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903476 tn?1242237037

4 Year old Chihuahua face turning white

My 4 year old Chihuahua 's face is nearly totally white now all around the eyes and mouth and now it's staring on the top of the head. Shes mostly black with a small white patch on her chest tummy and 3 of her paws and shes got dark brown/tanish colour down he sides and a ringed tail.

Her face was pure black but in the past year shes gotten so much white she looks like a 12 year old dog not 4 year old. I feed her good food, shes on Natures Choice Lamb and Rice. It's not a bad diet and shes still a very playful and active dog she'll be 5 in June shes still very young way to young to look so old. I'm worried it's something bad I've never owned a dog that went gray/white this young.
Best Answer
612551 tn?1450022175
Sorry, I have no answers or experience other than myself who didn't go fully gray until past 60 and my wife almost no gray at 60..just some data points on the human side.. lots of variations that do not seem to predict life expectancy.

I don't understand the two dogs and can't change diet for one - do they eat together and you want them to both have the same food - less fighting over food that way?

I change my dogs food in part because I "think" he likes some variety.  This is complicated in our case by a suspicion of food allergies causing skin, not hair problems.  

Not sure these brands are available in Canada but I have used Taste-of-the-wild Salmon kibble and 4Health Canned Samon/potato (latter being a Tractor Supply brand which is moderate cost but high quality).

A change from domestic animal protein to a wild (venison or salmon) might be worth a try.. some dogs don't like change so I'd buy the small bag or one can for a test.
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612551 tn?1450022175
Sorry to read you lost your father at such a young age, from my perspective 60 is quite young.  

I have had a beard a couple of times the first time it came in grey my wife objected saying it may be look too old...suppose it did.  The last time I had a full beard was at age 64, it was all grey and my head, which still has about as much hair as my avatar shows, was partly grey.  My wife didn't object but I grew tired of it after about a year.

Dogs can sleep 16 hours a day, my estimate, not a published or tested fact on my part.  I think they tend to follow their human example.  Our 9 yo Westie (a big 20 pound male) sleeps a lot in part because my wife's health problems make her very inactive.  She must spend at least 12 hours a day sleeping, in part due to medications.  When ever we leave the house we find our Westie sound asleep when we get home and as he is deaf he doesn't here us come in, so we find him still asleep.  Still he will play and run in circles if the "spirit" moves him.  Being totally white I am not sure he will turn grey - I may look that one up. I expect him to live to a normal life expectancy of about 15 years, he may outlast the both of us.... one never knows but I'd not take on a puppy at my age.
Helpful - 0
903476 tn?1242237037
I feed them a Lamb and Rice formula which is only 240cal a cup every other food I have found is more then 350cal a cup I used to feed them the Blue Wilderness Salmon but that's more then 400cal a cup and Snowflake my Miniature American Eskimo can only eat 410cal a day. They still eat the Blue Wilderness salmon wet food everyday as well. Cleopatra should only have 360cal a day. The reason why I have to feed them together and same food is Cleopatra will only eat kibble from Snowfakes bowl and only after she see Snowflake eat it first. As it is the kibble is a little big for her mouth Snowflake is 29lbs Cleopatra is 8lbs. There food is a high quality food and they seem to really like it or like it enough to eat it without complaining.

Last year Snowflake partly tore her ACL and I had to change there food to avoid having to get surgery if Snow could lose 4lbs and keep it off her knee should heal. Changing it back might cause her to gain the weight back. But I looked at Cleopatra's old pictures and her face started going gray/white in mid 2012ish almost a year before I changed there food so I don't think it has anything to do with diet.

When I like about my parents my mother is only 58 and shes half gray, my dad died at 60 but he was pretty salt and pepper tho his beard had two gray stripes in it by the time he was 40. My best friend is younger then I am shes almost salt a pepper myself I have none. Cleo in doggy years is less then 30 I think it's 7 for our one.

Shes such a young lively dog with tons of energy and playfulness. But she dose tend to sleep a lot. I have a severe thyroid problem myself so I get very sleepy and since she is a Chihuahua she dose spend 70% of her time on my lap. Is she sleeping on my lap cuz shes sleepy or is she just doing it because shes a lapdog?
Helpful - 0
903476 tn?1242237037
I did hear about a gene that causes even puppies to go gray. I'm seeing even more patch's on her hips and backside. I don't mind the gray shes cute anyway all I care about is her health and her quality of life. I think I might call the vet thyroid problems are nothing to take lightly. I should know I have major thyroid problems myself. I don't know what I'll do if I have to change her diet I have two dogs and the other one needs her kibble to be very low calorie and the stuff I use is the lowest I could find that wasn't all filler.
Helpful - 0
974371 tn?1424653129
It could be nothing other than genetics like some people grayling at a young age.

There is a chance it could be diet, autoimmune disease or possible thyroid problem.  

If the dog seems healthy, I doubt I would be concerned but you might bring it up with your Vet the next time you go in and maybe get some blood work done.
Helpful - 0
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