Is it normal for my 7-month-old dog's skin to darken and fur lighten?

Thank you for asking the question about Harley. If she is not itchy then it may just be pigment change to her skin. Lots of breeds can have changes to their skin and Hair coat as they mature. If you happen to have before and after pictures to post in another question that may be helpful. Is she is itchy, or the skin has wounds or crusting then she should be evaluated by a veterinarian. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Skin darkening can occur due to natural aging, low level irritation from infection or allergies, a healed wound or changes in hormone levels from hypothyroidism. Your veterinarian may be able to determine the exact cause after a thorough physical exam. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

That may be just normal pigmentation changes. If the skin feels, or looks rougher than normal, if there are scabs or if she itches those areas then I would be more concerned. I hope this was helpful!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Her skin looks like a normal skin color for an adult lab. It isn't abnormal for the puppy pink skin to darkened in these area to a uniform greyish brown color. the skin should still be soft and not "elephant" like which indicates excessive licking. Have a great day!

It can be normal as a dog ages, or the underlying skin is more visible. If the area isn't irritated, red, itchy, or bothersome to Tanner I wouldn't worry. However if you are seeing rapid changes in the area, hair loss, irritation, redness, or swelling these can indicate something else going on such as an infection, parasites or allergic response, which should be checked out by your vet.

The darkening of the skin is due to a chronic inflammation, and the darker hair regrow could be completely normal. That could be completely response after the skin ''injuries'' you described. If she is not showing any other sign I would not be worried about it.

Darkening or changing skin color can be due to disease including allergy, flea infestation, bacterial skin disease or fungal disease. Change of skin (or even hair) color can also be completely normal especially in puppies and young dogs.