can help: http://www.pcoc.net/black-skin-disease.htm Otherwise, Fuzzy appears healthy and happy. Please love your dog, even without fur! And buy dog-clothes to keep em' warm. Cheryl cherylesq@yahoo.com

Answer by kemeva
Submitted on 4/28/2007
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Hi! We have a 5 years old Labrador/Golden Retriever Cross dog and his skin problem started three months ago: his skin turned into black under his front leg, he was itching and developed a sore skin. He was treated with antibiotic and got better - the black skin is still there though. Few weeks later he developed an itchy sore skin on his abdomen and again he was treated with antibiotic. Now he developed the sore skin again on his abdomen and his skin is turning black around his genitalia (he is neutered). This time it started with small red spots, developing into red bumpy inflamed skin. Currently he is treated with a cream called FUCIDERM Carbonel gel, which is a anti-inflammatory corticosteroids. At the point of examination he was also given and antibiotic/anti-inflammatory injection. The vet now is trying to find the underlying cause, so the dog is having some tests: blood test, Thyroid function tests and a possible biopsy (performed under anasthetic) Initial result shows that the dog might have an under-active Thyroid, but to be sure he needs a specialist test. In the meantime we use a special shampoo and the Fuciderm Gel and it seems to help the symptoms. I will keep you posted. Hope this info contributes to this discussion. Thanks.

Answer by Roki
Submitted on 5/24/2007
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My two year old male Pom, has started losing his hair on his belly, and where it was clipped on his back side has never grown back. The skin is darkening from pink to dark gray. No odors. He behaves the same, eats well, plays well, and is generally well, but his coat looks dry and unhealthy. At first hypothyroidism was considered, but the tests left him in the low but normal range. Then problems with the adrenal gland were suspected, or as they call it a sex hormone problem. Two tests could be done, a blood test, and a biopsy of the skin (under anesthesia) to determine as best as possible which hormones were causing the loss of hair, and the darkening of the skin. The identity of the hormones would be approximate. If the tests were indicative of adrenal gland problems, then they would put him on Lysodren, a very strong drug for the rest of his natural life. The vet sent me medical articles that discussed this issue. As the articles indicated, an das the vet said any such test results would be INconclusive. Ultimately the vet told me, if it was her dog she would not put him through all the tests, and the strong drugs, for what was merely a cosmetic problem. With a heavy heart we have accepted this decision, as the best available approach, and today I bought Joey a rugby doggie shirt. The vet said, we will have to worry about sunburns, and cold weather. It is very sad, he is a truly beautiful dog, full of personality, and a true love. I guess, we'll just keep buying cool sweaters.

Answer by Norma
Submitted on 5/29/2007
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This Black Skin Disease seems to be pretty common. I have had several dogs in my lifetime (I'm 58) and have never had a dog with this problem until now. My dog is a mixture of Lab and Bassett hound. So this Black Skin Disease is not just a Pomeranian thing. Anyway, my dog has the same symptoms as everyone is describing here but my dog seems to have it inside his ears as well. The stink (smells like rotten meat) is coming from his ears. When this first began, I asked the vet to flush out his ears and then put medicine down inside the ear canal, but the stupid vet would not flush out his ears. How can the medication get through all the gunk? His ears are getting worse all the time and I hope it doesn't make it to his brain. I have tried everything. I even mixed up a solution of peroxide and distilled water and tried flushing out his ears myself. There is a lot of black crud in there and the underside of the ear flaps are very rough like the patches on his body. The thing is, I don't have hundreds and hundreds of dollars to keep paying a vet to treat the dog, and to top it all off, the vets aren't making any headway at all. Some scientist somewhere needs to do an intense study of this problem and come up with a cure.

