Shoofly Posted April 23, 2008 Report Share Posted April 23, 2008 Has anyone ever known a dog that lost pigment? I've suspected for awhile that one of my dogs had this happening - it just seemed to me that her bottom lip had more pink than i remembered. I finally found an older picture of her and it certainly seems to be true. Anyone ever heard of it or had a dog with it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca, Irena Farm Posted April 23, 2008 Report Share Posted April 23, 2008 Yes, pigment can shift around with age or growth. Usually young dogs gain pigment, while older dogs can lose it from trauma, decreased exposure to sun (an outside dog that becomes an inside dog), or disease (fungal infection for instance, or autoimmune problems). I've noticed that the pigment on white-factored dogs seems to be randomly unstable, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lenajo Posted April 23, 2008 Report Share Posted April 23, 2008 I've seen a couple of dogs do that to an extreme post chemical exposure - one got into agricultural Lyme (and dug a hole and had a grand time wallowing in it before someone one knew) and the other was accidentally sprayed with a farm chemical. Lupus, trauma, chronic disease...also can cause it. Not sure if dogs have vitiligo like people... Have also had reports from some friends who went through this about dogs reacting to plastic, or metal, feeding and watering dishes. Change to bowl and the nose and lip color comes back. I would suspect age on your dog. You can work on dietary things to increase her vitality and see if it helps. Kelp for example, helps increase pigment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoofly Posted April 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2008 I can't think of anything that's really changed other than putting her on a mostly raw diet as of last fall. Same food bowls, etc. She's just turned 7 and is classically marked and i don't see any changes anywhere else. She was spayed last year. It's pretty weird, almost half her bottom lip is pink now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted April 23, 2008 Report Share Posted April 23, 2008 Robin, Is it possible that she's rubbing her lip on something? Is there more white on the muzzle to go with the more pink on the lip (i.e., an aging thing)? J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoofly Posted April 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2008 I don't think so. It's Jet and she's not really the kind to rub or get into anything. And her face is still the same. Maybe i can get a picture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Root Beer Posted April 23, 2008 Report Share Posted April 23, 2008 I can't think of anything that's really changed other than putting her on a mostly raw diet as of last fall. Same food bowls, etc. She's just turned 7 and is classically marked and i don't see any changes anywhere else. She was spayed last year. It's pretty weird, almost half her bottom lip is pink now. Do you use any plastic food/water bowls? Speedy lost pigment on one side of his nose when he was younger and the vet told me to stop giving him water and food out of plastic bowls. It went back to normal after I changed to ceramic and stainless steel. If not, could she be drinking out of something plastic while out and about (a trough or bucket or something?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lenajo Posted April 23, 2008 Report Share Posted April 23, 2008 I can't think of anything that's really changed other than putting her on a mostly raw diet as of last fall. Same food bowls, etc. She's just turned 7 and is classically marked and i don't see any changes anywhere else. She was spayed last year. It's pretty weird, almost half her bottom lip is pink now. allergies do develop over time, and favor an aging immune system. None of the dogs I mentioned were young when the problem came on (well except Miss Lyme, who was 2). Also bowls can leach things as they are aged/exposed - paricularily plastic ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoofly Posted April 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2008 No plastic bowls. All metal ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoofly Posted April 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2008 Well, here ya go. http://www.provet.co.uk/Petfacts/healthtips/vitiligo.htm Apparently dogs do get vitiligo. I've been suspecting loss of pigment for a pretty good while on Jet so doubt it's a behavioral thing, as well as it seeming to be almost half her lip, from corner to her front teeth - just the one side. The autoimmune connection makes sense as well seeing as her father had autoimmune thyroiditis. I'll try to get some pictures for you guys so you can see it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbc1963 Posted April 23, 2008 Report Share Posted April 23, 2008 My dog got a tiny speck of a spot in his inner (pale) eyelid, left eye. The spot grew and grew. I was worried about cancer, so I asked the vet, who told me not to worry - that pigment in dogs frequently changes, and especially in dogs with freckles like mine has, or merling. He said his freckles might change, and that sometimes they get dark spots showing up on their tongues, too. Meanwhile, my father had a husky mix whose face was much blacker when she was young than when she was old - we only knew by looking at old pictures. I wouldn't worry too much. Mary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1sheepdoggal Posted April 23, 2008 Report Share Posted April 23, 2008 Have also had reports from some friends who went through this about dogs reacting to plastic, or metal, feeding and watering dishes. Change to bowl and the nose and lip color comes back I have heard this too,( about plastic bowls inparticular) even parroted it a few times when clients have asked me about the pink strip that seemed to suddenly appear down the middle of their dogs nose, but had to start keeping it to myself, as I couldnt provide a decent description as to why it happened. Was begining to think I had been miss informed, or that it was just an old wives tale. Anyone know exactly why a plastic bowl does this to a dog? I see it a lot with clients dogs, ( I feed out of stainless steel, so have never had a problem with it happening) but every time Ive asked what type of bowl they are feeding their dog out of, the answer has most always been plastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lenajo Posted April 23, 2008 Report Share Posted April 23, 2008 the develop of pigment, especially ticking on dog as you describe, is not the same as loosing pigment. That doesn't just happen - something had to make it do that inside or out. My dog got a tiny speck of a spot in his inner (pale) eyelid, left eye. The spot grew and grew. I was worried about cancer, so I asked the vet, who told me not to worry - that pigment in dogs frequently changes, and especially in dogs with freckles like mine has, or merling. He said his freckles might change, and that sometimes they get dark spots showing up on their tongues, too. Meanwhile, my father had a husky mix whose face was much blacker when she was young than when she was old - we only knew by looking at old pictures. I wouldn't worry too much. Mary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myroyalrascal Posted April 27, 2015 Report Share Posted April 27, 2015 Hi there, I seen this post as I too have a collie losing pigmentation badly on the roof of his mouth and lips. he is very active and shows no sign of illness etc. He is very dark colouring and had extremely black pigmentation from a newborn. He had gone from full black pallet to full pink! And I am watching him lose pigmentation FAST around the lips. I realise this post is quite old, which could possibly work in my favour. Did you get to the bottom of the issue? Immune? (Reading already previous comments - my dog feeds from a stainless steal bowl - has done from puppy) I had research everywhere it feels and got no answers. I'm worried as it is happening fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myroyalrascal Posted April 27, 2015 Report Share Posted April 27, 2015 Here I have attached a picture of his lips. There can't be more than a year between the 2 pictures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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