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One night I was cuddling with Rodrigo, doing the combo “I love you, puppy” – At Home Exam – rub and I noticed that his tummy was really dark. It almost seemed black. I rolled him over more, reassuring him what a sweet baby he was while ignoring his confusion, and got a good look. Yep, his tummy was definitely darker; a lot darker.
What would cause my dog's stomach to turn black?
I parted his hair in various places and saw healthy, pink skin. I then checked Sydney’s tummy (darker, but not as dark as Rodrigo) and Blue’s tummy, a bit darker – but by now, I’m wondering if I’m just seeing things.
What Would Cause a Dog's Stomach to Turn Black?
I did what our veterinarian taught me; I listed all the facts.
- The dogs weren’t itching or licking excessively
- The dogs’ diet hasn’t changed
- The dogs weren’t sluggish or listless – they had three crazy play sessions that afternoon with us
- The dogs' behavior and body (besides the tummy) was otherwise unchanged
- Since two dogs had darker tummies, I was leaning towards age (Rodrigo and Sydney are siblings)
Google is helpful and harmful, and whenever I start doing Google research, I try and keep a clear head until I speak with the veterinarian, because, as I found with WebMD, everyone is dying of cancer.
When it comes to researching health issues online, I implore you NOT to click on sites that say “forum.” Each one I’ve been too has given me tons of dog parent contributions that are the worst-case scenario, and they freak me out. Instead, I look for actual dog health sites to learn more.
Things That Can Turn a Dog's Tummy Black
- Age
- Fleas
- Canine Black Crusty Skin
- Canine Black Skin Disease
Reminder: I'm not a veterinarian. If you are concerned about your dog's health, please contact your veterinarian.
Fleas: You’ll see flea dirt (remains of flea feces and dried blood) on their tummy. For their entire tummy to be black, you have an infestation that is crazy. We use Wondercide products, they're natural and don't have any harmful side effects. Our dogs have never had fleas.
Canine Black Crusty Skin: A disorder that results in darkening of the skin and hair loss caused by abnormally low levels of growth hormones. This has to be diagnosed by a veterinarian who will run tests and recommend treatment.
Canine Black Skin Disease: Caused by a hormone imbalance, genetics, and allergies. This has to be diagnosed by a veterinarian who will run tests and recommend treatment.
Why Rodrigo and Sydney’s Tummies Turned Black
Age. I called the vet the next day, let them know that nothing else has changed (diet and behavior) and by then I had noticed that the skin wasn’t completely black; it actually was just darker – it seemed black, because of the lighting the evening prior. There were also big splotches of pink on their tummies as well.
The veterinarian assured me that this is just normal for some dogs; their exposed skin gets darker as they get older (Rodrigo and Sydney just turned three years old at the time).
Skin Care. The chat with our vet calmed me down and I was comfortable that my dogs were okay. Since my dogs didn't have a skin issue, I moved on, making sure to use Wondercide products for natural flea control without the short or longterm side effects.
2020 Update: Rodrigo and Sydney are approaching their 10 year birthdays and their tummy is still light in color.
Switching to a Raw Food Diet
In 2013, I transitioned my dogs to a raw food diet and I was shocked to see that one of the amazing benefits of feeding fresh food is lovely pink skin. The dark pigmentation went away!!! You can learn more about my experience as a raw feeding in my books, which are now available on Amazon:
- A Novice's Guide to Raw Feeding for Dogs
- Keeping it Raw: 100 Questions Pet Parents Have About Raw Feeding
Easy Raw Dog Food Recipes [Bulk]
My dogs eat a diet of raw muscle meat, organ meat, and bone. I also add fermented vegetables, raw eggs, raw sardines, and dairy (raw goats milk and kefir). I post the recipes I make for my dogs every Friday:
- Easy Homemade Dog Food Recipes with Dr. Harvey's Base Mixes
- Easy Venison Homemade Dog Food Recipe
- Creative Ways to Include Chicken Gizzards in a Dog's Diet
- Easy Pork with Vegetables Homemade Dog Food Recipe
- 5 Easy Mushroom Broth Recipes to Boost Your Dog's Health
Are you adding Omega-3 fatty acids to your dog’s raw diet? Fish oil, salmon oil, or phytoplankton are great sources and support skin and coat health. You can check out the products I recommend here: https://keepthetailwagging.com/supplements. I only recommend products I use with my dogs.
My dog has drake areas in between he’s legs what could it be he eats just fine
Would canned sardines work? What about the salt in them?
