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Coat Is Turning White On Head And Around The Eyes Of My 3 1/2 Year Old Miniature Aussie

Coat is turning white on head and around the eyes of my 3 1/2 year old Miniature Aussie. Does anyone know why this is happening? He is otherwise a very healthy, active, smart... Yes, very special family member.

Comments for Coat Is Turning White On Head And Around The Eyes Of My 3 1/2 Year Old Miniature Aussie

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White coat
by: NONNIE

I am sure there are a good number of breeders on this site who might be able to answer your question. I am curious also. Is your Aussie a blue merle, black tri ... etc?

Turning White
by: Author

Marshall, my 3 & 1/2 year old Miniature Aussie is a Blue Merle. I have been researching this and found a few articles that deal with this - some suggest it's a condition known as Vitiligo. I have even read of a few Aussies (otherwise healthy) who have turned completely white at around the same age after a molting. Marshall's face and head coat is turning white by the day. He is also presenting with some white splashes on his back. I am looking for a specialist. Any input/experiences would be helpful. Thanks

Same here
by: Anonymous

I have a 4 yr old blk tri whose face has been turning white. Around eyes, and ears. Did you find an answer?

Blue Merle turned totally white
by: Karen S

My blue merle turned totally white on his entire body in middle age (retained his tan markings on his legs but not his face). He's now 13 years old and getting a little of his blue merle back on his sides and his upper rear legs. Really bizarre. He had no white on his body originally. Now he looks like a cotton ball.

Black Tri looks like a merle now!
by: Anonymous

I have an 8 1/2 year old male black tri that has been turning white over the last 4-6 months started with his eyes and is over his entire body now. Blood work etc., all good. I was wondering if anyone found the causes?

Different colored dog every shed cycle
by: Anonymous

We had a blue merle female. Around 8-10 years old she shed and turned completely white. The next time she shed the tan areas came back but the rest was still white. The next shed the dark areas came back but not the tan. She lived to be 17 years old and healthy. Twice per year (every time she would shed her coat) we got a different colored dog. I was told that some Aussies have a gene that would cause that to happen.

Aussie turning white
by: Anonymous

I also have a 3 year black tri that is also turning white around his eyes and head. Still happy non stop dog. Any answers? My breeder and groomer both mentioned a phantom Aussie.

Black Tri is Now a Blue Merle
by: Anonymous

At 2 1/2, our purebred Aussie Black Tri female’s face began turning white, starting around her eyes, then top of head. The white traveled down her head and onto her back over the next several months, creating the blue merle effect, with patches of white on haunches but still tan on legs. Now age 6, her head is mostly white, but black remains inside ears and sides of muzzle. Vet says it’s vitiligo, but otherwise super healthy. She’s actually quite beautiful and gets a lot of compliments!

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