Many people who own Vizsla dogs have wondered why their pets change their coat color to a shade of gray.
When it comes to dogs turning gray, two main factors come into play:
Dogs with high levels of psychological stress or anxiety have been found to turn gray early, and the cellular stress that causes gray hair has a genetic component in canines of this breed.
When Can My Vizsla Dog Turn Gray?
On average, most dogs start to turn gray around 5 years of age, although some begin to turn gray before 2 years of age. Graying in dogs can occur anywhere, but tends to be more prominent on the muzzle.
Premature aging is rarely a cause for a medical concern, but as always, if you suspect something may be wrong with your canine, see your vet.
Some of them turn gray very early, some never will, but most are somewhere in between. Premature graying is only a cosmetic issue and is rarely a cause for concern.
What Do You Mean by Premature Graying?
Premature or geriatric graying consists of the appearance of gray hair in an animal. Usually, this condition begins around the muzzle. This process is associated with the aging process, the same that happens to humans.
There is another type of graying that can affect Vizslas, which is called progressive graying. It turns out to be caused by a gene for progressive aging that causes the canine’s coat to turn gray or silver.
Why is My Vizsla Dog turning Gray? What Causes Color Change?
There are two main reasons why Vizsla dogs can turn gray.
When a dog of this type feels a lot of stress, its cells act negatively causing gray hair. Although the specific gene that causes premature aging has not yet been found, experts say that cellular stress is what causes gray hair.
That is normally one of the most common causes of gray hair in canines, as their genes come from animals with gray fur.
Can Medical Problems Cause My Vizsla Dog to Gray Hair?
In some cases, premature aging of animals could be due to a medical problem. If you suspect that your dog has a health problem, see your vet.
One of the main hypothyroidism symptoms is multiple hair changes including hair loss, roughness, dark pigmentation of the skin, and premature graying of the muzzle.
You will often see cases of Vizslas with gray muzzles, but that does not always indicate that it is an older dog.
Due to all the variables associated with coat colors, a dog’s gray muzzle is not always an accurate way to estimate age. 2-year-old dogs can have a lot of gray around the muzzle and eyebrows, although it is often associated with middle-aged or old-age pets.