# Belly area turning black????



## 12Shepherd

I have had my German Shepherd for about 7 months now. We got him from a local family that couldn't afford to take care of him. The first week we got him home he had red spots underneath his belly area that looked like ringworm. We took him to the Vet and they scraped the underneath area and no bacteria was found. It was not ringworm. They gave us some oral meds to clear up the break out. It went away and just recently he had a couple red spots come back. The red spots went way and now the skin in his belly area is turning black. Not sure why and if anyone has suggestions or ideas of what this could be please help. I have read some forums but nothing was making sense to his condition. Thanks for any help or suggestions.

Mike


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## Charlie W

I haven't had any experience of this, but I'd be taking him back to the vet. If the scrapings didn't reveal any ringworm or mange / mites, could it be some sort of allergy? Good luck, let us know the outcome..


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## Lucy Dog

Could be a yeast infection. Did the vet happen to mention that as a possibility?


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## Shade

Ouch that looks painful, I'd get back to the vet and get it checked out again


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## Courtney

I would be concerned with a staph infection. The orginal cause for the inflammation no idea, this seems to be a secondary infection. Would take back to the vet or visit another one. Looks very painful/irritated.


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## Courtney

I found this thread while searching the boards.

There were several. I did an advanced search in the health section only "black skin" and several threads popped up. You would have to read through them.

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/health-issues/173473-need-help-black-skin-rash.html


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## LoveEcho

Did they check for demodex? 

Also, repetitive licking at a hot spot/other irritation can turn the skin black like that. 

Yeast, in my experience (I have a dog who is a walking disaster with his skin), looks more like "stuff" on the skin/matted in the fur. 

I'd second a trip back to the vet. Veterycin has worked wonders in the interim for my dog, who gets irritated skin from allergies and then licks it obsessively until it's a big hot spot or a black, hairless spot.


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## GatorBytes

Thyroid and/or adrenals (blackening of skin is a symptom of cushings or pre-cushings syndrome)

the reddening/rash would be secondary to yeast (again a hormonal issue)...the vet has to test for yeast, not just bacteria.

how old is the dog?

Raw organic apple cider vinegar - 50/50 mix with water and spritz the area a few times per day, follow up w/goldenseal tea and calendula tea mix (health food store) - ACV will restore skin PH (re: yeast) and is antibacterial, goldenseal is antibacterial, anti-itch, and calendula is soothing and healing 

Look into Dr. Jean Dodds (specifically) thyroid test, not the idexx labs most vets use (usually only test T4)

internally you may want to add kelp to diet (in powder form) - re: trace minerals for immune health and iodine for thyroid

My dogs whole groin turned black (shortly after a multi-vaccine + rabies) and was kibble fed, I started him on kelp and MSM and the whole area turned pink again after a few months - I then went to RAW, vet advised to keep on kelp and astragalas root for immune system.

Ashwagandha is another herb indicated for thyroid/adrenal health - not suggesting you run out and get these w/o a trained vet - just putting forth so you are aware there is alternatives to drugs that if caught early enough, can change the course of ill health.

Bovine colostrum however, I would suggest for any condition that is related to immune system


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## Magwart

I don't want to scare you, and my experience could have been a random fluke, but....

Right before my old girl who had hemangiosarcoma was diagnosed with that nasty cancer, she had an outbreak of black stuff on her belly. 

At the time, the vet had no explanation (it was not fungal, an allergy, or anything else they could figure out). They thought it was basically black heads randomly showing up in a big patch on her tummy, but no one could could figure out why that suddenly would happen. 

Within a month, we found out about the hemangio. The two might be totally unrelated. Or it might have been her body telling us something inside was wrong. I can't say, the vet can't say, and there's no literature I ever found connecting the two. I'll never know. It was the only time in her life this dog had that black patch on her belly though.

I pray that's not what this is for your dog. Yours is likely much too young for it.


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## katdog5911

I would probably talk to the vet again....

Stella had some black areas under her armpits and belly area a while back. Vet said it was due to excessive licking.


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## GatorBytes

Magwart said:


> I don't want to scare you, and my experience could have been a random fluke, but....
> 
> Right before my old girl who had hemangiosarcoma was diagnosed with that nasty cancer, she had an outbreak of black stuff on her belly.
> 
> At the time, the vet had no explanation (it was not fungal, an allergy, or anything else they could figure out). They thought it was basically black heads randomly showing up in a big patch on her tummy, but no one could could figure out why that suddenly would happen.
> 
> Within a month, we found out about the hemangio. The two might be totally unrelated. Or it might have been her body telling us something inside was wrong.* I can't say, the vet can't say, and there's no literature I ever found connecting the two. I'll never know*. It was the only time in her life this dog had that black patch on her belly though.
> 
> I pray that's not what this is for your dog. Yours is likely much too young for it.


Hemangiosarcomas in Dogs

Although they can theoretically occur anywhere in the body, in dogs, hemangiosarcomas generally occur in these locations:

Skin
Subcutaneous tissues
Spleen
Heart
Hemangiosarcomas of the skin 
What are the symptoms of hemangiosarcomas of the skin? A hemangiosarcoma of the skin usually appears as a red or black raised growth. Some hemangiosarcomas of the skin are associated with exposure to the sun so most commonly occur on areas of the body with sparse fur, such as the abdomen, or in areas of short white fur. Other hemangiosarcomas of the skin in dogs can be metastasis from other tumors. The only way to positively identify a skin or subcutaneous tumor as a hemangiosarcoma is by histopathology (examining the removed tissue under the microscope).


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## bbmart

This is an old thread but wanted to share what finally worked for me. I started giving her 1 tablespoon of food grade Diatomaceous Earth on top of her food every night. Not only did her loose stools become hard and a normal shape but the blackness of her stomach mostly went away. There is still a little near her private parts. I had tried everything including diet which helped a little.


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## acjckcgc

12Shepherd said:


> I have had my German Shepherd for about 7 months now. We got him from a local family that couldn't afford to take care of him. The first week we got him home he had red spots underneath his belly area that looked like ringworm. We took him to the Vet and they scraped the underneath area and no bacteria was found. It was not ringworm. They gave us some oral meds to clear up the break out. It went away and just recently he had a couple red spots come back. The red spots went way and now the skin in his belly area is turning black. Not sure why and if anyone has suggestions or ideas of what this could be please help. I have read some forums but nothing was making sense to his condition. Thanks for any help or suggestions.
> 
> Mike


My female shepherd has had this issue for months, vets give antibiotics of creams, it goes away. But returns after treatment, the financial strain is bad! But, I love my Shepherd and have arrange to take her to a fur baby dermatologist, hoping to get answers March 23, 2021.


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