Answer by DAIZA
Submitted on 6/25/2007
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I JUST GOT BACK FROM MY VET. AND MY AMERICAN PITBULL HAS DARK AREAS ON HER SKIN. IT IS VERY NOTICEABLE DUE TO THE FACT THAT HER HAIR IS SO SHORT AND FINE. THE VET. SAID THAT SHE THOUGHT THE HAIR AROUND HER GROWING AND ARMPITS LOOKED TO BE THINING. IT DIDN'T LOOK TOO BAD TO ME (AS FAR AS THE THINING OF THE HAIR, BUT THE DARK AREAS VERY NOTICEABLE). MY VET TOLD ME THAT THE DARK AREAS ARE KNOWN AS HYPERPIGMINTATION. THE PIGMINTATION OF THE SKIN DARKENING/LIGHTENING DUE TO AN ALLERGY (OF ANY KIND INDOOR OR OUTDOOR) IRRITATING THE SKIN. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO ADMINISTER BENEDRYL (SAME DOSAGES AS HUMANS SAME AMT. OF TIMES DAILY) IF THE SYMPTONS WORSED AT ALL (EX: SKIN DARKENS EVEN MORE, HAIRLOSS, THE DOG ITCHING, ETC.). MY DOG DOES NOT HAVE A FOEL SMELL TO HER, AND THERE IS NO SCABING OF ANY KIND (SO IF YOUR CANINE HAS THESE SYMPTOMS IT IS MOST LIKELY NOT HYPERPIGMINTATION DUE TO ALLERGIES). I HOPE THAT THIS WILL HELP SOMEONE OUT WITH THEIR CANINE AND POSSIBLY SAVE THEM SOME MONEY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

Answer by carol
Submitted on 7/12/2007
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This may help all of you dog owners with a dog with black skin disease. My son's 10 year old pug had this, the odor was unbearable. HE took him to the vet to no avail. He went on vacation and I got to dog sit, I could not tolerate the smell, so I looked in an herbal book and found APPLE CIDER VINEGAR will cure fungus infection and odor. I started using it on a Thursday and by Saturday there was a great improvement in the skin and the odor. I has now been a month and it is nearly gone and his skin has returned to normal and the hair has grown back and best of all the odor is gone. He gets sprayed three times a day. He is also now on a no grain food. Bio- spot is also said to help, I'm not sure about that as we just started using it. Good Luck

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Question by La Rae
Submitted on 7/31/2003
Related FAQ: rec.pets.dogs: Canine Allergies FAQ
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My dog's skin is turning black. This started on the tip of his tail and has now covered his body with the exception of some pink areas on his belly. His stomach also swelled, and his hair is falling out. I've taken him to two different vets to the tune of $1000. They don't know why his skin is turning black.

Answer by Bridget
Submitted on 8/19/2003
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Do you by any chance have a Pomeranian? My 10 year old Pom just started doing this too. I thought maybe he was just getting old. His tail has turned black and the tips of his ears are black and I noticed today that all of his nipples are now black but he has no stomach swelling. His hair is starting to look terrible!

Answer by Daisy
Submitted on 8/25/2003
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Are the black patches rough? Are they raised? Does the dog scratch at the patches? It could be an infection of the mange mite. My dog is found to be free of the mange mites so a fungal infection is suspected and she is currently being treated for that. Her hair is actually quite beautiful at this point of time.

Answer by Bridget
Submitted on 8/29/2003
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I did a little research and I found something called Black Skin Disease.Here is the info: http://www.pcoc.net/black-skin-disease.htm

Answer by llmgrn
Submitted on 9/12/2003
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Yes, more than likely is Blackening of the Skin Disease... my beloved dog also had it. Started off w/dark skin & pink spots, lost a lot of his hair, then got a scabby type substance on his skin and he stunk very bad. You must use special shampoo for this or it gets bad fast. I live in a very humid environment and I think that also made it worse. That I know of there is no cure, luckily it won't kill the dog, just makes life a little unpleasant. Good luck.

Answer by smiley
Submitted on 9/17/2003
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I have a cocker spaniel and I'm having the same problem. It is disturbing that nothing can be done. It's the smell that is the hardest to live with. I got some shampoo from my vet that contains Benzoyl Peroxide. If anyone knows of a good shampoo for this problem I'd sure like to know.

Answer by Sherry
Submitted on 10/10/2003
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Yes, I believe you are looking at black skin disease. The research I have found is that it's over production of testosterone. It is generally found in cream colored males. I was told that you should have them nuetered and bath once a week with dawn dish soap..... I have been doing both, and have seen some improvement. I also give him a Vitamin E supplement, but continue to research. It takes time and you will probably notice that the hair will be stiff texture with an odor, if you don't bathe weekly and dry throughly. It's not life threatening, but it is genetic, so they should not be allowed to breed. Good Luck!

Answer by love my animals
Submitted on 12/11/2003
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Hello,my Pomeranian has the same problem,SHE,stinks really bad because of it,I bathe her with dawn dish soap,then condition her hair,which helps the skin from drying out from the dawn soap,I have put lotion on her back and that seems to keep her from digging and keeps the smell away for a day or two,CAN'T stand that odor..we had found the dog (app2 yrs old) abandoned in a parking lot,the clerk said she had been there for about 2 weeks,I took her home cleaned her up and this didn't happen till app 6 months later,I was wondering,does it come and go?she had started losing her hair and the black skin then it went away,now it's back,just curious,thanks.

Answer by ROBIN
Submitted on 12/19/2003
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I ALSO HAVE A POM,FEMALE, WHO SKIN IS TURNING DARK(LOOKS LIKE MOLD)i DID GO TO THE VET AND HE GAVE ME BAYDRIL,CREAM AND SPECIAL SHAMPOO. SHE DOES HAVE A SLIGHT ODOR BUT IF i KEEP HER BATHED SHE'S OK. THE ONLY PLACE SHE HAS IT ON HER TUMMY, SMALL DIME SIZE AREAS. I DON'T THINK ANYTHING IS HELPING. AND ITS NOT GETTING ANY WORSE. SHE IS A HAPPY, HEALTHY DOG, EATS WELL, DRINKS GOOD(NOT TOO MUCH) AND BOWLES ARE FINE. I DON'T THINK IT WILL HURT HER. DOES ANYONE KNOW? HER HAIR IS NOT FALLING OUT EITHER. E-MAIL RMULLEN@SAGEENT.COM

Answer by Debbie
Submitted on 12/28/2003
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My dog, a 12-year old mix with lab and something with long blond hair, has developed blackened skin also. The vet said it was a slight thyroid condition and gave her Thyro-Tabs. After six weeks, I can't really tell. She doesn't stink, but does seem itchy. After reading about Blackened Skin Disease, I am concerned that she is taking thyroid medication. It wasn't really elevated when they tested her originally.

Answer by kay-kay
Submitted on 1/26/2004
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My pom is about 9 years old and began having the same problem about 6 months ago...I notice that his skin's areas where the hair is lost,there are black patches...thinks its the same skin disease...the dog used to have beautiful coat...poor thing, it breaks my heart everytime i sees him...not because he's without hair but because i think he's suffering with the occational scratching of his skin....anybody, please help give ideas on handling this case....

Answer by itchebon
Submitted on 2/10/2004
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My vet did a thryroid test and found out my pet had a low thyroid. After a week of medication, the black areas disappeared and the hair grew back and she is fine now. Thank God for a good vet.

Answer by cece
Submitted on 3/1/2004
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our dog started out with what looked like a sore on her back,the vet said she was so muscular that she didn't even know she got hurt,we went home month's later it was still there another vet put her on antibiotics, that's when the sores poped out all over,and her hair started to fall out,now they have her on a thyroid pill, i'mnot really sure she's getting any better.

Answer by Gizmo
Submitted on 3/6/2004
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Hi everyone! Greetings from cold Norway. I have a 19 month old male Pom who lost his puppy coat, grew an adult coat, but failed his one-year-old-shed. His coat just would not fall out and became wooly and dead. When he finally shed, the coat never grew back. Now his chest is bare with grey patches of coarse skin. I talked to another Pom-owner who had great success treating her male Pom with Homoepathic medicine. I contacted my own vet who explained that she uses birthcontrol pills for cats(?!!) to treat Poms with Black Skin Disease with great success. Good luck everyone.

Answer by Nami
Submitted on 3/18/2004
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Hi Gizmo! What name have those "Birthcontrol pills"? Which homeopathic medicine can use with this sickness?

Answer by Nami
Submitted on 4/1/2004
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Do anybody else know something more about those birthcontrol pills or homeopathic medicine...?

