Why do brown spots appear and disappear on my Bichon's white fur?

Your pictures aren't coming in clear on my end. It could be normal pigmentation of the skin (even white dogs can have non-white skin), flea dirt, or signs of inflammation. To be sure, you can have your vet take a look.

Hi and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is hard to say what this may be- the picture is a little hard to make out. A few possibilities may be just skin pigmentation variation, comedones (black heads), or perhaps evidence of a fungal infection or bacterial infection. I would recommend Sophie see her veterinarian for an exam so Sophie's skin can get a closer inspection. I hope this helps and thanks again for posting!

Thanks for your question. Unfortunately the picture that was attached is quite blurry and makes it difficult to see anything when it is enlarged. In the smaller image, all I can see appears to be normal pigmentation spots. If there are smaller spots that aren't visible in this photo you may want to try to post a new picture.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Many dogs normally have darker pigmented areas of skin under their fur. In some dogs, this does pigment can increase with age. It is impossible to tell only from a photograph however if this is normal pigment. She would need to be assessed by a veterinarian with a physical exam to determine if there is cause for concern.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! From the photos, the discoloration looks like it is caused by salivary enzymes from chronic licking. This can be due to an underlying skin infection or environmental/food allergies. Your vet can rule out these conditions with some skin samples and possibly a food trial. I hope this helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Based on your picture, the brown spots are normal freckling. I can't tell if there are 2 red bumps with yellow discharge. If there are that could be a skin infection. Skin infections can cause her to lick the area or scratch. We treat with oral antibiotics. If there aren't any red bumps there then I think her belly is normal. Have a great day!

As long as the skin below is normal appearing (looks like it from the pictures, but can't be 100%), this would be a condition known as leukotrichia. The cause of this is a bit of a mystery, but the good news is that it is not harmful. I would want to check that the skin appears normal before saying for sure though. For this you'd have to have a vet examine her. I hope that helps and all is well with Maxi.