hair color

Question
We have a white poodle who is about 2 years old. Recently we have noticed that the hair on his underside (from in between his hind legs to about 1/2 way up his chest) is turning a burnt orange color. Any idea why?

Answer
Hello Lisa,
That red/rust color is very common in white or cream Poodles.  It is due to the chemicals in the hair mixing with chemicals in the dogs saline or saliva.  When the dogs lick or bite themselves in those areas, or sometimes when males get urine on their undercarrage, it leaves those red stains behind.  
You also see the red around the eyes and mouth because of the dogs tears and saliva around the mouth.  
There is not much you can do to keep it from coming back other than to shave the undercarrage short and keep the eyes and mouth trimmed close.  
They have products on the market that says that it helps keep the eyes clean (Diamond Eyes, Show Eyes), but they don't work very well.  

I hope this helps you some.  If you have other questions for me, please feel free to ask.

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim