What causes dog hair to turn white?

Aug 19,2024
4Min

The common reasons why dog ​​hair turns white include genetic problems, old age, improper diet, improper care and maintenance, and physical diseases. First of all, if the dog’s parents have a problem with white hair, it may be due to genetic genes that cause the dog’s hair to turn white. Secondly, if the dog is older and the pigmentation is reduced, the hair will also turn white. Furthermore, frequent feeding of human food to dogs, unbalanced nutritional intake, etc. will cause the dog's coat color to fade or turn white. Finally, if the dog also shows abnormal symptoms such as hair loss and weight gain, it is likely that the body is suffering from a disease and needs timely medical treatment.

1. Genetic issues

If a dog’s parents have a problem with hair turning gray, the offspring may inherit it. So it’s not that the dog’s coat color is impure, but the dog’s genes. Manpower cannot change the genetic problems that exist today. If the owner feels that the dog’s white hair does not look good, he or she can take the dog for a grooming session.

2. As the dog ages, its pigmentation decreases and its hair will gradually turn gray, which is normal. However, the hair of older dogs will not turn white all of a sudden. Instead, white hair will first grow on the dog’s face, especially near the mouth.

3. Improper diet

If the owner often feeds the dog some human food, the dog’s body cannot digest too much salt, which will cause the original The hair is damaged and turns white. In addition, if you do not pay attention to a balanced diet, when the dog's body lacks nutrients such as protein and vitamins, the color of the dog's hair will become darker. In this case, the owner needs to adjust the dog's diet in time. You can try to feed the dog some light and salt-free food, such as carrots, egg yolks, chicken breasts, etc. If conditions permit, you can also give your dog hair-beautifying nutrients such as lecithin.

4. Improper washing and care

If you use human shower gel when bathing your dog, or use a shower gel with ingredients harmful to dogs, it will be harmful to dogs. Damage to the skin or hair follicles will prevent nutrients from being supplied to the hair, resulting in whitening. In this case, you need to change the dog's shower gel in time, and do not bathe the dog too frequently.

5. Physical disease

Some diseases can also cause a dog’s hair to turn white, such as hypothyroidism and Cushing’s disease. Hypothyroidism can also cause weight gain, hair loss, and skin problems in dogs. In addition, liver and kidney disease can also cause your dog's coat to turn gray because toxins are not cleared from the body quickly enough.In addition, it affects the cells that produce melanin. If you suspect that your dog has white hair due to disease, you should take it to the pet hospital for examination and treatment as soon as possible.

Previous article:What are the causes of heart failure in dogs?
Next article:How to train an adult dog to follow? How to train a dog to follow!
Related articles