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Why is my dog's nose dry, cracked, and painful? What can I do?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Fox Terrier | Male | neutered | 7 months and 26 days old

My miniature foxie's nose is severely cracked on one side and I am worried. I was wondering if you could possibly help me identify what is wrong and how to treat it. It looks painful. If it helps he is neutered and around 8 months old. Thank you for your help.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on August 27th, 2017

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.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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