Coat problems are usually a sure sign that something is wrong with the dog’s health. In addition to hair loss, discoloration is not uncommon. For example, it happens again and again that owners suddenly notice a red tinge in their dog’s fur.
In the following we will explain the causes of this and what you can do against the red cast in the dog’s coat.
Key facts at a glance
- Porphyrins in the saliva can lead to a red tinge in the dog’s fur due to frequent licking.
- UV rays can lighten the hair coat in summer.
- Dead hair cells can cause a red tinge in the coat of black dogs.
- Sometimes discoloration of the fur can be caused by poor diet.
Red tinge in dog fur due to porphyrins
Porphyrins are organic chemical pigments, such as those found in red blood cells. As breakdown products of the red blood cells, they are found in the tear fluid and in the saliva of the dog.
In animals with a light-colored coat, frequent licking can cause the dog’s fur to turn red. The situation is similar with excessive tear flow, which can lead to corresponding discolouration in the area of the eyes.
Red tinge in dog fur from sunlight
In summer, it is not uncommon for a dog’s coat to become lighter due to the influence of sunlight. The more frequently the four-legged friend is exposed to UV radiation, the more noticeable this effect becomes.
Depending on the color of the dog’s hair coat, the lightening can result in a slight red tinge in the fur. If the intensity of the sun decreases again in autumn, the fur will darken again all by itself.
Red tinge in the fur of black dogs
The fur has a growth and a resting phase. During the resting phase, the hair slowly dies off. In dogs with black fur, it can often be observed in this context that first the tips and then finally the entire hair gets a red tinge.
The reddish discoloration usually does not appear all over the body at once, but only in a few areas. In addition, the red cast is not permanent in this case. Because after a while the old hair falls out and the new coat grows back in the normal color.
Diet-related red tinge in the dog’s coat
In some cases, feeding errors can also contribute to coat color changes. For example, if a dog with a dark coat has a copper deficiency, this can lead to a red tinge in the fur.
With a balanced diet with a high-quality dog food, however, this is rare. However, excessive intake of zinc, found in quite high concentrations in some coat health supplements, can interfere with the absorption of copper in the dog’s gut.
In addition to a red tinge in the fur, a copper deficiency in dogs is also noticeable through a deterioration in performance and anaemia.
Another diet-related cause of a red tinge in dog fur is the intake of large amounts of carotene, which is contained in carrots, for example. Since the four-legged friend would have to eat very large amounts of carrots and other vegetables rich in carotene, this only happens in isolated cases.
What owners can do against the red tinge in dog fur
As you can see, the causes of the red tinge in a dog’s coat are often completely harmless and cannot be influenced. Nevertheless, in certain situations it may make sense for you to do something about it.
Because if the discoloration is triggered by porphyrins, for example, it very likely means that your dog is licking itself too often. In this case, it is advisable to get to the bottom of the cause of the excessive licking. The four-legged friend may be stressed or suffering from skin parasites that need to be treated.
The situation is similar with a red cast that is limited to the area around the eyes. In this case, you can expect an unusually heavy flow of tears, which can indicate eye problems such as conjunctivitis.
If harmless causes such as a change of coat or the influence of solar radiation can be ruled out, a visit to the veterinarian can bring clarity. He can examine your dog and counteract the red tinge in the coat, for example by diagnosing an existing parasite infestation or another cause of the itching and treating it professionally.