Tag Archives: fur color change

This blogpost marks a personal milestone: my 1000th blogpost since I started blogging in 2008. Over that time, much has changed—in our country, at the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center and in veterinary medicine. To mark this achievement, I want to reflect on some of those changes and on what continues to matter the most.

Every month, I answer pet owner questions on the Ask the Vet podcast, or when I’m invited on Dr. Frank Adams’ Pets and Your Health program on SiriusXM’s Doctor Radio. It’s not often that a caller stumps me, but a few weeks ago someone asked about the poodle fading gene—a term I had not heard of before. Apparently, poodle owners have noticed a progressively lightening or "fading” in poodles’ coats over time, and suspect a genetic connection. After a lot of reading, this blogpost will “shed” some light on the poodle fading gene.

Skin and coat disorders are common reasons dogs make a trip to the veterinarian’s office. This makes sense since skin is by far your pet’s most visible organ, and skin disease is one of the most common diseases in dogs, according to pet insurance data. Fur color changes may also indicate an underlying issue with your canine companion. I’ll discuss some common reasons for skin color changes in today’s blogpost.