Vitiligo – the condition that famously affected Michael Jackson – causes pale white patches to develop on human skin.
But as one dog owner can attest, the rare disorder affects animals as well.
Buster, an adorable four-year-old dog based in Oklahoma, has turned from black to completely white due to his vitiligo.
Photos posted to Reddit show the pooch’s incredible colour-changing transformation in the space of two-and-a-half years.
Vitiligo is a condition in which the pigment cells of the skin are destroyed in certain areas of the body, but it affects fur and hair as well as skin.
The amazing before-and-after photos were posted to Reddit by Buster’s owner, Matt Smith. His pet completely changed from black to white over the course of the 2.5 years
It’s not clear why vitiligo occurs, but it’s believed it happens when something interferes with cells that produce melanin, the substance that gives skin and hair its colour.
Since the photos were posted to Reddit by Buster’s owner, Matt Smith (TallyMatty) based in Oklahoma City, the story has gone viral.
‘My boy Buster (4yo) has completely changed from black to white over the course of the last 2.5 years,’ Matt said.
‘Buster has the skin condition vitiligo – it causes depigmentation of the skin (and fur).’
Fellow Reddit users replied in astonishment, while many drew comparisons with the world’s most famous vitiligo sufferer, Michael Jackson.
One posted: ‘Wow! This is the most fascinating thing I’ve seen on reddit in ages.
‘I was sure this was going to be fake until I scrolled through.’
Another said: ‘If you hadn’t shown the transition, I never would have believed it.
Yet another simply posted: ‘I’m barking at the dog in the mirror.’
The owner posted multiple snaps dating back towards the start of Buster’s amazing transformation.
The owner had noticed white patches near Buster’s mouth and chin before they it started to spread over his face and body. Pictured, August 2022
A human or animal with vitiligo experiences depigmentation, which occurs when the skin loses its natural pigments. Pictured, November 2022
It’s not clear why vitiligo occurs, but it’s believed that it happens when something interferes with the body’s melanin-producing cells. Pictured, May 2023
He initially had noticed white patches near Buster’s mouth and chin before it started to spread over his face and body.
‘He would lose his black fur and new white fur would come in,’ Matt said.
‘So there was a point in time where he was balding in areas until his fresh fluffy white fur grew in.’
Fortunately, vitiligo in pets is painless and the dog is not known to be experiencing any suffering or discomfort.
It’s also pretty rare – vitiligo is said to occur in less than one per cent of dogs, according to Rover.com.
Some breeds – including Rottweiler, Old English sheepdog, German shepherd and Dachshund – are more prone than others.
In some dogs, the entire body will be depigmented, but in others, the condition will only appear in the form of patches or spots.
Vitiligo usually shows up in young adulthood, Rover.com adds, and almost always starts on the dog’s face.
According to PetMD, there are no available treatments for vitiligo that will re-pigment a pet’s affected skin and fur.
‘However, because vitiligo causes no discomfort, your dog or cat will be just fine living the rest of his or her life with this condition,’ it says.
August 2023: Buster is mostly white and any dark patches are concentrated around his back and tail
October 2023: Vitiligo in pets is painless and the dog is not known to be experiencing any suffering or discomfort
Many more owners have shared their experiences of having pets with vitiligo, including Elli, the adorable cookies-and-cream kitten from Germany.
Another Reddit user, u/BacardiBlue, said they once had a jet black cat who developed vitiligo.
‘He started turning white at all of his extremities…tip of his nose, tips of his ears, nose, and tail and then it spread further,’ they said.
‘It was amazing to watch the transformation for the 7 years that I had him, and my vet was absolutely fascinated.’
Meanwhile, Rowdy the black Labrador developed white blotches around his eyes that look like they’d been painted on by owners.
MailOnline has contacted Mr Smith and The Kennel Club for further clarification on Buster’s breed.
