To Pat Ball -
 
>XCaret's skin seems to be turning blue.  Is this because she is about to blow
>her coat?  Is she getting her adult fur in?  Or, God forbid, is something wrong
>with her.  I took her out of season about three weeks ago, maybe this has
>something to do with it?
 
        Pat, without looking at this color change of the skin, it's tough to
really tell anything.  When new dark hair is beginning to emerge during a coat
change, the skin often looks a sort of bluish, which goes away in a few days.  I
have seen cysts described as "blue tumors" once, but those are very focal in
nature.
 
        I don't think taking her out of season would cause the skin to turn
blue.  If the condition perisists, the best bet is to take her to your vet for a
quick exam.
 
       Bruce Williams, DVM                 Department of Veterinary Pathology
       [log in to unmask]         Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
       (202) 576-2453/2454                 Washington, D.C.  20306-6000
 
 
[Posted in FML issue 0952]