Black Skin Disease Treatment is done by us now both in Turkey and the positive results were obtained in our many patients in Europe treated us not temporarily at’m permanently personell fluctuation world that this treatment is available in many treatments now singleton but is not permanent. you can contact us for details Veterinarians will give detailed information thanks in advance
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https://www.instagram.com/black_coat_disease/
Hi Andrew
Yes, dogs do suntan, however, I’ve heard more instances of dogs burning and not tanning because people shave their coats too short in the summertime. The image in the blog post is a stock image; not one of my dogs.
Thanks for your thoughts.
Hello Kimberly – I note from the picture that your dog is lying on its back, my Frenchie does that in fact my Frenchie definitely sunbaths, he lies on his side, then rolls over, then rolls onto his back, then turns around and starts the process again. It is now July 2018 and we have been experiencing some warm weather in the UK so Stannis (my Frenchie) is loving it. His tummy has turned a lot darker in the last 3 weeks, I have the photos to prove it. I was wondering if it was a suntan rather than age as he is relatively young (just turned 3) and the change has happened so quickly. Stannis is a fawn with black mask with a full pedigree and KC Registration his tummy was previously quite pink but now it is dark almost black. He is regularly seen by the vets for health checks and I flee and worm him using a very regular, strict regime in line with my vets recommendations.
The question is are dogs able to get a suntan?
Thank you for writing about your dogs sun tan! My dogs stomach started to look dark and I was scrambling looking for reasons why. She’s on an all raw diet, and we do everything we can to make sure she’s healthy. Then I saw your post and it made so much sense. She has been sitting in the sun daily since it’s starting to get warm. She’s even laying on her back right now in the sun. I’m going to look into a natural sun protection for her.
Hi Deeddra – please contact your veterinarian; they’ll be able to help you understand what’s happening with your dog. Best of luck.
I have a chawawa mixed she is pregnant her belly seems to be getting darker every day she is 7weeks is this normal because when she was pregnant last year the same thing happened
Thank you I just noticed my girl’s tummy turning darker. I switched her from kibble a few months back. She’s not a fan of vegetables. Look forward to your Facebook group
I had a Yellow Lab whose underbelly turned black. I put him on a clean diet of mostly vegetables and very specialized proteins. It helped a little. Once I started applying Aloe Vera gel it cleared. 🙂 I just re-homed a puppy that I had for 3 months. He was on a gluten free diet and lots of fruit and veggies. A few days in his new home and the picture I got shows him with a blackening belly. 🙁 I’m going to wait a little time and ask for the new owners about the color of his tummy. If it’s still blackening, I’m going to ask if they changed his diet. I had told them he had a sensitive tummy due to the litter being sold off too early. ANY THOUGHTS HERE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!
I’ll keep it short and sweet.
Firstly, If you keep on doing what you’re doing, the dogs won’t heal, that I can guarantee.
If you concentrate on strengthening their immune, you’ll actually get somewhere.
Food DOES matter!! And so does everything else. More importantly the immune must be kept strong.
There are quite a few things that can affect the intestinal bacterial balance in a pet’s gut (immune system), thus causing an imbalance and this is when we see anything from allergies, to ear infections, yeast, cancer and other diseases….
Vaccinations, stress, genetics, poor unbalanced diet, commercial treats, prescription drugs, processed foods, pollutants, lack of exercise, tap water, tobacco smoke, incense, air-fresh, environmental changes, chemical fertilisers, herbicides, pesticides, worm and flea treatments, to name a few..
Eliminate these things, while strengthening the immune and you should see an improvement. We must always look at the whole picture and limit the amount of harmful things we expose pets to throughout their lives.
(I’ve helped dogs heal just like the ones on this page)
When you’re researching on the internet, there are things, or rules if you like.
I’ve been running a Facebook group for 3 years, feeding our dogs a natural raw diet for 7 years, while treating/preventing and healing naturally for 4 years.
I help many dogs with all sorts of ailments, infections and diseases and not one has ever healed when fed a processed diet. In fact, all dogs who have had a processed diet, over vaccinated, had chemicals put in or on them etc above all their lives are a walking time bomb.
If your dog develops black skin, then look at the dog as a whole, seek guidance of a holistic vet, NOT a conventional one as they have no idea about nutrition or whats the best for your dog. Oh sure there are the odd one or two conventional ones out there who are integrated and the majority of these vets are fine too.
