Pink nose

Hi,

Every year our dogs nose loses colour on one patch and then becomes easy to damage.
I'm pretty sure that because it gets better over the winter it is sun related.
His normal pigment is brown, not black.
Last year it bacame bad in March and didn't recover until the winter. It has now just started to become damaged again after loosing pigment a couple of weeks ago on the same places as last year.

On the face of it you might think this is a cosmetic issue, so why am I worried, but when it has lost some pigment he can damage it easily. We can't play with a ball flinger or a frissbee when the pigment is gone or he'll come back with it bleeding. He needs a muzzle off-lead in public as well because he'll defend anything he catches, so we are restricted with that too. At night he "makes a nest" for himself by scrathing up his cushions and arranging them with his nose. We've seen him do it but can't stop him at night. You can't imagine how mant differrent beds we've bought to help him be more comfortable so he doesn't need to do it.

So, the question is... why is it happening? Are there any supplements which could help, because we can't put anything on it because it gets licked off in 5 seconds. Is it sun damage like I suspect or sign of something serious?

Obviously, I'll take to vet if necessary, but at the moment I think it is more of a cosmetic issue and we need to be careful he doens't damage it too much. The vet did see him for his jabs when it was pink last year but he didn't mention it and I forgot because there was something else I needed to ask him. Now it's returned I'm having doubts.

Welcome to any suggestions.
Thanks

this happens to my dog Bailey a GSD his nose has just turned black again it's known as winter nose/snow nose.
hope this link helps.

http://www.professorshouse.com/pets/...ning-pink.aspx

Hi Liverbird,
It's not snow nose. It happens when the days get longer and heals in the winter - so the opposite to your Bailey.

The article you posted talks about other causes though. Seems as though we just need to carry on as we are, avoiding sunbathing and stopping him damage it while it is tender.

I'll chat with vet next time we're in but not it doesn't seem an urgent matter.

Thanks.

Hi,

I put a thread up at the start of the month asking about my dogs pink nose....
http://www.dogsey.com/showthread.php?t=123203

Even with care taken to avoid the nose getting worse.... it did. I could see the nose was red on the inside and the shape of the nose is changing inside. SO we went to the vet.

He has lupus

It can wax and wane in the early stages and then get more agressive, and considering he has shown signs for the last 2 years and this time it's worse.....I'm a bit concerned.

I really hope he responds to treatment.

Fingers crossed please folks

Fingers and paws crossed for you!

all fingers and paws in this household crossed....!!!!

This is from Wikipedia, and refers principally to human lupus, but it gives an idea.......

Lupus erythematosus is a connective tissue disease.[1] Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease that occurs when the body's immune system attacks its own tissues and organs (autoimmunity). Inflammation caused by lupus can affect many different body systems, including joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, heart, and lungs. Lupus occurs more frequently in women than in men,[2] although the reasons for this are unknown. Four types of lupus exist — systemic lupus erythematosus, discoid lupus erythematosus, drug-induced lupus erythematosus and neonatal lupus.


Snorri


PS - some may remember my Thorgeir presenting with a pink nose when he was "new". It is now nearly all black, as it was only a temporary "birthmark".

The vet did warn me that even though the milder form of lupus (discoid) only affects the hairless parts of the body and not internal organs he has had to PTS a patient before because the pads sloughed really badly and it's quality of life was awful.

When filing his claws this morning I noticed a bubble of skin on one of his pads. Not like a blister, but like when your skin starts to peel.

I hope this isn't a sign it's progressing but I'm not feeling very confident about this at all.