Anyone know what this is? Single black spot on Sable coat... - Page 1

About 2 months ago, my young sable bitch (2.5 years old) developed a weird “spot” (like a leopard spot) on her right hip. This was a few weeks prior to her schutzhund 1 and we were tracking a lot, so I initially thought it was a rub mark from the tracking line. (she tracks on a tight line) Initially, all the hair fell out in a circular pattern about the size of a silver dollar. The skin pigment underneath was pitch black in color – so much so you couldn’t even tell it was even skin – except that there was no hair there. The spot has grown back in and contrary to the pics, the hair is almost the same length as the rest of the coat now. It is just solid black and lays flat. In the pics it still looks like there is a bald spot, but it is actually quite filled in.

The spot seems fine, never bothered her that I saw and I know of no trauma or other reason for the initial hair loss – outside again, the tracking line – which rubbed exactly over the spot. The only thing is that I don’t necessarily think it was the tracking line, as I’d have expected a larger area if it was going to rub off fur at all, which seems unlikely anyhow. She doesn’t track on that tight of a line…

Anyhow, there was no bite I could discern, hot spot or other skin condition I could see. We do have wolf spiders around our home and I have seen them inside on an occasion – so was thinking possible spider bite? Anyhow, was just curious, it is odd and she has no other spots nor do I recall seeing them on any other dogs. I also thought, vaccine location? But it’s been a long time since her last vaccination.

Thanks,

-Calvin

I don't know what caused it, but has her undercoat (in that spot) also grown in or just the outer guard hairs? Do you think it may look more normal once her undercoat grows back in if in fact, it hasn't yet?

The reason I ask is once my young male had to be confined because he tore his pad pretty badly.  He got very bored and ended up chewing his tail up near the dock.  He chewed away about an inch strip,chewed off the black part of the longer guard hairs & just left the lighter stubble!  So I am wondering if all the hair in the lttle area fell out, the first you will see as it grows in in the darker top part maybe?

Hmm, I know some lines of Pomeranians are prone to Black Skin Disease, where there's a black tint to the skin, followed by hair loss. Random black spots may be present. Here are some pix of Poms with BSD: http://www.mbfonline.com/bsdauction/photos.htm  First, have your vet do a skin scraping for Demodectic Mange, which can also give the skin a black tint and causes hair loss..

Hey, my sable bitch used to have a spot too!!  We called it her "crop circle", lol.  I think her coat changes color over the seasons, because the spot showed up in the spring and by summer it was gone again.  She was 4 years old at the time so not exactly a puppy changing color but who knows?  Her spot was not that dark though...


April 15, 2008, sport starting to show (started as an outline circle, then filled in)


June 2008, circle on the rear (ick, the color of this pic is terrible!)


June 11, 2008


July 2008, gone