For anyone wishing to join the group, here is the link..
https://www.facebook.com/groups/324599134386758/
Hey guys I don’t know if it’s possible to do so, buy if you post a picture of your backyard, I can tell you exactly what could be causing your dog’s belly to turn black. My dogs tummy turned black when I moved to a new place, as soon as I moved our it went away. Believe it or not our pets get allergies too, especially from plants, and if they don’t have a strong immune system, the worse the symptoms will be, just as with humans. Our bodies react to our allergic culprits differently, as do theirs. I’m not sure if you ever seen a dog that came in contact with raid bug killer, but it’s not pretty, and dogs usually get sick in some fashion from it, my step sons dogs eyes and mouth swelled badly.
If I were you, and if I could go back in time, I would have completely removed the bush that I suspected was causing this allergic reaction, check ur yards for plants you don’t recognize, hold off on giving them table scraps, and avoid changing their food for the moment. Try ur best to narrow down what the root could be, thru process of elimination.
I order fresh sardines through a local raw food co-op. You might find them at an Asian grocery store. I do buy canned sardines too – I look for them in olive oil or water (low sodium). My dogs have been fine. They only get sardines once a week unless I have sardine chubs from Primal Pet, which is the easiest way to add sardines to their diet.
I don’t think I have ever seen fresh sardines in my grocery store. Would canned sardines work? What about the salt in them?
My dog is also a terrier mix and has really no hair on her stomach. It does turn black at times and also is pink at times. There are even black spots sometimes. My vet said it’s a suntan! Lots of laying outside in the sun…and I believe she’s right, as in the winter, her stomach is nice and pink. I have not yet applied sunscreen…but it could be considered I guess if your dog doesn’t lick it off.
Keep in mind that although you’ve switched to grain free, you’re only tackling part of the problem. Kibble is difficult for dogs to digest and the over processing that occurs when making kibble is contributing to the number of dogs that have health issues today.
At the moment, I believe that a species appropriate diet of raw dog food is what helped my dogs. My dog Rodrigo went from being very unhealthy, losing weight, and living with pain – to being an active, vibrant, happy and healthy dog thanks to raw dog food.
If raw isn’t something you want to do at this time, taking steps to add natural, fresh food to your dog’s diet will make a huge difference.
My little guy is 11 and has terrible allergies. I’m on a grain free diet for him, and that has helped tremendously. He gets it in ears, eyes, butt, feet poor guy, I thought if something wasent going to work I couldn’t watch him suffer any longer. Going on for 3rd year now.Then went grain free, he changed over night! I do have him on allergies medication and ointments for ears and eyes, but tonight I rolled him over his belly is BLACK, normally pink, blonde doggie. He seems so much better now this…and ugly brushing looking spots too. My poor baby boy….
My dogs pink belly turned black during time he was diagnosed as a diabetic – age 8. Then it picked back up. Now at age 10 it’s distinctly white. He’s had two different cancers cut out during this time. Last surgery had clean margins.
I feed my dogs 75-80% raw muscle meat, 10-15% raw bone, 10% raw organ meat (half of which is liver). I also feed them a vegetable blend that I make along with supplements to address any health issues – joint supplement, digestive supplement, etc.
You can find out more on this page of my site that goes into detail and provides links to help you learn more: https://keepthetailwagging.com/learn-about-raw-feeding-for-dogs/
I have a 1.5 year old terrier. After a year, her pink tummy has turned dark. She eats Pedigree. When you speak of a “raw” diet, what exactly do you mean? Can you provide a sample diet? Thanks!
Important to note that Google is simply a search mechanism. It’s the Internet (and the people who use it) that is crazy/dangerous, not Google. You would get the same type of results using Bing, Yahoo, or any other search tool.
Just a 2 second comment… google makes the most often read (and endorsed) the highlight… BUT this dialogue was not supposed to be about that. There are several things that can cause skin darkening or venous congestion that would be major concerns. I am an MD and not a vet so I am off-topic here but I am worried that people who don’t see EXACTLY what their pet has may mis-diagnose based on reassuring and distracting comments… if not exactly like yours including NO behavior change then see a vet. There are several conditions that can be treated early and look like the “benign” one. If yours looks like the benign one… be happy! If not, just worth a quick checkup I think.
I do not and have never made any meds for animals (except humans) nor do I have any financial disclosure for this post.
-j
Very interesting. I know environment can have something to do with it so I wonder what’s going on in your environment. Looking forward to the update.
Okay so I have some theories of my own,.. I got three dogs, a purebred toy yorkie nMartinihnny Cash, a Pomeranian-Dachsund-Chihuahua-jack Russell mix named Martini, and I believe a corgi-jack Russell mix named Booskie aka Bully.
