Help With Dogs Nose

[Madeara]

I hope someone can help me as i am swamped today. This is my SIL and she adopted this wonderful dog Luna years ago. She just sent me this email and I can't research this right this moment. But if it were a human I would think cancer, but a dog I don't know. And btw, her husband makes a TON of money so I am disturbed that she would not just go to the vet. Now if it does sound like something serious she WILL take the dog to the vet, the children love this dog and they do take good care of her.

 

Any ideas I can pass on to her?

 

Hi Audrey,I am wondering if you have any knowledge about dogs' noses when they change color (from dark brown) to raw pink. I hear it is normal for a dog's nose to go pink as they age, but Luna's nose looked as if it were sunburned this summer as it peeled & flaked. Now it is "leaking" a bit of blood. I can take her to a vet, but I haven't yet. John thinks there should be some sort of home remedy. If anyone has a clue why & how this happens, it would be you. Any ideas? If not-no problem.Thanks-ME

 

Thanks everyone!

 

 

[Madeara]

I found this:

 

"The various causes of loss of pigmentation of the nasal planum (the usually black portion of the nose):

 

1) Dudley nose -- loss of pigment seen in a number of breeds for unknown reasons in which the nose is black when dogs are young but fades to brown or sometimes even white as the dog ages.

 

2) A transient form of the above condition may exist or it may be something else, but some dogs do lose some pigment and then recover the normal coloring of their nose over time.

 

3) Labradors, Golden retrievers, Bernese Mountain dogs and Siberian huskies may have seasonal variation in the color of the nasal planum, usually lighter in the winter and darker in the summer. The cause of this is not known, either. Some vets refer to this as "snow nose".

 

4) Vitiligo can cause loss of pigment of the nose and it may also be part of a syndrome of immune mediated disease in which hypothyroidism also occurs, so perhaps this is the link to loss of color of the nose and hypothyroidism but if it is, the hypothyroidism is thought to occur after another disorder causes the color change. Dogs with vitiligo normally have development of patches of white hair or white hairs scattered in the hair coat. I don't think that loss of pigment in the nasal planum only is likely with this condition.

 

5) Contact dermatitis can cause loss of pigment in the nose -- some dogs are reported to be sensitive to the plastic that is found in some feeding bowls, for instance. Continual irritation of the nasal planum from a cause like this might lead to loss of pigment. Usually the lips are also are inflamed or may have pigment loss if they are dark, too.

 

6) We see dogs with discoid lupus and with phemphigus that have loss of pigment of the nasal planum, usually patchy but sometimes most of the planum is involved. There are also usually skin sores around the edges of the nasal planum, on the bridge of the nose, around the eyelids or places like that. "

 

 

[Burpdog]

She really needs to see a vet. If you knew for sure what it was/is, then you can suggest options for treatment.

[turbotaina]

Agree with Diane. On greyhounds, my guess it's that it's likley to be autoimmune. She should go to a vet.

[Guest Sassifrass]

We have a non-grey, actually a shepherd mix) at our shelter with a similar condition. The vet has diagnosed it as a kind of lupus. This dog should be kept in the shade as much as possible and does take some kind of medication for the condition - sorry, I'm not sure what.

I'd definitely recommend that this greyhound be seen by a vet.

[Guest Ola]

Losing pigment I would try to troubleshoot, but when blood appears it's time to get to a vet. I would ask if they use any plastic bowls though as a friend of mine had that problem and on switching to stainless bowls the nose pigment returned to normal. Hope it is something that simple, but definitely a vet visit is in order. Ask her husband if his nose turned black and started bleeding, would he search for a home remedy too?

[Guest sheila]

home remedies can be good things, but only after one has a diagnosis. For that one would need to take their dog to a vet.

[Batmom]

VET!!! Sounds like lupus but could be something else.

[Guest MomofSweetPotatoes]

Sounds like it could be "Collie Nose" or Discoid Lupus or something entirely different. A vet visit is in order.

[Guest SoulsMom]

Sounds like it could be "Collie Nose" or Discoid Lupus or something entirely different. A vet visit is in order.

 

I was about to say Discoid Lupus as well . . .

 

[Greylover97]

Vet visit. Sounds like autoimmune.

[silverfish]

Yep, I was thinking pemphigus too - or some other autoimmune problem. Needs a vet to dx it.

[Madeara]

Ask her husband if his nose turned black and started bleeding, would he search for a home remedy too?

 

I agree and wish I could but Bob and I have been a bit miffed with him since he thinks us strange to care so much for our dogs. Yup there is one in every family. Still don't understand why some people think animal husbandry is such an awful thing Bob's sister is wonderful and will indeed take care of Luna, she has a vet appt for today

 

THank you for your help and I will update you when she tells me what the vet says.

Edited December 5, 2007 by Madeara

[Guest jurishound]

She absolutely needs to have the hound seen by a vet. One other thought - my first grey was allergic to plastic and her nose became somewhat mottled - when I switched to metal bowls, it went away. This is unlikely the cause in this case, but I thought I would mention it.

[Madeara]

Luna isn't a greyhound, she is a wonderful mutt that was adopted from a shelter. She is a super girl!

 

Also they do spend much on this dog, they travel a lot and do board her and that cost big bucks in Westport CT. I would watch her but she is dominant female and worry with my 3 dogs. they also installed an electric fence for her and that has worked wonderfully since day one. They do spend and the children love this dog. Its just that BIL can be penny wise pound foolish, with all their $ why not just take the dog to the vet? A diagnosis could cost $50.00 at the most.