Parti poodles color fading

Question
I have a beautiful Standard Parti poodle female who will be 2    August 1.  She is mainly white with rich brown markings.  I just noticed in the last week or so that her brown looks dull compared to the brown on her head and face.  it seems to be fading.  She was groomed 8 days ago and didnt seem to be faded then.  I also switched her to a raw diet a month ago and give her supplements.  Do you think either anything at the groomers could make her color fade or the diet??  She is at the dog park at least 2 hours a day and is active.  I want to get to the bottom of this as the fading is noticeable all of a sudden.  Do you think I should have her checked at the vets?  They don't like the raw diet but she is loving it.  it's all organic and I think it's good for her. any thoughts??

Answer
Hello Bonnie,
Since the Brown color is linked to a fading gene, there is a good chance that your female will lighten as she ages.  Certain colors such as Red, Silver, Brown, Apricot, Cafe Au Latte, etc have a fading gene attatched that causes the colors to fade as the dog ages.  The fading gene is the reason that some of those colors exist, but can be troublesome as the dog ages.  Take Silver dogs for example.  A Silver dog is born Black and "Clears" as it ages, eventually turning Silver around 2 yrs of age.  They can then stay a darker "Gunmetal Gray" or lighten to a "Platnium Silver" as they get older.  
Your dog is at about the right age for her brown color to start fading some.

You can try using Bronze colored shampoos for dogs to help keep the color rich and dark, but other than that, about the only thing you can do if you want to keep that rich brown color is to dye the hair a darker color with Pet Approved Hair coloring, or you can wash your dogs brown areas with Coffee or dark Tea (sounds funny, but it actually works)

The Raw food diet that you are feeding is a very good diet, as it helps the skin and coat, plus is good for the teeth and the dogs inner workings.  It would not cause the color on your dog to fade.  
Do be sure to follow the guidelines though and use the supplements (as I read that you do) and fruits and veggies that she likes (such as apples, carrots, cucumbers, peas, and spinach [in moderation]) and once in a while you can give her Salmon, Tuna in Oil or Sardines in Olive Oil to provide her skin and coat with the Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids.

I hope this helps you some and if you have other questions about this, or other poodle questions in general, please feel free to ask.

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim