Why is my Maltese hair turning yellow

Why Does White Dog Fur Turn Yellow?

Have you noticed changes in your dogs fur recently? Are you wondering why does white dog fur turn yellow all of a sudden? Read on to know what medical problem might be causing this change

The yellow color of the dogs fur is the primary cause of concern for the masters. There are multiple reasons behind it. Sometimes less or no grooming habits are responsible for the yellow color of the dogs fur. Another reason can be the accumulation of Bilirubin in the dogs, which leads to jaundice.

In this article, you will explore more about the ways to get back the shiny coat color of the dogs. We have also mentioned when dogs develop gray hairs for the last time in their life. Stay tuned to get more info about it.

Why Does White Dog Fur Turn Yellow?

Please consult with a vet. Fur turning yellow could be a symptom of jaundice.

Often, there is a buildup of yellow pigment in the blood and tissue of the dogs, which refers to jaundice. It results in this discoloration of gums, eyes, and skin. We also call it yellow jaundice and icterus. Jaundice can be easily spotted in dogs with lighter fur.

It becomes a bit difficult to spot it in the darker dogs. A pigment called Bilirubin is produced by red blood cells in the dogs bile. It is excreted from the dogs body, but if it is produced in a large quantity, the dog is not able to excrete it. Thus, the yellow color is due to the accumulation of Bilirubin which causes jaundice.

How To Get Rid Of The Yellow In A White Hair Of A Dog?

Many dog owners wonder how to keep their pets fur clean and white. It is always difficult to keep the fur of the dogs clean and shiny white. Here are some fantastic ways to get white natural fur and get rid of dingy yellow color using natural and non-toxic products.

• Step 1: Try to take care of your dog with the help of a brush to keep his coat and fur shiny and clean. You can get rid of the dust and dirt by brushing regularly. The accumulation of dirt and dust can make the shiny white color of the dog turn yellow. The oil in the dogs skin also stimulates after brushing and results in a shiny and lustrous furr.
• Step 2: Wash your dog with natural and non-toxic dog shampoo. Begin it from the top and move down towards their rear. Try to spread shampoo adequately on his entire body and skin. Let the shampoo sit on the skins surface for a certain period as per the suggestion in the products description. Try to rinse the soap with the help of water.
• Step 3: Try to apply a shampoo only on the clean areas of the dog fur. You need to run that with low water until you get rid of soap bubbles. Try to spread it on the entire coat.

• Step 4: Try to moisturize dogs with a conditioning treatment. Once the conditioner is properly soaked into the shaft and of the cuticle, it can prevent the fur from dust and dirt. It is less prone to become yellow.
• Step 5: Try to pat a clean towel on the dogs fur to get rid of the excess water. Use a hairdryer but not at high speed. Try to ensure that his coat is not wet. If you leave the wet fur as it is, it is more prone to pick up the stick up the dirt quickly.
• Step 6: After the fur dries, try to provide your dog last touchup using a pin brush. Try to sprinkle a bit of cornstarch on the dogs coat to get rid of the stains present on the fur. This will make the fur cleaner and more white. Try to use cornstarch and then brush it until you dont see the loose powder.
• Step 7: Try to feed a nutritious diet to your dog so that he can maintain his shiny white color fur. Try to feed him food that has plenty of Vitamin B as well as Omega-3 and 6 fatty acids. These contents are essential to enhance the color of the furr and result in a healthy coat and fur. Therefore it is less prone to turn out to be yellow.

Can Black Dogs Change Color?

Puppies change their color, and so do older dogs who become grey.

Yes, black dogs can change color. Sometimes the black coat develops a red tinge or turns gray or white with age. As the puppies grow, their coat color becomes more noticeable. The dogs coat color also depends upon the breed of the dog. Genes of the dog also play a vital role in determining the reason for color changes in the dog.

Do Dogs Fur Change Color As They Get Older?

The color of the fur changes as the dogs grow older and their coats blow. The dogs fur begins to shed and turns out to be light and shinier. For example, a black dog will have a new coat that would be lighter and brown.

Why Is My Black Dog Turning Brown?

Many times the coat color of the dogs change as they age. You do not need to worry about it because it is common for black dogs to turn brown at some phase of their life. Nutrition and specific health issues can also turn up black dogs into brown.

At What Age Do Dogs Fur Turn White?

Dogs begin to develop their first gray hair nearly at the age of 5. However, in some dogs, the gray hair begins to shine from their lustrous coat as early as one year old.

How To Get Blood Out Of Dog Fur?

You can go through the following steps to clean the blood out of the dogs fur.

• Step 1: Try to check out where the blood is coming from. If the doggy is hurt, you do not need to closely clean the injury because the pain or bleeding can start again. Try to ensure if the dog has developed any kind of cuts.
• Step 2: Try to clean the injured area with the help of a thin towel and warm water. Rub the area with the injury and see if the injury is too deep. Rub it gently as it can hurt the injured area.
• Step 3: You can clean the injured area with the help of hydrogen peroxide, which is commonly used to get rid of blood stains from clothing. It also acts as a germicidal agent. Cleaning with the peroxide can help to heal the injury fast.
• Step 4: You can use a cotton cloth if the blood is accumulated across the wound. You can simply wet the cotton with the help of warm water or peroxide. Using a cotton towel is always recommended as you can easily clean the wound and control wherever you are touching the wound.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you get the yellow out of a white dog?

Use baking soda and water to clean the fur.

You can make a paste of water and baking soda and paste it on the stain. Let it dry for some time and then wipe it off with the help of a damp cloth. You can repeat the entire process till the stain remains.Urine stains are challenging to clean, and they should be removed immediately with the help of pet cleansing wipes for a damp cloth.

How can I get my dogs fur back white?

Make sure you clean them every day.

Try to maintain hygienic practices. Make sure that your dog is bathing every single day. Try to incorporate some grooming tips and tricks. A healthy diet can contribute to a lustrous, shiny white coat. You can even apply a paste of baking soda and water to get rid of any kind of stain present on the dogs fur.

Do white dogs turn yellow?

Yes, it is a symptom of jaundice.

The yellow color is derived from Bilirubin produced by the red blood cells. If a huge amount of Bilirubin is produced in the dogs body, then it results in yellow color. The dog cannot excrete a huge amount of Bilirubin faster. Due to this, the white dogs turn out to be yellow. Too much accumulation of Bilirubin in a dogs body results in jaundice.

Why does dog fur turn white?

Whitening or greying is a sign of advancing age. It happens when your dog is about 5 years old.

Like human beings, even dogs turn out to be gray as a part of their natural aging process. A pigment responsible for skin color named melanin is not produced in old age in dogs. This results in the strands coming about lighter shades like white or gray.

When the dogs melanin level drops down they start getting more grey hairs. Thus dogs develop their first gray hairs nearly at the age of 5.

At what age do puppies fur change color?

The fur color of the puppies changes between 6 to 18 months. The puppys coat is a bit different compared to the texture of an adult dog. The puppys coat is more open, and the texture is softer in color.

Wrap Up

Similar to human beings, even dogs suffer from certain medical conditions. It is imperative to ensure the health of the dogs. The coat of the dog determines how healthy he is. If it is shiny and lustrous, then it reflects good internal health.

Often, the fur of the dog turns out to be yellow, so it is essential to understand the adequate reason behind it. We have come up with ways to get rid of the dangling yellow color of the dogs fur and why does the color of the dogs fur turns yellow. Make sure that you go through it.

We thank you for reading and hope you enjoyed the answers. If you have more questions, please feel free to write to us. You might also like to read: Can A Black Puppy Change Color? And Do Puppy Teeth Turn Black?

Maltese Tear Stains

Tear stains present as discolored hair under and/or around a dog's eyes. The hair may develop a pink, red, rust, or brown tinge. Sometimes the texture of the hairs will feel dry and a bit 'crunchy' similar to straw. But, even if the hairs are soft, any discoloration like this is still indeed stains.

Something seen very commonly with Maltese owners is that they will have a Maltese puppy that is a pure, snow white without any color around the eyes at all. Then, as the pup matures, pink or brown hairs will 'grow in'. When this happens, owners may think that this is some sort of natural coloring. It is not.

Maltese do not have the genes to produce rust, brown, or dark pink hairs. This breed can have lemon or tan; however, if this is there it is almost always present on the ears.

Therefore, any coloring that you see as your Maltese grows older is due to unnatural staining. But, not to worry; this can be resolved relatively easily.

Get Rid of Maltese Tear Stains Quickly Prevention and Removal

Maltese are prone to getting tear stains and other discolorations on their fur. Of all the discolorations, Tear stains are definitely the most noticeable as they are on the face. All dog breeds can suffer from tear stains but the Maltese are particularly prone to it because of their snow white fur which contrasts the yellow staining.

Tear stains on a Maltese dog can be easily prevented and treated. In order to prevent tear stains you may need to implement a change in diet, use filtered water and create a daily face cleansing routine for your Maltese dog. To clear up any current tear stains or discolored sections of fur you can use tear stain wipes or a tear stain remover from your local pet store.

This article will outline:

• What tear stains are,
• What causes tear stains in the Maltese breed
• How to prevent tear stains from occurring, and
• How to clear up current tear stains on your Maltese

What are tear stains ?

Tear stains can be a frustrating occurrence on some breeds and the Maltese is at the top of that list. Maltese fur is generally a bright white and the discolorations on the fur can be a striking contrast which makes it very noticeable. Most people tend to treat the symptoms which are the tear stains, rather than the cause, but if you treat the cause you will have a much happier Maltese dog and a lot less tear stains as a result.

Tear stains can present themselves in a few different shades and can be described as either pink, red, yellow, brown or rusty in color. The main color tear staining occurs in is the yellow shade, but any color discoloration under the eye which is unsightly is regarded as a tear stain. Generally the tear stains will be a little stiff or hard to touch as the minerals in the tears solidify on the fur. But the fur can still be soft if the tear stain is recent or is still wet from tears. Some people describe the fur as feeling like straw.

Maltese puppies do not seem to be afflicted by tear stains as much as older dogs. Generally a puppy will still have snow white hair under its eyes. As the puppy grows and matures it is more likely they will have brown and pink hairs to appear. This is not a natural coloring for a Maltese and it is the start of tear staining. The reason why this is the case is that the Maltese breed does not generally have the genetics to produce any rusty, brown, pink or red hair. The only real colors a Maltese may show apart from snow white hair are a tinge of yellow sometimes called lemon or tan on the Maltese breed. These alternative colors rarely appear near the eyes and are more likely to appear on other parts of the head such as the ears.

As your Maltese ages, any staining that you see around the eye area is usually caused by unnatural staining. This is something that can be easily resolved and is not a cause for concern in relation to your dogs health.

Why do Maltese dogs have tear stains?

Maltese dogs will often have tear staining around the eyes. Some of the factors which are responsible for producing the yellow staining that you see around a Maltese dogs eye area also contribute the yellow staining which can often occur on other areas of the Maltese dogs face. Usual spots for yellow staining on the face can include the mouth and the chin. Because this yellow staining is so common in the tear area it is often also common to see the yellow staining on other parts of the face.

While predominately white in color Maltese dogs are able to produce yellow and tan hairs which can alter the color of their fur. When this does occurs in Maltese dogs it is usually restricted to the ears if anywhere at all. This localized coloring is why if you see a yellowing of the fur on a Maltese dog around the mouth or chin it is almost certainly a result of the staining.

How to prevent tear stains in Maltese dogs?

If your Maltese dog has issues in relation to tear stains it is something that can be easily remedied. There are ways in which you can rectify this in your Maltese dog.

