Dog's skin turns black: What diseases could it be?

Dog's skin turning black may be caused by aging, skin diseases, long-term exposure to sunlight, etc.

As a dog ages, its skin gradually accumulates melanin, resulting in the phenomenon of skin darkening. After a dog's skin is infected by fungi or external parasites, it will also show local skin darkening during the medication treatment. In addition, shaving the dog's hair short in summer and long-term exposure to sunlight can also cause skin darkening.

1. Aging leads to dog skin darkening

Usually, due to the dog's advanced age, excessive melanin deposition in the body causes the skin to darken, which is a normal physiological change in dogs. Owners do not need to worry. You can feed the dog eggs, cod liver oil, and other foods to help nourish its skin and hair.

2. Fungal infection causes dog skin darkening

After a dog is infected with fungi, the hair follicles are damaged, resulting in skin darkening. It may also be due to the use of medications during the fungal treatment, which causes melanin deposition and thus leads to skin darkening. The main symptoms of fungal infection in dogs are hair loss, skin redness and swelling, itching, and tinea lesions. Topical treatment with drugs containing terbinafine is required for fungal infections. Generally, dogs with mild symptoms will recover after 7-14 days of treatment.

3. Long-term exposure to sunlight causes dog skin darkening

When a dog's skin is exposed to sunlight for a long time, it becomes darkened due to direct sunlight, resulting in melanin deposition. Avoid taking the dog outside when the sun is strong, and prevent the dog from suffering heatstroke. If the dog has been shaved, it is recommended to wear clothes when going outside to avoid direct sunlight on its skin.