When Rowdy the black lab walks into a room, people notice! And it's not just his obvious charisma that turns heads; the beautiful black lab has also developed a very unique condition called vitiligo, causing depigmentation of his skin, according to Life with Dogs. The 13-year-old Rowdy is no longer just a black lab, as he is now a black lab with eye-catching white patches around his eyes.
Niki and Tim Umbenhower of Canby, Ore. say that the vitiligo just started, so Rowdy has just started having a few patches on his face and body that are losing color. Picture a reverse dalmation!
While vitiligo is more commonly seen in people (Michael Jackson suffered from it), it can affect dogs, as well. Vitiligo causes depigmented skin patches and can occur while the dog is a puppy, or in Rowdy's case, which is more common, come later in life. The hair that covers the skin patches also turns white, according to Vet Info.
"He's like our own little celebrity around town," Tim told KPTV. "Everybody loves to stop us and wonder what we did to him or if we painted it on there."
Poor, sweet Rowdy has had a tough time of it, or interesting, depending on how you look at it. He was once poisoned by river water, causing vets to have to pump his stomach. Another time, he was accidentally shot by police during a suspected burglary. Yowza Rowdy! Thank goodness this condition isn't life-threatening!