Answer by sandyw447
Submitted on 4/28/2004
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My male Pom began losing his hair at 1 yr. He has kept the hair on his head and back legs, elsewhere it comes and goes. Got nowhere with vets until I took him to a dermatologist where he was diagnosed with an overactive adrenal gland. I shampoo him with Sebolux, hold him 10 min., then rinse and do the same with Pyoben. This helps keep the oils from filling the hairless pores. We do this three times a week and it really helps. He has some of those bumps but no smell. You need a good dermatologist.

Answer by RanMyMan
Submitted on 6/8/2004
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I also have a Pomeranian, that is finally showing bald spots on his back legs, and the skin is turning dark. I have had him on hormones for 6 months now, I have bathed him once a week in dawn soap. I did contact University of Tennessee which is doing a study also. Only thing I have done to date is skin scrapping. UT Dr. Franks told me to use Melatonin, I am on my 2nd month with this. I wish the person from Norway that mention birth control, would give us more information, I would check into that also. He is 18 months old and everything it takes to be a top show dog, but his hair. I am now trying raw heart meat, Lets see what this does.

Answer by Sams
Submitted on 6/10/2004
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I have had my 3 yrs old alopecia-dog on melatonin now about three months (9 mg per day), and he still have some bold spots. We luckily don't have any side effects :) Next step is try medicin, that called trilostane (Vetoryl / Mondrenal). Does anybody have any experience about that?

Answer by Mary
Submitted on 6/14/2004
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I have a 4 year old maltese who develop brown spots when he was 1 years old. I went to my vet and had him checked out for it because I was worried and scared at the same time. My vet told me that it was sun spots. But as each summer comes and pass he gets more and more. Today I gave him a bath and realized that his whole back is covered in black patches with only so little pink showing. Underneath his penis sleeve has black spots and his balls is 2/3 cover with black. So I came online today to do some research and came across this post. I am worried now and will be taking him to the vet on Tuesday.

Answer by Darlene
Submitted on 6/26/2004
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I have an 8 year old Pekenese and his skin starting turning black about 4 months ago. He is now developing raised sore like patches on his back and under his neck. The vet seems to think it's skin allergies. We are trying the special shampoo and prednizone but I'm not too sure it will help any. There was a smell when it first started. It was awful. The smell is not so bad now but I feel so sorry for my Peke. He licks constantly. I hope that someone can find a cure for this condition soon.

Answer by Soverdirth
Submitted on 7/2/2004
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I have a brindle pit mixed dog who started out with patches and now has become much worse. She has become scabbed all over. We have treated her with the shampoo and antibiotics that our vet gave us, but nothing is working. She said it is not mange. Her skin has dried out and become wrinkled, she only has hair on her spine. She is getting dipped today. I do not know what could be wrong with her. If anyone has a clue pleas respond

Answer by Lily Rose
Submitted on 7/2/2004
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I have three Maltese around nine years old. I noticed little black spots on Lucy's front paws the other day. I gave her a bath and they were hard to wash off, almost greasy. I thought they were probably excrement (YUCK). Her skin also seems to be darkening in patches. I checked the other two and sure enough they also have them although nowhere near as badly. She is not loosing her fur. They almost seem like the plant disease scale only harder to remove.

Answer by sully
Submitted on 7/5/2004
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I have a one year old Maltese/Poodle mix and he has recently developed black spots. Since he was groomed about two weeks ago, the spots have multiplied and now include large spots around his ears, his back, and belly. He also smells pretty bad,especially after going for a walk. Anyone have any ideas on what it could be. He itches his paws, base of his tail

Answer by dogpro
Submitted on 7/9/2004
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For the Pom owners, there is a condition in which an adrenal enzyme deficiency has been documented. The condition causes many of the symptoms you describe and is treated with a drug called Lysodren. Keeshonds have also been documented with this condition. Hope this is helpful.

