# Random patch of different hair on back?



## Pipikuma

I feel terrible for not noticing this earlier but Kimmy got this patch on her back that is growing completely different hair than everywhere else. When i first noticed it, her hair was pretty long so it kind of got covered and I initially thought it was just wet. Then when I looked closely, it looked as if that patch of hair was just gone and new hair has grown back and its darker in colour and also a lot harder (it doesn't even stand up like the rest of her hair does, the texture almost feels like what you would feel on a pug). The vet said it doesn't look like anything is wrong, her skin is fine and she's not scratching or feeling any discomfort there, she actually doesn't even notice it. The vet thinks maybe something was stuck there and the chunk of hair was just ripped off...which is very scary and I feel terrible because I have no clue how that could have happened. Has this ever happened to any of you guys before? Anyone know how this patch will turn out?


----------



## poodlecrazy#1

Is it in the area where she got any vaccinations or spot on parasite treatment? When my Cafe Au Lait got his vaccine it caused his hair to darken. Also when my black one got her rabies vaccine her hair fell out in that area. I have also heard the spot on parasite treatment can cause similar problems.


----------



## BorderKelpie

My little girl did that, too, in the same place as well. I at first blamed the flea drops, but I have since seen it on another poodle (related to her) who hasn't been treated with flea drops. I don't know if Bug might have that, too as his little bum is shaved.


----------



## PoodleFoster

Hello
A patch of hair that comes in darker/different color and of a different hair texture is usually caused from injury/irritation of some kind. That is a common spot to see a slight injury from jumping against something such as trying to jump up and bumping the coffee table, for instance. 

The dark colored hair is explained as the color of your poodles original color. She looks like a red, so she has probably faded some since puppy hood!

Example: I had a foster dog who was a very light apricot. He had an injury in the same place from the shelter. He had a scab there and after the scab fell off and skin healed, the hair started to return. It was a dark red! It was wiry and stiff hair, and very straight as it came back. 

I have had white poodles who had dark apricot hair where they had chewed fleas or again, as an injury. 

Normally the hair will catch up, but it will take some time. (usually 1/4" a month)
Hope this helps!


----------



## Pipikuma

Thanks so much everyone! its such a relief to know that its not just Kimmy...it had been bothering me for a while. I think it most likely is an area of injury then, she does jump a lot so I wouldn't be surprised if she bumped herself somewhere. My vet had asked the same thing about flea drops, but I only gave her revolution and that's around her neck area...oh well, as long as she is fine!


----------



## Pipikuma

Oh forgot to ask, did your poodles' "patches" eventually become the same as the rest of their hair?


----------



## P2alix

Hi 
This is a pic of my standard poodle Latte. If you will notice the dark patch of hair near her tail. She had a hot spot and the hair came out. When it grew back it was dark brown and quite soft. Hope this helps


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Tiny Poodles

Pipikuma said:


> oh forgot to ask, did your poodles' "patches" eventually become the same as the rest of their hair?
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Yes, they do fade back to the original color (faster then it took them to clear originally)
The "funniest" spots I ever saw were when Teaka (silver) had 4 elongated teardrop shaped black spots on her rear - apparently she had annoyed her older sister at some point, because those marks were exactly the same distance apart as her older sister's canine teeth lol!


----------



## Tiny Poodles

P2alix said:


> View attachment 70346
> 
> Hi
> This is a pic of my standard poodle Latte. If you will notice the dark patch of hair near her tail. She had a hot spot and the hair came out. When it grew back it was dark brown and quite soft. Hope this helps
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


What I notice is how adorably she is curled up with her poodle stuffie!


----------



## EllenZ

I was happy to find this post because I have the same issue with Charlie. He came from the breeder with a bald patch between his shoulder blades. My vet and groomer both thought the hair wouldn't grow in at all but it did and now it is a much darker color, different texture and totally straight. Not like poodle hair at all. It also seems to be changing in a spot down close to his tail although no hair there was ever lost. I find this all very strange and frankly a little upsetting.

https://mail-attachment.googleuserc...tid=0.1&disp=emb&view=att&th=141e12a1cf2fa24d

https://mail-attachment.googleuserc...tid=0.3&disp=emb&view=att&th=141e12a1cf2fa24d


----------



## PoodleFoster

Hello
As I mentioned in my previous post, your poodle may have had damage to his skin thru injury, immunization, hot spots and/or chewing that area to cause damage. 
Maybe he has a flea allergy? I had a foster dog who lost almost the whole strip down the middle of his back. His skin turned black and shiny. (he was apricot) Then hair started to return, darker brown, straight and bristly. I was just happy to see hair at first, but it was coming in really well when he was adopted. HE had a flea allergy, so the owners had to be diligent to keep fleas off of him. 
The hair should grow back and blend in. It takes time for this, as poodle hair grows approx 1/4" per month. 
Just be patient.


----------



## Pipikuma

just wanted to give an update about kimmys hair. The random patch has actually grown back and is blending with the rest of her hair prettt well now, so like everyone else said dont worry too much!

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## EllenZ

Do you think placing a microchip can cause this? That's the only thing that I can think of that happened in that area.


