Top photo: Before / after comparison of two areas on dog's back with fur loss; one with ruptured vs healed cyst, and the other with pink, scaly skin vs healthier, dark skin.
Before we get to the story of Birgit's dog, let's examine the mystery of darkening skin in dogs and briefly discuss canine cysts.
Hyperpigmentation
The process of a dog's skin turning dark is called hyperpigmentation, which is related to the amount of melanin in the skin. Hyperpigmentation can be static or progressive and widespread or localized.
There are many variables and causes for this phenomenon. These can be positive, negative, or neutral. For example, hyperpigmentation can be caused by:
- A genetic trait (neutral)
- Skin healing (positive)
- Being shaved or physical trauma (neutral / negative)
- Sun exposure (neutral / negative)
- Parasites, such as mange mites (negative)
- Bacterial infection (negative)
- Fungal infections, such as Malassezia (yeast) or ringworm (negative)
In the case of Birgit's dog, based on her observation, the dog's skin turned dark as the skin healed from injury and after being shaved - meaning the cyst and / or other skin condition present.
Cysts in Dogs
Cysts are pockets of fluid or semi-fluid material trapped under the skin. Their contents are the result of a buildup or breakdown of organic tissue or bodily fluids (e.g., sebum, blood cells, etc) that has become encased in a lined sac. Cysts can form on their own or arise due to a secondary issue, such as trauma or a skin condition.
More often than not, cysts are benign. However, they don't tend to go away on their own, so they - including the material within them - must be removed surgically. If the lining of the cyst is not properly removed, the cyst may "refill" and return.
Based on the provided photos from Birgit, the remnants of her dog's cyst and the surrounding skin appear to be healing nicely.
A Canine Cyst and Mystery Scaly Bald Spot
Now, we get to Birgit's report, which can be found among our Reviews:
"I was skeptical before ordering but I tried so many other gels and creams before and nothing worked. After reading all the good reviews I thought I will give it a try.
My dog had a cyst on her back in the beginning of May, and the vet shaved that spot and squeezed the content of the cyst out. After that, there remained a little bit of the cyst, where there is always some secretion coming out. The worse thing was that the shaved spot stayed bald and no hair was growing back.
In the beginning of October, there was another spot next to it just losing hair and looking very pinkish and was kind of scaling. When I touched the outer edge of this spot, the hair was just coming out more and more. That was the time when I searched for solutions and found Lavengel. I ordered it immediately and as soon as I got it, I put it on both spots 2-3 times a day.
The scaling stopped within 2 days, no additional hair was falling out anymore and the bald skin started to feel very soft and moisturized. The hair is starting finally to grow back, [though] it didn’t happen right away.
The skin which was pinkish and turned black, but that might be normal for my dog, because her belly was shaved off for an ultrasound and that turned black too. I also read that this might be a normal reaction for traumatized skin.
But all in all I’m very satisfied with that gel, you don’t need much, but I will make sure I never run out of it. Thank you for producing such a fantastic product!❤️ The pictures I’m posting are from the beginning, October 11 and now November 12."
Photo: Closeup of "mystery spot" with dark skin and fur regrowth beginning after use of Lavengel®
What About Her Dog's Weird Scaly Bald Spot?
It's not uncommon for us to get a review about unidentified skin issues and "mystery spots" being resolved by Lavengel®. In this case, Birgit mentions that the new bald spot (pictured above the cyst spot) appeared with pinkish, scaly skin, and that the fur around the edge kept coming out. She does not mention her dog itching.
Expanding fur loss with scaling skin and weakening hair can have a plethora of causes, and the pictures don't offer much of a closeup. A educated guess could be an allergy-related phenomenon, immunological issue, parasites, or a ringworm infection.
The lack of apparent itching seems to veer away from an allergy-related symptom and more towards ringworm (which is not always itchy), but there simply isn't enough information to work with - nor a formal diagnosis. If the dog's bald spot was caused by an isolated patch of ringworm, it would only strengthen Lavengel's long list of uses and overall value, as ringworm can be notoriously difficult to eradicate once it gets established.
Either way, Lavengel® continues to prove itself as an essential part of the canine first aid kit, saving you, your dog, and even your vet a lot of time and hassle.
For more info on canine cysts, ringworm, and other skin conditions that plague our puppers, visit our:
Make away with your own mystery-spot medicine below!
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