People often feel self-conscious about medical conditions, but there’s a dog with vitiligo will remind us that all of us are beautiful regardless of our appearance.
Blaze, the black Labrador Retriever, has been with his dad, Santeri Frilander, since he was a puppy. He was born with a beautiful black coat just like any other black Lab.
However, as Blaze got older, Frilander began noticing something unusual. His sweet dog slowly began to change colors over the course of a year!
“The white color began spreading from a small spot on his ear,” Frilander shared. “Interestingly, all of his brothers and sisters still remain single-colored.”
It’s common for dogs to get gray hairs as they age, but this was truly out of the ordinary. As Blaze got older, more white spots appeared. They kept growing throughout his body until he no longer looked like a black Lab. If anything, his color was more like “cookies and cream.”
Turns out, Blaze has [ᴠɪ.ᴛɪʟɪɢᴏ]. It’s more common for humans, but dogs can get it as well. However, it doesn’t stop him from enjoying his everyday life. Though his appearance changed, he is completely healthy and full of energy as [ᴠɪᴛɪʟɪɢᴏ] only affects the appearance and nothing else.
” He likes to make people happy and put a smile on their faces,” Santeri added. “He is 10 years оld now and has received a few nicknames because of his age, like ‘The Old Man’ and ‘The Funny Оld Man.’”
In fact, Blaze is extremely healthy for a Lab his age. He loves exploring and going on walks in new places. His dad strongly embraces the dog’s adventurous spirit.
“Blaze is a healthy and very energetic guy. He’s always ready to join you wherever you go. He even loves to travel inside a car,” said Frilander. “Blaze loves to walk in the woods and swim in the lake.”