Answer by moussie47
Submitted on 7/14/2004
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I have a 13 year old female Pomeranian whom I have just found four black spots on her skin while bathing her a couple of days ago. One is raised on her neck. Although she is older, she is healthy and semi-active and happy. She has not complained about this, and because of her age, I do not bath her as often as I do my other two Poms. I take her tomorrow to our Vet to find out about these black spots, as I think after much reading on the internet that it might be black skin disease. I will keep you all posted as to treatment that my Vet suggests and treatment that I take with "Peaches" my precious Teacup.

Answer by Scoobie's Mom
Submitted on 8/8/2004
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Our four year old Lhasa Apso's underneath turned black and extremely smelly about six months ago. His hair fell out on his under side. I took him to the vet and she said she thought fungal infection. She recommended using "Miconazole" spray on him. I have been using a cotton swab and putting it on him twice a day and it is helping. His hair is returning and the black is clearing up. I also recently purchased a shampoo with the same ingredient in it since I bathe him frequently. Good luck.

Answer by PoMmYgUrL
Submitted on 8/10/2004
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On my pom I experienced the same thing, but they are not patches, they are in lines that branch off eachother, and also, it is only on one side. Anyone else have similar black scabby markings? The vet says he has no clue what it is . . . although he did put my dog in a cone and gave him anti-biotics - also had a skin biopsy done -- nothing. So, $600 later I still don't know if there is anything that i can do. The scabs have fallen off, now they are just black hairless lines.

Answer by Golden Gizmo is SD
Submitted on 8/17/2004
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Golden Gizmo is a 12-1/2 year old Gldn Rtrvr mix. Since he was 2 yrs old, Gizmo has been getting 2 shaved haircuts every summer to keep him cool & minimize hot spots. After his last cut, he came home with black skin. The enitre area on the back of his neck, his back near his tail, and the backs of both his hind legs (about 70% of his body). He has not lost any hair and he doesn't itch. In fact, if he hadn't gotten the cut, I might not have noticed. He's not a Pom and he's not losing his hair. Is this Black Skin Disease? Any other non-Poms out there with these symptoms?

Answer by Rasqual
Submitted on 8/22/2004
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I have a 10.5 year old red/blonde akita. As he was growing up he slightly developed black circular spots under his arms (dime size) and they have always remained with him. Recently, within the last week he has black speckally spots on his stomach and hind legs, losing his hair which is also greasy and cotton-like. I am wondering if he got bit by a spider and this is an allergic reaction. He has the same energy, good appetite, and itches slightly. However, I have also been around cats lately that have ear mites (but not in our home). Could I have brought them home on clothes? Please advise. Thanks!

Answer by miri
Submitted on 8/23/2004
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Hi I have a shi tzu with black on his tummy vet told me it was a fungus...gave him a couple of baths in good old diluted Iodine then started him on cod liver oil and frontline monthly he now gets his bath with sulfedene shampoo

Answer by max
Submitted on 10/15/2004
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My 10 year old blond cocker mix started shedding his hair on his tail last year. I didn't really think to much about it. He had a small sore at the base of his tail. I did find a flea and treated him for the fleas. But this year his skin has turned completely black now from tail to head. He doesn't stink nor scratch. My neighbor said it is a thyroid condition. He is overweight but does not over eat. The hair is not growing as nice this year either. My neighbor said her dogs skin turned black but once the dog got on Thyroid pills twice a day that the dark skin returned to normal color. My dog stays inside all the time except for walks.

Answer by Rosebud in Ohio
Submitted on 12/3/2004
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I have a yellow Labrador mix and she has black skin that comes and goes and her hair is also very greasy/falls out and she smells VERY bad. She has been tested and diagnosed with an underactive thyroid. The proper medication will allow her itching to stop and her hair to grow back but will not help the odor.

Answer by cjrv5
Submitted on 12/10/2004
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My male cream Pom is only 4 months old, but I can already see that his coat does not look like a normal pom's- it's very thin on the body and he has guard hairs around the neck only. Does anyone think this sounds like early signs of the Black Skin Disease being discussed here? Does anyone have advice, or know if there are poms out there who have this type of coat normally without having disease?

Answer by Lola
Submitted on 12/14/2004
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My cat seems to have the same problem. The tips of her ears are turning black...at first I thought it was just dirt and touched it to see, but then she responded as if she was in pain.