My dog's nose is cracked. Is it serious? When should I see a vet?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Murphy. A common condition known as hyperkeratosis can cause a crusty nose. This is more of a cosmetic probelm and may be what his veterinarian was referring to at your last appointment. If the nose cracks, bleeds or the pigment changes to white or pink though, this is concerning. It can indicate an autoimmune disease. This would need to be diagnosed with a biopsy. In the first scenario, I usually will treat with a topical ointment to dissolve the extra skin or keratin. You need to wear gloves when applying it though as it can dissolve the skin on your finger tips. His veterinarian will be able to prescribe this ointment. I hope this information helps!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Ariel. I recommend that she sees her veterinarian. She may need to have biopsies taken from the affected skin on her nose. I am concerned that she has developed an autoimmune skin disease where the body attacks it's own skin cells. In this case, an accurate diagnosis is necessary to prescribe medications to manage the disease. I recommend having her seems soon as the cracking skin on the nose can result in terrible bleeding if it gets deep enough. I hope this information helps!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Summer. I recommend that she sees her veterinarian. She may have a common condition known as hyperkeratosis of the nasal planum. If this is not the case, a more serious condition such as an autoimmune disease should be considered. Discoid lupus usually appears as a cracked, bleeding and ulcerated nose. This is diagnosed by a skin biopsy. I hope this information helps!

Dry noses can be caused by a wide variety of conditions, including infectious conditions, immune mediated issues, allergies, or more systemic diseases. Since this seems to be a recurring annual issue, I would be inclined to think that allergies seem most likely. Max will lick anything off of his nose, so try to apply topical treatments as he is eating to at least allow for a brief period of contact time. You can try starting an oral omega 3 fatty acid supplement (such as Welactin). Topically, you can try applying vitamin E (buy OTC capsules and open them up to apply the contents to his nose) and moisturize with small amounts of lanolin. If the cracking continues or worsens, a trip to the vet is in order for further diagnostic testing. I hope that all goes well!

It looks like her nose is very dry and cracked. To be safe, I would get her in to see a vet as soon as possible, especially if she's feeling sick otherwise, any unusual lethargy, refusal to eat and drink, vomiting, diarrhea could all point to this being a much more serious condition. I do recommend very gently cleaning her nose and applying a thin protective coating of Vaseline to her nose to help slow the cracking and dryness.

Foxy appears to have a condition known as hyperkeratosis; where the skin cells grow too much and irregularly. This condition can be caused by a previous infection with distemper virus, an autoimmune (self-attacking) disease, a metabolic disease or some other cause of irritation to the nose. One possibility is too much sun exposure. If this is a possibility, then you can apply sunscreen (SPF 50) to his nose twice a day and see if it helps. Otherwise, you need cream to help keep the skin from drying out. You can use vaseline. Just make sure to rub it in as much as you can, because he will be licking. If the treatment is not working well, then it's best if you can take Harley to get examined by the vet. They can look for other signs of a problem and help identify the cause.

Arlo has a very cute nose. Skin cancer is possible but not very common in a young dog. I would be more concerned about trauma like rubbing the nose, fungal infection, bacterial infection, or even auto immune disease like lupus. I would recommend taking him to a vet for a good exam and possible medications. If medications do not help she might need to the nose biopsied.