In order to remedy the tear stains in your Maltese it is prudent to take a proactive approach to the staining. If you are not proactive and follow the below steps correctly you will find that there will be minimal success in relieving the tear staining and the results will be simply temporary in nature. It is important that if you wish to take steps to resolve the tear staining problem in your dog that you make a firm commitment to ensure the best possible results. If you are committed to being proactive and follow the steps you will find that the tear staining problem will be cleared up and that it will aim to stop the staining from reoccurring.

There are a few main contributing factors to why your Maltese is getting the tear staining and addressing these factors is very important. The first step is to eliminate anything which may be causing your Maltese dog to be getting the tear staining. If you are able to address these contributing factors or causes then it is going to be of paramount importance to stopping the tear staining from reoccurring. The main contributing factors you need to address and make changes as needed are:

• Low quality food choices. The food that you feed your dog has a big impact on the quality of its health and well being. This is particularly applicable to the Maltese dog as they are considered a toy breed and are small in nature. Inferior food can often impact the stomach of your dog and make them unwell but it can also affect their coat and their skin. This means that food which is not nutritious can cause tear staining. This is caused by all the additional coloring , flavoring and preservatives which are aptly named additives as they are added to the dogs food. Another component of the dogs food which could be contributing to the issue is the use of corn and wheat in the dogs food. Many dogs are allergic to corn and/or wheat and this allergy can contribute to the staining on you are seeing on your dog. A corn and/or wheat allergy can cause the dogs eyes to excessively tear which caused more wetness on the fur which will in turn stain the fur around the eyes. For these reasons you want to make sure that you are feeding your Maltese dog the best quality food that you are able to. It is ideal to stick to well known brands which have a high consumer rating. These foods will need to have zero additives and ideally no corn or wheat, for this to be the case they will need to have what is called a grain free base or formula. Most of the best dog foods are highly recommended on Amazon at very competitive prices. The prices change frequently and there are always discounts and specials happening so check for the best prices by clicking here.
• Quality of water. The water which your Maltese is consuming can have an impact on their tear staining. Many people simply fill their dogs bowl with tap water and it is often something that people do without even thinking. This however can be something that is dangerous to do when trying to combat tear staining. Tap water often has a very high mineral level which can cause the tear staining in your dog. Additionally tap water as many toxins, chemicals and carcinogens all of which can effect not only the tear staining of your dog but their health in general. A good option when getting the water to fill the bowl of your Maltese is to use filtered water. Many homes these days have taps which are fitted with water filters otherwise it is cost effective to buy a water filter jug from the store which you can keep in the fridge to have water for your dog handy for when you require it. In a situation where you are not able to access filtered water bottled water is a usable alternative.
• Keeping your Maltese fur dry. When a Maltese hair is exposed to being damp it is then subject to yeast growth. Yeast growth occurs when an area on the dog stays damp for a period of time. This yeast growth can happen in areas like the genital area, where is it damp from your Maltese relieving themselves, on the face and in the ears where yeast ear infections can occur. When your dog drinks their face will most always become damp. This is because water droplets from their water source will inevitably end up splashing up onto their face. This also can occur when your dog is eating, especially if their dog food is more wet in nature. This often happens with food that is in any kind of gravy or casserole formula. To combat the dampness that occurs when your dog eats or drinks it is a good idea to clean their face after eating, in particular the eye area where the tear staining is more prominent.
• Daily Grooming. Daily grooming may sound overwhelming but rest assured it is simple. It is as simple as wiping your Maltese face a few times every day. This routine of wiping will ensure that the face and eyes stay dry and are not remaining damp. This will reduce the tear staining that you see on the Maltese dogs face. This action will only take a few seconds at a time and over time will become part of your routine. It is ideal to do this after every meal and any time you notice their face looking particularly wet. You can purchase eye wipes from most major pet supply stores and they usually have ones which are for canines in particular. Establishing this routine of cleaning the face is very important for your Maltese.
• The type of bowl you are using. It is very common for people to reach for a simple plastic dog bowl when it comes to having water and food accessible for your Maltese. The sad reality is that many plastics these days contain BPA and these chemicals are very harmful for pets. It is a good choice to stay away from plastic bowls all together. This is because even bowls which are labeled as BPA free can still contain dyes and chemicals which can be harmful to your Maltese. These dyes and chemicals can cause physical harm to your Maltese and are very dangerous. This harm can include causing a dry nose, nose discoloration and discoloration of the hairs on the face. A wonderful alternative to plastic is to use stainless steel bowls. The prices change a lot but check out the best stainless steel bowls by clicking here for the latest prices. These come in many different sizes and are very durable, they are also heavier which helps weigh the bowl down so that it does not slide or spill when your Maltese is eating and drinking. Stainless steel bowls are readily available and should be able to be purchased at your local pet store or pet supplier.
• Other health issues. If your Maltese is tearing excessively this may be caused by excessively running eyes. Excessively running eyes is not normal in a Maltese dog. If you find that this is occurring in your dog then it is important that you take them to the vet to get assessed. Any time something is not normal for your dog it is important to get it assessed by a trained professional. This is because if you are only treating the problem and not the cause then you will not get the ideal results you would expect to see. A small amount of staining is normal in a Maltese but when it is excessive it is absolutely something you will need to get investigated. Health issues that can cause staining problems include allergies, damage to the cornea and an inverted eye lash. This is why is is important that if you notice your Maltese has runny eyes you get it investigated with a vet as soon as possible. Once any health issued have been resolved or ruled out then you can continue with resolving the tear staining issue.

