Why is my puppy's leg fading color and she keeps putting it in mouth?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Based on your description, it sounds as though Sweety may have a leg injury. The brown discoloration on her fur may be from her chewing / licking at the leg. If this is not going away or worsens, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine her so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

There are breeds of dogs that are prone to a seasonal lightening of the nasal planum (the hard, tough, hairless end of their nose). Sometimes referred to as “Snow Nose” these dogs (Siberian Huskies, Labradors and Golden Retrievers) can have darker noses in the summer months and lighter noses in the winter. These same breeds plus German Shepherds, Samoyeds, Afghan Hounds and Dobermans (among others) can also experience a gradual or waxing and lightening or fading of their nose color over time. This condition is known as “Dudley Nose." Vitiligo is a progressive disease in which the melanocytes are gradually destroyed causing unpigmented areas on the skin. They develop pigment loss from their skin or hair on their heads, but it can occur in other locations too. In some cases, antibodies against melanocytes have been identified in the serum of infected dogs indicating an immune component to the disorder. And skin biopsies of the affected areas will typically reveal a total lack of any remaining melanocytes. What all three of these causes for depigmentation have is common is the fact that they are not a disease that can bother or hurt your dog at all. There is no reason to worry about them and there is nothing to be done to ‘correct’ them. The depigmentation is purely cosmetic. Some depigmentation is cause for concern. For instance, any contact dermatitis/irritation can cause depigmentation as can certain chemicals in rubber that can affect the production of melanin pigment where the rubber touches the skin. The administration of certain drugs like ketoconazole, procainamide, and vitamin E have been reported to cause generalized changes in coat color in dogs, and injections of other drugs (glucocorticoids, for instance) can cause localized loss of pigment. Additionally, hormonal disorders (imbalances of thyroid, adrenal or sex hormones) can alter pigmentation as can bacterial and fungal infections and even cancers (neoplasias). Immune-mediated diseases also occur in dogs where the dog’s own antibodies attack different parts of the skin resulting in depigmentation. I recommend getting your dog seen by your vet just to be safe. She is young for some of these conditions to occur, but nothing is impossible.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to see that T is having this problem. A few things are possible here. I am assuming that the original wound never healed, only got better. If that's the case then I would suspect either a foreign body has entered the leg or an insect/spider/other has bitten him that started the entire problem. Puncture wounds can look very different over time so it may have been only one small puncture wound from the inciting event. I would advise taking T back to your veterinarian so they can recheck the wound and possibly rethink what is going on. (Assuming they saw it initially) after it first happened. They may want to culture the wound and run a sensitivity of the bugs that grow out of the culture to determine what antibiotics would be best. They may also advise some x-rays to determine if a foreign body has entered the leg although this can be of questionable value depending what the foreign body could be. Exploring the wound might be another option. All of these can be discussed with your veterinarian and I have made some assumptions here and could be wrong. I wish you the best of luck with T and I hope you get to the bottom of this very soon.

If she is unable to feel the foot and place it correctly, without signs of pain it is likely there is an underlying nerve injury causing the limb to be numb. Unfortunately, in some cases amputation is necessary to prevent self trauma and further injury to the leg as they cannot feel cuts/grazes etc. Monitor closely for any skin damage and have her reassessed in 7-10days

Hello and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It's difficult to say with certainty by just looking at the pictures but in general when we see a copper/pinkish color change like you are seeing here it is a sign of saliva staining from licking the area. Tosca may be licking around her tail for a number of reasons including fleas, allergies or anal gland issues. She may be licking around her foot due to allergies, skin irritation or from a nail disorder or infection. To ensure fleas and not causing this make sure you are using a good quality flea product like Nexguard, Vectra, Advantage, Frontline or Bravecto. You can do some medicated bathing to see if this helps reduce the irritation. A veterinarian will be able to help you decide if Tosca's anal glands are causing an issue by doing a rectal exam. Feeding a small amount of plain canned pumpkin can help with anal gland issues. If Tosca continues to have these saliva stained areas or develops more areas of irritation it would be a good idea to schedule an appointment with a veterinarian.

Hello. It is difficult to say what might be going on with Bella, but one thing that comes to mind is a possible luxating patella, essentially, her kneecap pops out of place. She may outgrow this, or she may require surgery if it continues to bother her. Make sure you point out this behavior to your vet at her next set of vaccinations. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Please make an appointment to have Tammh seen by a vet as soon as possible. She is likely in pain, and may have a muscular or nerve injury, a fractured bone, a mass, or a foreign body in the leg. Your vet can assess the leg during the physical exam and may recommend x-rays to help determine the cause of Tammh’s limp. Pain medications meant for humans can be very dangerous (and even deadly) for dogs, so I do not recommend giving any to Tammh without consulting with your vet.