Mercy's belly has turned dark

[Laleh]

after crying over night i finally decided to get myself together and go online there is no hope in the vets i have seen so far
Mercy recently started excessive scratching and biting herself.
I took her to her vet then went to another vet for second opinion.
no one seems to know what's wrong with her,
here what happened:
she was suspected to have mange so was given antibiotics
vet did a blood test then ruled out the mange however she was bathed in a dip for mange cure
she was given several shots to calm her skin
the vet ruled out any infection and decided it is allergy so another blood test
she was given ant-i allergy tablets that made her vomiting all the time so the vet advised to stop for now.

her beautiful pink belly has turned dark, her hair on her two back legs are matted - i think she has bitten her hair out-

the scratching has reduced after i changed her food from orijin to james beloved and ear drops but her belly is still dark.
anyone knows what could be the reason for her belly turning dark

[BodieBears]

Start making a calendar. Mark the days when new things happen, or when symptoms seem better or worse.

Think back to when you first noticed this. Was there a change in season? Did you switch detergents that you use for bedding / towels /etc? New food or treats introduced. Even new products on your lawn. New grooming products. If you take her to a groomer, ask them. Sometimes food companies will change ingredients, or the suppliers they come from. Go online and see if your food has changed, even in a minor way. Try writing the company and asking.

If you can find a vet that specializes in small dogs and is familiar with terriers, that is a plus. Terriers are more prone to skin and ear problems than many breeds. Sometimes the skin changes with age. Also, try contacting the breeder. (you have to be careful how you do this.... don't sound accusing, but ask out of concern and curiosity if any skin conditions were known in the line).

Hope this helps. Post an update if you find out what's wrong with your poor baby.

[lillymae]

Your poor Baby & poor you too. Her belly could be darker from damaged skin from scratching & biting.

[yorkietalkjilly]

Please take her for your state veterinary college for a dermatology consult or a vet dermatologist. She sounds like she needs real help ASAP as nothing has helped much so far. I'm assuming they have had you change her bedding, shampoo, food, couch throws, check her outside area(if any) for pesticides, etc.

[kjc]

Is the skin on her belly really smooth or it it looking puckered (bumpy) in patches under her front legs, in the center or her tummy and around her privates?

If she's broken hair on her belly, when new hair grows in it comes in darker than the hair that was there, but will lighten up in a few months.

[Lesyli]

When we got Lili last June the skin on her belly was almost black, My groomer said it was from the sun. In winter her belly went a nice pink. Now it is going dark again. She does love to lie on her back in the sun.

[Lisa and Pic]

Originally Posted by yorkietalkjilly

Please take her for your state veterinary college for a dermatology consult or a vet dermatologist. She sounds like she needs real help ASAP as nothing has helped much so far. I'm assuming they have had you change her bedding, shampoo, food, couch throws, check her outside area(if any) for pesticides, etc.

Great advice. We take Piccolo to a Vet Dermatologist for another type of issue and I always say this was one of the smartest things I have ever done to help Piccolo. Hopefully, you can get answers quickly.

I did want to add that one of my neighbor's dogs had a belly that turned dark like you are describing. For this dog, the vet diagnosed that he he had a sand flea allergy. The vet prescribed some type of medicine and it eventually cleared up. (They had just taken a trip to Florida.)

[ttwlcd]

hi i was just reading your post this happened to one of my gsd he was under the vet for ages had all the tests he even went bald but it turned out he had a allergy to fleas i used front line flea treatment and after a few weeks everything calmed down and hair started to grow

[kjc]

I would try a product like Revolution or Advantage Multi to treat for fleas and mites (which can be hard to find even under a microscope).

She may be having food allergies as well, as chicken is at the top of the list for allergens, try a dog food that uses a different type protein (may need to eliminate poultry all together) or use a limited ingredient diet.

For pups that sunbathe, I'd apply a sunblock to the tummy. The skin is so delicate there I would think some kind of protection would be warranted.

And I would also schedule an appointment with a Vet Dermatologist. With all the scratching, she may need to be on medicine as once the skin is irritated, the door is open for bacterial and fungal attack.

I would also hold off on all vaccines until these problems are resolved. Vaccines do not do their jobs as well on pups whose immune systems are busy fighting off other problems, and can complicate the issues she's already dealing with or cause new problems.

BTW: Welcome to YT!