How do you remove tear stains ?

As covered earlier it is very important to have a daily routine of cleaning your Maltese dogs face as part of addressing and fixing the issue of tear staining. The best option is to invest in some good quality canine wipes from the pet store and use these as part of your daily Maltese maintenance. It is important to invest in good quality wipes as they are going to be gentle enough to use near the eye area without causing irritation and will have ingredients that are beneficial for both the coat and skin beneath it.

If you find that this is not having the desired effect of addressing the tear staining issue then you may have to resort to taking more specific measures. This would mean that you would want to look at buying canine wipes at the pet store which are designed specifically for tear staining prevention. These wipes are formulated to prevent and treat tear staining. These wipes are ideal to use along with all the other steps to help address the tear staining issue in Maltese dogs. They are a great thing to use for maintenance but should be used in combination with all the other factors as listed above.

A tear stain remover is another option for the tear staining problem. This is a liquid that you apply near the eye where the tear staining occurs in order to help aid in removing and preventing the tear staining. Tear stain removers often help to fade the staining but sometimes you may find that they do not do a lot. If you find that the tear stain remover is not working you can try changing brands as certain things will work for some dogs and not others. But if you find none are working for your Maltese it is important to understand that prevention is the main key to success. This is because in the same vein as the canine tear stain wipes they are only helping to mask an issue the same can be said of tear stain remover. If you want to try out the tear stain remover or read up more on what is available check out Amazons tear stain remover selection here.

What is the best dog food for maltese tear stains?

The best dog food for Maltese dogs with tear stains is a high quality nutrious food which is low in corn and wheat. It should be high in vitamins and proteins. You want to look for a food choice which is non as grain free as grains such as wheat and corn are just fillers and are not nutrious for your Maltese puppy. Most of the best dog foods are highly recommended on Amazon at very competitive prices. The prices change frequently and there are always discounts and specials happening so check for the best prices here.

A quick summary

The real thing you need to do is to try and stop the staining by making lifestyle, diet and grooming changes to stop or at least lessen the staining from occurring in the first place. If your dog is not having a good diet, is being exposed to chemicals in their water and their food and is not having any daily grooming then it should not come as a surprise that the staining is not stopping. If you are trying all of these things and making changes for your Maltese and the tear staining is still persisting it is a good idea to book a simple check up with your dogs vet just to rule out any health concerns.