----------



## Kblubyu

Interesting about the different color hair at immunization spots...my breeder recently told me to only get immunizations in the "armpit" of the leg for that very reason.


----------



## Tiny Poodles

EllenZ said:


> Do you think placing a microchip can cause this? That's the only thing that I can think of that happened in that area.


A microchip is only a tad bigger then a grain of rice - but maybe it could if it causes bleeding under the skin in that area? 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Copell

PoodleFoster said:


> Hello
> As I mentioned in my previous post, your poodle may have had damage to his skin thru injury, immunization, hot spots and/or chewing that area to cause damage.
> Maybe he has a flea allergy? I had a foster dog who lost almost the whole strip down the middle of his back. His skin turned black and shiny. (he was apricot) Then hair started to return, darker brown, straight and bristly. I was just happy to see hair at first, but it was coming in really well when he was adopted. HE had a flea allergy, so the owners had to be diligent to keep fleas off of him.
> The hair should grow back and blend in. It takes time for this, as poodle hair grows approx 1/4" per month.
> Just be patient.


----------



## Copell

I have two girls and a tiny boy and my two girls one of them occasionally bites and leaves a heat spot on my little boy well every time they have done it he gets a dark brown spot of hair he was a cafe latte party now he looks like a tri it's amazing to see just how many traumas he's had from the girls from Neck to tail I no longer trust him with the girls they can be ruthless especially when they're pregnant


----------



## ccook

Pipikuma said:


> I feel terrible for not notcing this earlier but Kimmy got this patch on her back that is growing completely different hair than everywhere else. When i first noticed it, her hair was pretty long so it kind of got coverd and I initially thought it was just wet. Then when I looked closely, it looked as if that patch of hair was just gone and new hair has grown back and its darker in colour and also a lot harder (it doesnt even stand up like the rest of her hair does, the texture almost feels like what you would feel on a pug). The vet said it doesnt look like anything is wrong, her skin is fine and shes not scratching or feeling any discomfort there, she actually doent even notice it. The vet thinks maybe something was stuck there and the chunk of hair was just ripped off...which is very scary and I feel terrible because I have no clue how that could have happened. Has this ever happened to any of you guys before? Anyone know how this patch will turn out?


Sent from Petguide.com Free App
I have a 9 mo old mini labradoodle that just got his second grooming. He loves to cuddle and while petting him, I noticed a distinct difference in texture in areas of his hair. His chest and between his shoulder blades is coarse hair (lab) and the remainder coat is silky soft (poodle). Also, when he is in good light, you can see swirls and lines of 2 different shades of black. They appear to be another type of fur. (Too short to tell) I am elated to find someone that has a doodle with distinct patches of different fur!! I believe that makes our dogs unique!!
{Edited by moderator to fix quote formatting; text unchanged}


----------



## Rose n Poos

Hi and welcome to PF 

I went back in Pipikuma's history to find that Kimmy is a toy poodle, so no joy there. Their description sounds like it was likely an injury to the area. That's fairly common, where a poodle might be bitten, stung, bruised, etc, and the area including the hair sort of starts over by regrowing what looks like the original color, and maybe texture, of their puppy coat. It almost always eventually reverts to the adult color and texture,

We have a very few members with poodle crosses, mostly goldendoodles, who have a thread going on unexplained different colors and textures of hair/fur on their pups.

You'll find that thread here Coarse, Dark Hair Patch on Mini GoldenDoodle

I also found a labradoodle forum where you might find folks with more specific experiences to what you're seeing in your pup's coat. Labradoodle Forums (labradoodle-dogs.net)
It's possible that you're seeing a change from puppy coat to adult.

Purebred poodle coats do change from puppy to adult, and the genetics of poodle colors alone is bit of a complex issue.

You can run a Search on PF for "coat change" to see how it is for poodles, and the same Search over at the other forum.


----------



## Man

BorderKelpie said:


> My little girl did that, too, in the same place as well. I at first blamed the flea drops, but I have since seen it on another poodle (related to her) who hasn't been treated with flea drops. I don't know if Bug might have that, too as his little bum is shaved.


My white maltipoo with white kinky poodle hair started with a spot. No trauma. Now it is starting new spots on other parts of her back head and leg. Very is not worried, skin is fine just long straight brown hair instead of kinky white


----------



## Rose n Poos

Hi and Welcome! 
Good to know your vet isn't concerned. If you happened to also read thru this thread Coarse, Dark Hair Patch on Mini GoldenDoodle
you'll see several members, and other folks outside PF keep running into this issue. It's almost always a cosmetic thing, usually caused by an external source, but wise to verify with your vet that there isn't something else going on. 

