Mary- I have experienced pigment loss several times through the years with Toga. She has Immune Mediated Poly-Arthritis (IMPA), and has lost the pigment on her nose and around her mouth with the onset of each bout of the IMPA flaring up. It took several episodes for me to realize the two were connected, and I always made the connection after the "crash". (sort of like when Toga is acting very strange all morning and we have an earthquake a couple of hours later and I say "duh" no wonder she was acting weird)
I now keep a very close eye on her pigment since it seems to act as a barometer and allows me to gauge when another flare-up is coming long before she actually crashes. This way my vet and I can be proactive and adjust her treatment at the first sign of trouble, rather than being reactive and treating the much more serious crash itself. Knock on wood, but we have been pretty lucky in the past year and a half at preventing any major flare-ups, just a few minor ones along the way. I'm sure there are plenty of other things that can cause pigment loss, but I know several people who have reported the same symptom in IMPA dogs. Toga was two years old when she had her first crash, and she lost not only the nose pigment, but her lips went from black to translucent gray in the months preceding the actual crisis. Best of luck to you and your Berner boy that his pigment loss is due to something much simpler. Regards, Jessi Braga and Toga Anchorage, AK
