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Animal Health – General (Expert Forum)
Dark Blotchy Skin on my Dog's Underside
Answered by
Aleda M Cheng, D.V.M., C.V.A - Small Animals, dogs, cats, C.V.A, Western Herbal Medicine, Traditional Chinese Herbalist, Acupuncture
American Animal Hospital
Randolph - NJ
This forum is for general pet health questions, such as questions about medications, parasites, vaccines, infectious diseases, breed specific and genetic problems.
Dark Blotchy Skin on my Dog's Underside
by James Bland, Jun 24, 2007 12:00AM
Hello,
I have a 4 year old gray/black cairn terrier who has a history of allergies. She has been seen regularly by our vet and is currently on a regimen of prednisone. She takes one pill a day to control itching. During the summer months, she also receives injections as needed as this time of year is worse for her allergies. She has recently developed dark (not quite black) blotches on her chest, stomach, and inside her hind legs. It does not seem to bother her, but I'm concerned because this condition does not look very healthy. Any ideas about what this might be? Thanks
James
I have a 4 year old gray/black cairn terrier who has a history of allergies. She has been seen regularly by our vet and is currently on a regimen of prednisone. She takes one pill a day to control itching. During the summer months, she also receives injections as needed as this time of year is worse for her allergies. She has recently developed dark (not quite black) blotches on her chest, stomach, and inside her hind legs. It does not seem to bother her, but I'm concerned because this condition does not look very healthy. Any ideas about what this might be? Thanks
James
Doctor's Answer
by Aleda M Cheng, D.V.M., C.V.A, Jun 24, 2007 12:00AM
, Jun 24, 2007 12:00AM
Hello James,
There are several possibilities for the dark patches on your dog’s skin all of which are secondary to allergies; these include a skin yeast infection, pyoderma (bacterial skin disease), hyperpigmentation, mites, endocrine skin diseases, and others. Steroid use is safe for intermittent control but I would try to switch her to something safe for long-term use.
The treatment for the dark skin patches depends on the cause; therefore a proper diagnosis is essential.
Your veterinarian can also perform a skin scraping, impression smear, or biopsy specifically for the skin lesions. He should then treat for the diagnosed pathogen. Treatment can involve: shampoos, topical rinses or conditioners, topical ear medication, antifungals, antibiotics, antihistamines, hypoallergenic diets (if food allergy), antiparasitic medication, a new medication called Atopica and of course a short course of steroids. Atopica is very reliable for canine atopy, but only if the secondary factors are controlled, and unfortunately it is expensive, but safer then chronic steroid use.
I also recommend having your veterinarian do allergy testing if it is affordable. Once the allergies are identified, your dog could be desensitized to the allergens, or avoid them if possible. There is no totally reliable test for food allergies.
Are you sure that your dog doesn’t also have food allergies? To test for food allergies your veterinarian would have to place your dog on a hypoallergenic food such as venison and potato or duck and potato as a food trial for 12 weeks. After the 12-week period you introduce a small amount of your dog’s old diet and wait one week. If the symptoms come back you will know that your dog was allergic to one or more of the components of his old food.
I hope this helps. Thanks!
Dr Cheng
There are several possibilities for the dark patches on your dog’s skin all of which are secondary to allergies; these include a skin yeast infection, pyoderma (bacterial skin disease), hyperpigmentation, mites, endocrine skin diseases, and others. Steroid use is safe for intermittent control but I would try to switch her to something safe for long-term use.
The treatment for the dark skin patches depends on the cause; therefore a proper diagnosis is essential.
Your veterinarian can also perform a skin scraping, impression smear, or biopsy specifically for the skin lesions. He should then treat for the diagnosed pathogen. Treatment can involve: shampoos, topical rinses or conditioners, topical ear medication, antifungals, antibiotics, antihistamines, hypoallergenic diets (if food allergy), antiparasitic medication, a new medication called Atopica and of course a short course of steroids. Atopica is very reliable for canine atopy, but only if the secondary factors are controlled, and unfortunately it is expensive, but safer then chronic steroid use.
I also recommend having your veterinarian do allergy testing if it is affordable. Once the allergies are identified, your dog could be desensitized to the allergens, or avoid them if possible. There is no totally reliable test for food allergies.
Are you sure that your dog doesn’t also have food allergies? To test for food allergies your veterinarian would have to place your dog on a hypoallergenic food such as venison and potato or duck and potato as a food trial for 12 weeks. After the 12-week period you introduce a small amount of your dog’s old diet and wait one week. If the symptoms come back you will know that your dog was allergic to one or more of the components of his old food.
I hope this helps. Thanks!
Dr Cheng
