skin

Question
QUESTION: just started noticing on my black mini poodles lower belly, that there is a patch of skin that is turning dark (black) it also appears to be dry looking? i am thinking maybe i need to bathe her with some special soap for dry skin??  thanks for your help

ANSWER: Hello Pamela,
It could be a number of things that is causing her skin to turn black like that.  It could be allergies that is causing her to itch or bite at it and that is making it irritated.  It could be a hotspot again from allergies or flea bites, it could be from her saliva mixing with chemicals that occur naturally in the skin, which dyes the skin a different color, or it could be dyes from her food.  

You can use an oatmeal based shampoo that will help moisturize her skin and coat, or you can get a shampoo that contains aloe and vitamins and minerals that are good for her skin and coat.  
Putting some oil on her food once a week will also help with dry skin.  If you eat fish such as tuna, canned salmon, or sardines, the juices and oils from those are very good for skin and coat.  Just add some of the juice to her dry food once a week.

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

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: thanks for the help, just wanted to know can i use people shampoo or should i get special from the pet store???
she does rub her belly on the floor and my bed and i think it may be itchy like you said maybe from allergies, because she is sneezing an awful lot lateley.

Answer
Hello again,
Because your dog is possibly suffering from allergies, you may want to go ahead and use a dog shampoo for now or even a Vet prescribed, medicated kind.  
You can also use Benedryl tablets to help with her allergy symptoms.  I give my boys one tablet per dog, and they are standard sized.  With your mini, you could use 1/2-3/4 a tablet.  I would give her this for 2 weeks to see if it helps any.  
It tends to make some dogs sleepy, so it would be best to give it in the evenings.  
Be sure that you can watch her for the first couple of times that you give her the tablet so that she doesn't have any adverse reactions, though most dogs do very well on Benedryl.

Again, I hope this helps you, and if you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Kim