What causes dark patches on my dog's belly and how to treat them?

Related Answers from Veterinarians

• Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

  Veterinarian

  Published on April 2nd, 2019

  Darkening pigment can indicate a few things including normal pigmentation, minor allergies or irritation, or endocrine disease such as hypothyroidism. The best option is to have him examined by his veterinarian to look for other clues on the physical exam which may give more details.
  Starting an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs can also help improve skin health.
  I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

  

  1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

• Answered By Jenny, DVM

  Veterinarian

  Published on August 5th, 2017

  This can be temporary change for unknown reasons or can be a sign of the start of an yeast infection from a low thyroid or allergy. It will be fine to monitor the area and if you notice lethargy or hair loss and weight gain or scratching then I would get her checked

  

  3Pet Parents found this answer helpful

• Answered By Dr. Massimo Orioles, DVM, Cert AVP, MRCVS

  Veterinarian

  Published on June 26th, 2019

  Hi, and thanks for your question.
  Even though a picture of it would really help to determine the underlying cause more precisely, this could be due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites.
  First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation.
  If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy.
  Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc).
  Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics).
  Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!
  
  

  

  1Pet Parents found this answer helpful