My Yellow Lab's Skin On His Belly Is Turning Black And Itchy. Can You Help?

There can be a number of reasons for your dog's skin on his belly turning black and itchy and for that reason the only proper solution is to consult a vet.

There are many different possibilites, reasons and cures for this condition but if it is not inspected properly you could end up with the wrong advice which could exaggerate the problems.

By visiting a vet, your dog will get proper treatment and analysis with the vet almost certainly able to pinpoint the problem and suggest a quick remedy. Taking advice from other dog owners or from internet forums can involve a lot of risk because no one else really knows your dog and the exact condition that he is suffering from.

A vet will be able to do two important things for your dog. The cause of the problem will be identified and also a cure. By identifying the cause of the problem you will be able to make adjustments to avoid this in future while a properly diagnosed cure will ensure that your dog gets the right treatment and doesn't suffer any undue pain by prolonging the problem.

The problem that you describe is likely to have a fairly simple or straightforward solution. It could be down to a change in your dog's usual pattern or maybe just require a change of diet or more regular bathing.

By getting your dog medically examined, the true cause of the problem will be identified which will allow the vet to look into a number of possibilities. The vet however will probably have a gut instinct about the problem from looking at your dog and seeing how it reacts to the condition. The vet will also be aware of the latest advances in medicine and will know which route to go down to get your dog back to full health.

Labs are notorious for developing allergies.  Dogs can develop flea, food, and environmental (atopy) allergies.  This leads to itching, redness, can cause hyperpigmentation, and usually secondary infection.  Other common skin conditions that can lead to itching are mites, ringworm, hot spots, and other dermal parasites.
Necrotic (dying) skin can turn a very dark black--this is not usually itching and can be a sign of a heat burn, spider bites, or other serious trauma to the skin.
Have your dog examined by a veterinarian for diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

I would be getting him in to be looked at, this definitely doesn't sound normal. It could be a chemical burn or something like that. Hope this helps, good luck to you.