# grooming color change?



## mattsmom (May 17, 2011)

My white male standard poodle came back from the groomer today with apricot blotches on his head -- he's 4.5 years and I've never seen this before. Normally he's all white.

He has some apricot in him, as I can see from a little shade on his ears --
I checked and the color goes about halfway down the shaft, then becomes white again before it hits the skin.

Is this normal or should I be talking with the groomer?

Thanks everybody!

Ann


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## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

This doesn't have anything to do with the groomer, and I've noticed this on my own cream standard. I took Vienna short during the summer, and as she grew out she had an apricot stripe down her back. I groom two white schnauzers that get short grooms and VERY tan, and this last time I did them I noticed the stripe down their backs too. I asked the owner if it happens in the summer, and she confirmed that it did.

What I think in this situation is that the sun may have damaged the skin (thus the tanning, skins reaction to protecting itself against the rays) and caused the color change. When a dog gets some trauma to the skin, the hair sometimes grows back in a different color, or the color the hair originally was at birth (apricot, in the case of my cream.)

Did your standard have any injury to his head? Maybe a bruise or a cut? Maybe some bump from rough play?


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## PammiPoodle (Jul 16, 2011)

Your pup may have lost some hair in those areas a while ago. It could have been from scratching, or an infected bug bite, or getting it caught on a branch, anything! When the hair regrows again it sometimes starts in a darker color, just like when they were puppies! You probably wouldn't have noticed it under all the white hairs around it unless you were looking for it. : ) So the groom may have just made it visible! I would say if the skin underneath looks healthy and normal, it's most likely nothing to be concerned about. If it looks really unattractive, you could always ask the groomer to shorten his topknot or thin out the dark patches. : )

I've also seen whites and creams have spontaneous apricot/cream colored growth in patches where the hair hasn't fallen out. I, honestly, don't know what causes those! But they can come and go. Since his hair is already white at the root, I'd say whichever of these causes, it's gone! : )

Do keep an eye on the area (and allover woudn't hurt) for any hair loss or abnormal skin. It also wouldn't hurt to ask the groomer what she thought of his skin and coat, if she saw anything out of the usual. : )


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## mattsmom (May 17, 2011)

*Wow! I'm impressed!*

Thanks so much for your quick reply! it makes sense, but I wonder -- if as you suggest it's skin damage -- wouldn't that be reflected on the whole strand of hair instead of just at the ends? Beats me!

In any event the sun thing is interesting -- we live in Taos NM at 7200 feet and our UV is very high. I just would have thought this would have happened sooner. He hasn't had a head hurt as far as i know but they're so stoic, maybe he just never said anything.

Thanks again for your input -- I really appreciate it.

Ann


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## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

Well the ends were once at the root, so the trauma could have happened months ago without you even knowing since those colors only became visible after the groomer trimmed and exposed them. Don't worry, from what I've seen trauma color changes aren't permanent and change back to it's normal color after it's fully healed.


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## PammiPoodle (Jul 16, 2011)

Fluffyspoos, you type too fast! I was typing nearly the same thing as you (again) but saw that you posted before I did. : ) 

Yes, Mattsmom, the dark color is just because the hairs are new, and the new hairs start at the puppy color and then fade to white like the rest of his hairs did when he was a new baby. : ) It's not permanent damage to the follicle, just damage enough to make the hairs fall out and a new cycle begin!


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

Hmm..interesting. The only thing I have to add is that my handler once differentiated Tiger's color (white) from her bitch (technically cream) by saying that hers had a stripe along the back (I couldn't see it and they both looked white to me!)


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## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

If you had a white next to Vienna, she looks very cream in person. When she's next to Lacey she looks yellow and dirty lol


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