My shorkie's skin (mostly belly) is starting to very dark, almost black..Is it serious? Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Male | neutered | 2 years and 10 months old | 16 lbs

Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). The following products can be found online and can be tried as a first line approach: Douxo PS Calm shampoo, Essential 6 spot on by dermoscent, Krillex Krill oil chews. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Sometimes when the skin turns from pinkish to a dark black or grayish color it can be from constant and chronic itching or licking. If you notice that Poppy is itching or licking her belly a lot allergies could be an underlying issue. You could try bathing her more frequently in a gentle shampoo or calling your vet for a recommendation for an over the counter antihistamine. If the skin seems bumpy, flaky or thickened then I would take her in to be evaluated. If the skin is overall soft and smooth try the above recommendations and see if it helps.

Is my dog's belly skin turning dark or black a serious problem?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

My shorkie's skin (mostly belly) is starting to very dark, almost black..Is it serious?

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Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Marcy McKeithen, DVM 101

Veterinarian

Published on April 15th, 2017

Dogs develop hyperpigmentation on there belly for 2 reasons. The most common reason is chronic skin inflammation from allergies. This is not serious per se, it is just a sequelae to allergies in dogs. The other reason is some metabolic problems can cause changes in the skin as well. If he has no signs of allergies at all, you might have some bloodwork done to rule out a metabolic reason for the color changes. I hope this helps.

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Is my dog's belly skin turning dark or black a serious problem?

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