Prior to my home now, I lived in a condo, and had cash and martini, at the time cash was 8, martini 1 and bully came to us at around 5 months old. All of my dogs stomachs were pink… Okay around October 27 we were forced to move unexpectedly. We moved in by my mom, after two weeks of living here I started to notice their belly’s getting splotchy. Cash’s belly having the least but martini went into heat for the first time just as we were moving. I don’t think that had anything to do with it. Now I will be completely up front with you, my fiance lost his store, and so money was tight, there were a few days here and there, my dogs were fed whatever I had in the house, I would try to mix certain things like meat and vegetables, but sometimes it was lunch meat and cheerios.
My point is no matter what crazy concotions of foods I fed them, their tummys never changed color. Then I moved here, and they’ve been on nothing but dog food, but we have changed brands multiple times. What they used to get was usually pedigree, and aims, since living here they’ve gotten a few different kinds, one being gravy train which I honestly like, and my yorkie eats it fine as it softened with warm water. The conclusions I’ve come to is this
The true difference here is, they’ve never eaten one strict brand I do not believe its the food. However Cash’s stomach never fully darkened as the other two. He also spends more time inside than them. I don’t know if it is a contagious thing, I believe whatever caused it lies in the backyard here. And since most plants are fake except for a tree/bush back there, that Martini and bully used to chew on, I’m wondering if that might be the reason. All three seem to scratch more than usual like something’s biting them, But there are no fleas in las Vegas. They can’t survive the climate, plus there are four cats, one is mine, I had her before martini and bully and they’re not scratching and their bellies are pink. I also question if “winter” has something to do with it, so I will let you guys no if, come warmer seasons, whether their belly’s change back. It could also be their age, but then why does Cash’s belly look the way it does, like a dark pink… Anyway thanks for listening, I’ll keep you posted.
Wow! This is such an old post that I need to update it now that I read your comment. Our dogs have been eating raw for 2-1/2 years and they’re tummies NEVER go dark. Wow! Thanks for commenting. I never put the two together before now.
It is your dog food and diet. Had same problem and havnt looked back since I went all natural food. It started with momma dog and I thought it was that she was getting older but when her puppies started showing the same problem of dark skin I knew it was their diet. We tried everything ended up on a 4 star food and it seemed to get better and then it started looking the same . Finally I decided to go all natural food ie human quality and within a couple of weeks the puppies looked normal again and the mom that was the worst off gone within a month. This was a huge relief and havnt look back, they are pink bellied and healthy. This has been my experience and only a suggestion vecause it worked for me.
Thank you so much, Shaun – I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that!
Hi Kimberly – as a new reader to your blog I though I’d just hop on and leave a quick comment here to say I’ve been reading a few posts and enjoying them very much. Cheers! Shaun
Have fun with the eBook projects! I want to write more, but I’m taking a break for at least a month and then I’ll be at it again! Fingers crossed. Yes, I’ll be at BlogPaws. Pretty excited 🙂
Thank you so much, Kristen. Ever since we lost our puppy last year, I got a little over zealous about their health, then being a pet blogger doesn’t help, because of all the research I do. Yep, I’m taking lots of deep breaths around here – LOL.
I can totally relate to the panic feeling! Especially when they come up with these odd symptoms. I’m glad to hear it’s nothing serious! Love your writing style.
Thanks, Deena
One of the things I love about being a blogger is that I know this stuff, because I see it every day. There’s a benefit to being on Facebook a lot – LOL
Yes, exactly like reality TV!
No, BlogPaws isn’t in the cards this year I’m sorry to say. We’re deluged with ebook projects right now and I just can’t take the time. You going?
If you need anything, you know where to find me…at http://ramblecrunch.com or http://ebookdesignworks.com. Either one. Plus you’ve got my email. 🙂
Cheerio!
Great story, Kimberly! Google, WebMD, Ask.com, etc. are ok for general information, but reading the comments on the forums just gum up the works. Consider the sources! When I have questions about my dog’s or my health, I do a little research and then ask the Vet or Doctor. There is so much junk information out there, and the older I get, the more I realize that you can’t believe everything you hear/read. Cynical? I can live with that.
You are so right. My thing is to take deep breaths and analyze their behavior. I know which questions our vet will ask so I get prepared for them; just that practice slows the heartrate and allows me to take Google with a grain of salt.
Yes you are and that’s a great tip. I’m learning to look for eHow and PetMD too!
