Strange Hair Color Change

[smertl89]

I am the owner of a 2.5 year old female black lab. She has been solid black in color since she was born. Starting this past summer, she began developing a white/silver patch of hair on the right side of her abdomen just behind the rib cage. It is not her stomach but more on the side. It has been growing larger since I first noticed it. It does not bother her. If I brush her the white hairs do not come off and the color extends to the roots.

I am just curious if anybody else has seen this before or if it is something I should be concerned about?

[BigBrownDog]

Did she have an injury (surgery or cut)? White grows back when there is a scar.

[smertl89]

Nope, she has never had any injuries at all. Not even so much as a bee sting.

[labby]

Can you get a picture of it for us? It's not unusual for blacks to develop white hairs in armpits and groins as they get older, but I've not heard of a white patch suddenly showing up elsewhere, especially in a 2½ year old.

[SarahJN]

A picture sounds good. She's not an old lady so I can't see why she'd develop a white/silver patch all of a sudden.
It might be she's carrying a "white gene" (as it is possible to produce white pups) but there'd be no way of telling without a DNA Map or a male carrying the same gene and allowing them to have puppies - it might be that this gene has "broken through" to produce one patch of white hair.
I can't be sure, though. I don't think it's anything to be concerned about as she'd probably have other symptoms if she was ill. If you are concerned, though, please see a vet. I've never heard of this before, which is a good and bad thing, as it probably isn't anything to worry about but also means I have no basis for comparison. Again, a vet's your best bet.