Does coat colour affect probability of skin conditions?

[BECKYS]

Hi

We are looking to buy a lovely little blue roan girl, who is mostly white.  We were wondering if anyone knew if certain coat colours can affect the probability of skin conditions?  I ask because I had a lovely little angel called Rosie who was a blue roan but mostly white, who was forever plagued by bad skin.  I have had two blue roans also who were mostly black who never had any skin complaints.  Is this just co-incidence?  Any advice would be gratefully received.

Thanks

Becky

[elaine.e]

I don't know the answer, but my William, an orange roan who has lots of white and very little roan, certainly has sensitive skin and a sensitive digestion. Maybe the two go hand in hand? I especially worry about the areas round his eyes and under his chin where the coat is thinnest because his pink skin has little black patches there that have developed over time. My vet says they're nothing to worry about at the moment but to watch them for changes.

I know that white cats sometimes get skin cancer on their ears, which I guess is related to their lack of pigment. Also that West Highland White Terriers are a breed susceptible to skin problems.

[MaggieR]

I've no idea - Maggie is blue roan tho but again, mainly white, I've not had any problems with her skin or digestion but she's only 18months so maybe it has yet to develop...

[Ninasmum]

I've never heard of coat colour possibly affecting their skin. 
Nina is a black/white but predominantly white with pink skin & she has never had any probs with her skin.  Her back is almost completely white with a mainly black head & bottom. 

[JeffandAnnie]

Jeff is predominantly white (though, like most roans, he's darkening as he gets older) and his skin and digestion are great (especially considering what he eats  ). However, he is deaf 

[Jane S]

We have three orange & whites and none have any skin problems. Of the Cockers I groom for others, there is just one with bad skin (very dark blue roan) - I think it looks like classic hypothyroid symptoms but vet is treating for a flea allergy Diet also plays a big part in skin/coat condition - I can always tell the dogs which are fed on low quality supermarket foods as they so often have dry scurfy coats (not saying that dogs plagued with skin problems are fed badly though - just a general observation really on the dogs I see)

[saffysmum]

I think skin problems run in some lines.  I recently got a roan puppy and when she came home, I noticed she had itchy, red skin.  The vet gave her anti-biotics which did nothing to help the skin at all so I called her breeder.  This is a known problem in her lines and I could clear it up with Malaseb as it's like a fungal thing was what I was told.  I don't know if it was a 'roan thing' or not but it does run in her roan lines.

[Brimbeck(Dyllan)]

Only think I have seen re skin is that the blacks have a thicker, tougher skin to my tri-colour.

[Jane S]

I think skin problems run in some lines.  I recently got a roan puppy and when she came home, I noticed she had itchy, red skin.  The vet gave her anti-biotics which did nothing to help the skin at all so I called her breeder.  This is a known problem in her lines and I could clear it up with Malaseb as it's like a fungal thing was what I was told.  I don't know if it was a 'roan thing' or not but it does run in her roan lines.

Why would anyone breed from lines which are known to produce skin problems I wonder if this is something like Sebaceous Adenitis which is hereditary in Poodles & other breeds or maybe Malassezia Dermatitis where certain breeds seem predisposed (but they're all very different colours so this doesn't seem to be coat colour related)

[Ninasmum]

I think skin problems run in some lines.  I recently got a roan puppy and when she came home, I noticed she had itchy, red skin.  The vet gave her anti-biotics which did nothing to help the skin at all so I called her breeder.  This is a known problem in her lines and I could clear it up with Malaseb as it's like a fungal thing was what I was told.  I don't know if it was a 'roan thing' or not but it does run in her roan lines.

Sorry but the breeder is being totally irresponsible    if the skin condition is a known problem she shouldn't be breeding from her.    Why on earth breed a litter that have known hereditary problems at all. 
I really hope you can get your puppy's skin better. 

[Countrygirl]

My Ellie is an orange roan but is mostly white.  She has guts of iron (eats anything) and has no problems with her skin.

[sebanelli]

Ellie, our chocalte roan, suffered with awful exzema before she died which affected her back and sides - we always had to take her collar off after she'd been to the beach as sand invariably aggravated the skin on her throat. Jack, our toffee roan, is currently getting over a very bad case of mainge around his face and paws caused, apparently, by an immune system deficiency after his colon tumour op last year. He's been having weekly chemical baths and is due a second skin scrape on monday to see if they've worked. Both he and Ellie were given Evening Primrose capsules by us and they certainly seem to help.

[bluegirl]

I've had very light blue roan girl with lots of white on her. She did have an awful smell about her but she never had skin problems. I now have 3 darker blue roans and an orange roan and all of them are fine too.

I know its not a cocker but my friend had a Scottie dog who was plagued with eczema all its life (the vet said they were prone to it) and she was black.

[BECKYS]

Thanks guys for all your help with this    We went to see the pup yesterday, and honestly, my heart melted!  On closer inspection, she seems have an awful lot of black specks under her white fur, so she may turn out darker roan? I think from all your replies, it's not necessarily the coat colour that affects the chances of skin conditions, I think it's a lot like human eczema, you either have it or you don't. Although to be fair, I've fallen so in love with this little madame, I'd be more than happy care for her and love her even if she did have skin problems     Just hope Dylan (my nearly 2 year old rescue blue roan boy) likes her!