(hint hint we love pictures )


----------



## Romeo lover

Pipikuma said:


> I feel terrible for not notcing this earlier but Kimmy got this patch on her back that is growing completely different hair than everywhere else. When i first noticed it, her hair was pretty long so it kind of got coverd and I initially thought it was just wet. Then when I looked closely, it looked as if that patch of hair was just gone and new hair has grown back and its darker in colour and also a lot harder (it doesnt even stand up like the rest of her hair does, the texture almost feels like what you would feel on a pug). The vet said it doesnt look like anything is wrong, her skin is fine and shes not scratching or feeling any discomfort there, she actually doent even notice it. The vet thinks maybe something was stuck there and the chunk of hair was just ripped off...which is very scary and I feel terrible because I have no clue how that could have happened. Has this ever happened to any of you guys before? Anyone know how this patch will turn out?
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


I have a Similar colored standard . But he was walnut brown and now is a much lighter marble swirl, except he has a quarter size patch on his back where his hair almost appears to be whisker like and black. I’m always plying and petting him and have never noticed it until last night . Should I be worried? I love your dog by the way 

Sincerely , 
Kevin age 33


----------



## Misteline

Romeo lover said:


> I have a Similar colored standard . But he was walnut brown and now is a much lighter marble swirl, except he has a quarter size patch on his back where his hair almost appears to be whisker like and black. I’m always plying and petting him and have never noticed it until last night . Should I be worried? I love your dog by the way
> 
> Sincerely ,
> Kevin age 33


This sounds like he was probably injured (could be as minor as a bug bite) in that area and the fur is growing back in the original color he had as an infant and will likely eventually clear to his current color. The texture might indicate guard hairs growing in there which also occurs in areas where the skin was damaged. If so it is common in poodles who changed color as they matured.


----------



## Rose n Poos

Hi Kevin, 

Overall it doesn't seem to be a cause for concern but ask you vet to look at it via a photo or in office visit, jic. 

As Misteline said, the likely cause of patches of hair and skin color changing is some external cause like an insect bite or sting, a scratch, a clipper burn, scraping the back under a table, sunburn, anything that has the potential to damage the hair follicles. 
There are similar appearing conditions which is why it's good to have your vet look at it, but it's never yet been anything serious in the threads. 



Rose n Poos said:


> _When dogs heal from a skin wound, often the fur that regrows during healing is darker than the original color. This occurs because melanin surges to the site to heal and repair the lost tissue. The result is hyperpigmented fur in the affected area. Note this type of hyperpigmentation only affects the area affected by trauma, not the animal’s full coat.
> 
> Clipping or shaving a dog’s coat can also result in color changes, and groomers often caution their clients that long-term grooming can result in a change in pigmentation affecting your pet’s coat over time."_
> 
> Why Does My Dog’s Fur Change Color? (figopetinsurance.com)


This is a longer thread you might look thru. It has links to other outside sources with additional info. 
(9) Random patch of different hair on back? | Poodle Forum


----------



## arpellegrino

Pipikuma said:


> I feel terrible for not noticing this earlier but Kimmy got this patch on her back that is growing completely different hair than everywhere else. When i first noticed it, her hair was pretty long so it kind of got covered and I initially thought it was just wet. Then when I looked closely, it looked as if that patch of hair was just gone and new hair has grown back and its darker in colour and also a lot harder (it doesn't even stand up like the rest of her hair does, the texture almost feels like what you would feel on a pug). The vet said it doesn't look like anything is wrong, her skin is fine and she's not scratching or feeling any discomfort there, she actually doesn't even notice it. The vet thinks maybe something was stuck there and the chunk of hair was just ripped off...which is very scary and I feel terrible because I have no clue how that could have happened. Has this ever happened to any of you guys before? Anyone know how this patch will turn out?


 Our mini Goldendoodle Bailey is 2 & has the exact same thing!!! And now I’m noticing a few more spots just like it. The vet didn’t have any answers?! Did u get any info?


----------



## PeggyTheParti

arpellegrino said:


> Our mini Goldendoodle Bailey is 2 & has the exact same thing!!! And now I’m noticing a few more spots just like it. The vet didn’t have any answers?! Did u get any info?


Welcome! The member who started this thread hasn’t been back to the forum since 2015. Here’s an ongoing thread on this topic, if you’d like to connect with active members: Coarse, Dark Hair Patch on Mini GoldenDoodle (Poodle...


----------



## mg12

ccook said:


> Sent from Petguide.com Free App I have a 9 mo old mini labradoodle that just got his second grooming. He loves to cuddle and while petting him, I noticed a distinct difference in texture in areas of his hair. His chest and between his shoulder blades is coarse hair (lab) and the remainder coat is silky soft (poodle). Also, when he is in good light, you can see swirls and lines of 2 different shades of black. They appear to be another type of fur. (Too short to tell) I am elated to find someone that has a doodle with distinct patches of different fur!! I believe that makes our dogs unique!! {Edited by moderator to fix quote formatting; text unchanged}


 Hi I have been trying to find information on this havnt been successful. My 15week mini labradoodle has shed his long curly hair on his front two legs their is still a bit on their but scarce and now its mainly now short darker hairs(labrador). Not sure if it will all change to be the same.


----------



## twyla

It is hard to tell with a mix of breeds


----------



## cowpony

I'm closing this thread for now, as most of the original participants are no longer active on the forum; in some cases I suspect their dogs are quite elderly by now. It also sounds like the most recent question has to do with shedding rather than irregular oddly colored hair patches. As Twyla mentioned, shedding levels and hair texture can vary quite a bit when a Lab or other double coated breed is crossed with a poodle.


----------

