fur pigment/texture changes after injury? (pic)

[bits619]

Howdy! I have a dog that was injured recently (6 weeks ago). She had to have stitches and a drain put into her neck for lacerations all around her neck. After one drain was removed, the vets had to remove some dead skin tissue on her neck (and insert the other). So, suffice it to say, she’s had some fairly extensive work done.

She’s a white poodle/schnauzer mix. Her skin on most of her body is black, with a pattern of white skin on her chest and belly (if that matters!).

I just noticed that her fur seemed to be taking a long time to grow back in a few spots… And now that it is, it’s growing in brown and tan, and straight! A friend pointed out that she looks like a horse with a ‘bloody shoulder’ marking. It’s not everywhere that she had stitches, and it’s pretty irregular (then again, on the underside of her neck, where there are no color changes, is where her skin is white pigmented, anyway… so I don’t know). The rest of her fur is very, very fine and kind of thin. This fur is THICK and lies flat, covers her skin much more than her ‘natural’ coat.

Of course, I adore her no matter what and am just thankful she’s alive, but I am wondering if she will always have this discoloration/texture change. Right now she’s due for a grooming anyways, and it looks so strange!

Anyone else seen/experienced this?

This is a picture of the back of her neck, with the color/texture changes. It’s not the best, I haven’t had a chance to get the camera out during daytime yet… (the small circle on her head is a puncture wound that the vet shaved clear, as well. It looks like it might have the changes, too)

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/197812_10100665650862180_4900208_63455793_289368_n.jpg

Thanks in advance!

[threedogpack]

give it a year and see if it grows back normally. Lots of times dogs who have been shaved for whatever reason grow hair back slowly or different somehow.

[Pancakes]

Sometimes, when skin is injured, the body’s natural response is to lay down pigment. When the skin is injured down to the level of the hair follicles, the hair may grow back differently than they did before. I would also wait to see if it changes, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a permanent change. Very cool! I like the “bloody shoulder” analogy.

[GoForAGallop]

It’s hard to see from the picture, and I’ll admit to not knowing a ton about Poodle coats…but it looks like it’s just her undercoat growing back in. If you look at the rest of her coat (at least in the picture) she has traces of that color throughout the rest of it. I imagine that if you shaved her down completely, it would grow back that brown color, and then swap to the tan curls. I’d give it another week or so and see what happens.

It does sort of look like a bloody shoulder, but in horses those are left over pigmentation/hair that didn’t get the message to grey out, unrelated to injuries.

Poor darling, she deserves some cookies for whatever she went through.

[wildlifer]

I had that happen on a cat. I accidentally hit her with the truck and she had surgery. When hair on her back grew back, it was a completely different colour and texture than the rest of her coat for the rest of her life. She survived and did well for many years!

[bits619]

Thanks for the responses, guys I had a nice long post (per usual on the ‘long’ part, at least!) and then my phone… OK my chubby fingers… Decided not to post it. I’ll write it again in the morning though

[tikihorse2]

I can’t say anything for certain about white poodles, but I do know about darker coated poodles. We had a silver poodle when I was growing up and he accidentally got burned (kitchen accident around dinnertime; he got underfoot). The burned areas came in completely black for a while and then grew out to his normal silver color. The fur was also sort of coarse in texture, not soft like usual.

The vet said this was normal and usually the pigmentation returns to its original color, but it can take quite a while. Our dog’s coat took several months to grow back to silver.

Hope this helps!

[bits619]

better pics

I figured it’s easier to write on an actual computer, AND i was able to get some pics for anyone interested.
I haven’t taken her by the vet’s since her last sutures were removed, but I’m planning on dropping in with the pup to visit with the staff soon, and will ask if they’ve heard of something like this happening with fur.

Yes, she has been getting MANY cookies lately… perhaps too much! She was a foster dog that I had been slowly falling in love with, and then she was attacked by another dog unexpectedly. It was pretty horrific, as two other dogs that were nearby joined in on the action and I had to pull them apart… or rather, the main attacker’s jaws open (I was afraid I’d tear her skin more by pulling in opposite directions, and plus this lil thing was quite out-weighed)… It really was horrible- I still have flashbacks to it, seeing her there, being dragged around… uuuugh. Yeah. Bad.
So anyways, after all that and through her recovery period, I’ve kind of come to the conclusion that there’s no way I want to part with this lil sweet thang. Her name’s Lulu… I gave her that silly foo-foo name since she was a foo-foo LOOKING foster dog, …now she responds to it, and she’s not so foofie in person… But oh well. She’s actually quite a goober. More of a Lou (playful, constantly dirty, ‘tomboy’ sort). Anyway She and I are quite attached, not suprisingly.
I’ve made an appointment for her to be groomed and will ALSO ask them if they’ve seen something like that before, with her fur. She already needs another grooming- that fine hair mats so easily! But even more, I’m tired of looking at the 4 different lengths of fur! It’ll be interesting to compare it and her ‘regular’ fur as they both grow in from the same length.

Oh right! Pictures! Side shot of the side with more dark fur

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/s720x720/284084_10100670209326980_4900208_63545948_5690413_n.jpg

and close up of the other side of her neck

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/s720x720/285001_10100670207924790_4900208_63545928_1134630_n.jpg

and her silly face
http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/230917_10100471462896420_4900208_62049642_7415024_n.jpg

[tikihorse2]

Cute girl!

Glad she’s doing well after being attacked by two dogs; that must have been a horrible experience. shudder

I’m a cat person by nature but admit to having a soft spot for poodles and poodle mixes, due to our poodle.

[irkenequine]

Boy is that totally a Schnauzer/Poodle face if I’ve ever seen one! She does not hide her breeding, what a cutie.

This is not entirely UNcommon although your case is very extreme! As you continue to have her groomed and the coat grows out I believe that hair will slowly return to normal. The skin is still very much healing and is producing some damaged hair…it may take a long time and there may be some long standing discoloration but I doubt it will always be that dramatic.

[bdj]

Nothing useful to add re: hair growth, but Dear Lord, that much happy and cute should come with a warning!

I may have to keep a copy of that last shot in my personal “things to look at when you’re getting grumpy and need to lighten up” file!

[Kryswyn]

That is a fabulous face! And yes, you should post a cuteness warning!

[bits619]

Thanks, guys! Yes, she is unbearably cute and quite funny, too! She likes to lean backwards while sitting up, putting her paw up on something for balance if possible. This makes the ears go all floppy to the left and right. Then she tucks her chin to her chest and just uses her eyes to look around, not turning her head. Or she’ll put those paws up on a wall or chair, get a nice big stretch, and forget what she’s doing and sloooowly… Sliiiiiide… Over…
Also, even after the horrible injuries, she is still just as playful and comfortable around other dogs as she was. She will play with anyone! Even gets our two less playful ones to lighten up (a sedate lab and another schnauzer/poodle mix, but a black and grumpy one! He and Lulu are polar opposites!)
I’ll add more pics soon… She’s just too adorable not to share!

Now if only I can figure out how to keep that still-white fur WHITE for more than 12 hours…