Dog's rare skin condition makes him unrecognizable!

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma - A dog named Buster went through a remarkable transformation due to a skin condition called vitiligo. The dog that originally boasted a jet-black coat has become a white pooch!

A rare skin condition totally transformed this dog!
A rare skin condition totally transformed this dog!  © Collage: Screenshots/Reddit/TallyMatty

Over the last two and a half years, Buster has gone through an amazing transformation. In 2021, Buster was diagnosed with a rare skin condition called vitiligo, his owner Matt Smith told the Daily Mail.

Vitiligo is the same pigmentation condition that Michael Jackson allegedly had and causes pale patches on the skin and can turn hair white.

As Smith can attest, the same condition that affects humans can also change animals' appearances!

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The dog owner shared pics of his pooch's surprising transformation to Reddit.

The series of pictures shows the dog transforming from jet black to white in color, with a speckled and patchy phase in between. At one point, Buster looks like a white pooch wearing a fuzzy black sweater!

"'He would lose his black fur and new white fur would come in. So there was a point in time where he was balding in areas until his fresh fluffy white fur grew in," Smith explained.

Buster the dog was diagnosed with vitiligo in November 2021, and it began around his muzzle.
Buster the dog was diagnosed with vitiligo in November 2021, and it began around his muzzle.  © Screenshot/Reddit/TallyMatty
The white spots spread and Buster the dog began to transform.
The white spots spread and Buster the dog began to transform.  © Screenshot/Reddit/TallyMatty
Buster the dog had some funny half-black-and-white phases.
Buster the dog had some funny half-black-and-white phases.  © Screenshot/Reddit/TallyMatty

Vitiligo isn't painful for human or dogs!

Luckily, vitiligo isn't painful for humans or dogs!
Luckily, vitiligo isn't painful for humans or dogs!  © Collage: Screenshots/Reddit/TallyMatty

While Buster's surprising vitiligo transformation took a while, the condition isn't painful, as dog experts at petMD explain on their website.

While these animal experts have yet to determine what causes the disease in pups, they noted that it usually begins in young dogs.

The condition is rare, but certain breeds including Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, Dachshunds, Siberian Huskies, and Rottweilers are more likely to have their coat change colors.

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Smith first noticed that his pet had small white patches on his muzzle, and then a few months later the formerly black dog had white patches all over his body.

Now Buster's coat is bright white. Good thing that he looks perfect in any color!

Cover photo: Collage: Screenshots/Reddit/TallyMatty

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