Ask Dr Claire

My labradors skin on his tummy has turned black at the age of three. What can it be?

Some dogs have more pigmentation in the skin than others and the pigment can change in young dogs but I would not expect this to take place over the whole stomach.

A possible explanation is that it could be post-inflammatory hyper pigmentation for example secondary to an itchy tummy or an allergy.

If the skin texture and thickness is totally like that of the unpigmented skin, it’s important to monitor it but if the pigmented skin is thickened or raised it needs to be investigated or treated. Sometimes, to know for sure what is going on a biopsy needs to be taken.

If you’d like to chat in person, you can book a live video call or start a chat to discuss in more detail, as soon as possible.

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Chat soon,
Dr Claire