Why did my Yorkie's blond back hair suddenly turn black and coarse?

Hi and thank you for your question! Sometimes dog hair can change in color and texture when they age just like human hair can. I wouldn't worry too much about the hair change unless it appears like he is loosing fur, the skin around the fur is red, inflamed, scabbing, or infected-you will want to see your veterinarian if that is the case.

Hello. It is not uncommon when there has been damage to the hair follicles, that the hair can regrow a different color or even a different texture. I have seen pets that have sustained severe bites or burns regrow coats lighter or darker, but the most amazing one was a little short haired rat terrier that regrew a coat like a little lamb. It did stay this way for his life, but never seemed to affect him. I would not be too concerned as this is just the way Brownie's bodied repaired the damaged follicles. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Dogs can experience changes in the color and consistency of the hair coat for a huge number of reasons. It is important to determine if Trey is itchy, losing hair, and developing redness or scaling of his skin, as these can all raise or lower suspicions of some conditions. Possible causes include hypothyroidism, Cushing's disease, mange, bacterial and/or fungal skin infections, sebaceous adenitis, nutritional changes, or many other conditions. While this is certainly not an emergency, I recommend discussing Trey's coat changes with his veterinarian, as he may need some diagnostic testing to get to the bottom of the situation. I hope that all goes well!

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Pigmentary changes to the hair/coat are not that unusual, especially if there are no underlying lesions. If your pet ever sustained an injury to that area in the past, even a mild infection or burn, the hair follicles can be affected & color can change months to even years later. So, if she is not bothered by the area, you feel no lumps, bumps, roughness, see no redness or dermatitis, then this may just be a normal change in an unusual area. Just mention it to your vet at your next visit. Take care.

Kesi may have one of a couple of different things happening to cause the color change in the hair. One possible reason is because there is some irritation of the skin. This can cause the hairs to grow darker, but usually only happens if the irritation has been going on for long time. If she is losing hair more often, is itchy or has more dandruff than normal, then she may have some irritation going on that will need treatment. Another possibility is that Kesi has a genetic condition that causes the hair to get darker or even get shorter. There is not much that can be done about these conditions, but the good news is they are not very harmful. Changes in temperature may also cause the hair to grow darker in certain breeds. This may explain why it would get darker after swimming in the sea. However, it would take longer than two days for the change in hair color to occur. Note if Kesi had any other changes in the past few months or year. This can help a veterinarian determine other causes if you would like to bring her in for a consult. I hope this helps.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is likely due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Injury/insult to follicles, sun exposure and inappropriate nutrition can all result in pigment changes to the fur. I recommend to have Coulson examined by his veterinarian to look for injury/insult and to discuss his diet to make sure it is balanced and complete. Best of luck.