My dog's nose is dry. Is it normal, or a sign of discoid lupus?

Thank you for posting the picture of Bruce’s nose. Many different disease processes can look almost identical on the nose. Often a bacterial infection can be the problem. Often underlying thyroid disease can redispose to the infection. If antibiotics dont resolve it then a biopsy is usially done to obtain a diagnosis. Zinc deficiency, skin disorders such as discoid lupus, and even more aggressive problems such as pemphigus can begin with this symptom. I would highly encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian soon. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lexi. I do recommend that she sees her veterinarian. Her nose looks very sore and raw. She may require an oral antibiotic to help the wound to heal. She may also be checked for other signs of autoimmune skin disease as the nose can be one of the first areas of affected. I hope this information helps!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. This could be an indication of a systemic illness such as discoid lupus. This could also be a response to environmental change (dry air, warm temperature, etc.). If he is otherwise doing well, I would recommend trying a moisturizing balm such as BioBalm by Dermoscent, which can be found online quite easily. I would give this 1-2 months to see if it works. If there is no change, then I would recommend having a veterinarian examine Logan so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

I am so sorry to hear about Drako! It is definitely quite possible given the appearance and his breed that he could be suffering from an autoimmune disease such as lupus. Other possibilities would include bacterial and fungal infections, solar dermatosis (sensitivity to sun) and zinc responsive dermatosis, and less commonly cancer. It looks like if your dog didn't respond to the antibiotics and steroids then some additional testing needs to be done. A biopsy is the fastest way to determine what the problem here could be. I would recommend discussing this with your vet and if they don't feel comfortable asking for a referral to a specialist.

It is possible that lupus could be the cause, but this is actually quite rare even though Collies do have a hereditary predisposition to a few types of lupus and other autoimmune diseases. Collies are also predisposed to superficial bacterial folliculitis, which is more common and may be what your vet is treating for. I would give the antibiotics some time to work. If you don't see improvement in a week, then it would be good to bring him back for a recheck. I hope that helps and George gets better soon.

Yes this could be zinc deficiency or it could be discoid lupus. I would bring him in for an exam. For a difinitive diagnosis you will need to have a biopsy done. I have a malamute with discoid lupus and am able to manage it without medication although initially I treated her for it and then weaned her onto supplements. I would be happy to help with holistic supplements when you have a diagnosis.

It looks like Tasha had some nasal discharge that dried up. If after you wipe it away with a washcloth soaked with warm water, it does not return, and she continues to eat/drink/play normally, she will likely be fine. If she continues to have nasal and /or eye discharge, starts coughing and/or sneezing, and becomes tired/lethargic, she may be developing a respiratory infection that would benefit from a vet’s visit and possibly antibiotics. She is beautiful! Good luck!