You’re right; the same principle. What’s amazing is that logically, I know that I shouldn’t look – if I click the link and it has that forum look, I need to click off, but sometimes it drags you in like a reality TV program. Awful.
Speaking of which – I need your business card. You’re going to be my go to person should I need to fly our dogs anywhere. Will you be at BlogPaws?
~ Kimberly
This wasn’t exactly a dog health issue, but the principle is the same.
When I had to fly Archie from Canada to Amsterdam, I Googled everything I could about flying a dog to Europe. I needed to know about government regs, vaccinations, flight safety precautions, etc. But instead of facts, all I came up with were a bunch of crap forums with illiterate people claiming they’d never fly their dog anywhere because it was so dangerous or relating stories of some friend’s dog that had been killed in cargo. It was AWFUL and really freaked me out.
When Casey, an English Springer Spaniel rescue, has a problem, I do a search on Bing. When the results come up, I look for eHow and I also look for a response from a professional medical organization. Once I have some facts in mind, I post on the Springer Spaniel Rescue message board. While sometimes worse-case scenarios are discussed, and someone is always going to recommend a call or visit to the vet, there is often good, practical info from this group of experienced dog owners.
Ultimately I consider all this info and then decide what is best for Casey. Because, when all is said and done, I AM the Mom.
Well, I think that firstly, regardless of other tools used, a head should be employed … meaning, “can my dog really be at the death’s door from some Andromeda strain, while appearing perfectly healthy?”
Over the years with Jasmine, I learned to get a feel for how serious things might or might not be. And if I felt they were really serious – that is not time to waste Googling. It is horrifying how many people get on the internet when they should be burning rubber on their way to ER instead …
I use internet all the time, for many things. My main rule, though, is that I don’t look to Google for answers, I merely look for questions.
Such a great reminder! You have to laugh at how dark things get so quickly for a simple query. I’m sorry for the pet parents who are dealing with the intense illnesses, but I saw people being attacked for not immediately going to the vet for a blemish.
Oh the Google… I learned long ago that the information you find on Google is only as good as it’s source. When I google health information, I try to stick to .edu sites and actual studies. I’m glad everything is ok though!
Thanks! Yep, Google made me realize that I can use it to develop questions for our vet, but not to replace our vet a while ago, but it’s so tempting to run to the internet first. If I’m worried, I have to keep the computer off, because it seems that I attract sites that give me the worst news.
~ Kim
SlimDoggy’s mom is a librarian…so this is a subject near and dear to her heart. Google is NOT a Vet (or doctor, or lawyer, or therapist or plumber or any of those things), but many people treat it that way. It does have many good and valuable assets -personally, I’m on it 10X a day. But throughout my career, (even though I never worked in an actual library) I have learned to sort out a reliable source from a ‘FORUM” (love that you caught on to that scam). Always try and check the actual source – is it a real person? And does that person have any credentials to speak on this subject? If I gave advice on plumbing on the internet, how stupid do you have to be to take it? Use Google yes, but use the filter god gave you to know what’s real and what’s a mosquito bite. Great post BTW.
I know, my doctor banned me from WebMD a few years ago, because I kept calling her with health scares. I’ve learned not to tell my vet that I found it online unless she asks directly – I think she knows. We have two vets and they know that I’m a blogger, which has really changed our relationship, because they know that I’ll do research so they’ll actually write things down for me or set aside time for a phone call.
Yep, Google can be a dangerous thing. I’ve learned to use it to help me shape questions for when I speak with the vet so that our time is informative. But I have to stop going to it unless I go to a reputable site – those forums are killers!
~ Kim
Sorry; meant prescribed, not subscribed. Too early in the day. LOL
Glad that all was well with the darker tummies. They say “a little knowledge is a dangerous thing” and so it is, with Google. 😉 I try to stick to legitimate medical sites for health issues. When our Dalmatian was first subscribed Tramadol for her arthritis, (she was 14 at the time), I checked online and it said it was an addictive opiate, which made me a little nervous. The vet was very good though and gave me several printed out sheets of info direct from a veterinarian site that said how much good it was doing for senior dogs who were suffering from this pain. It really did help her tremendously! Back to the subject of changing skin colour: We had a little blonde dog once, with a pink nose. As she got older, the nose turned darker and developed age spots. They were cute; looked like freckles. 🙂
Ah yes, I remember we used to hate it when people googled crazy stuff on the internet when I was working at the vet clinic lol. First thing I though of when I read your concern was exactly what your doctor said! Fortunately, I don’t google much about the pets, unless it’s to refresh my memory. I do have a problem with myself however lol…