My dog's black nose is losing color after an injury, what's wrong?

Hello. This does not look like a bite, but more likely either a skin reaction from the skunk spray, or Sawyer abraded the top of his nose trying to rub his face right after he was sprayed. Rubbing in a little triple antibiotic would not hurt, but the skin may just need a little time to heal. If the area does not seem to be healing over the next few days or so, please see your veterinarian to make sure there is no deep seated infection trying to develop. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

He may have scraped it, but the skin doesn't look damaged right now, so it may be in the process of healing. It's also possible that it's simply losing the black pigment, which can happen normally. It doesn't appear irritated to me, but I would want to evaluate it in-person to be sure. I think it's fine to just monitor this area for now. I do not see any need for treatment, but you may consider taking him to the vet for an exam if the area appears more read, or develops any further changes that are concerning. I hope that helps and all is well with Winston.

There are breeds of dogs that are prone to a seasonal lightening of the nasal planum (the hard, tough, hairless end of their nose). Sometimes referred to as “Snow Nose” these dogs (Siberian Huskies, Labradors and Golden Retrievers) can have darker noses in the summer months and lighter noses in the winter. These same breeds plus German Shepherds, Samoyeds, Afghan Hounds and Dobermans (among others) can also experience a gradual or waxing and lightening or fading of their nose color over time. This condition is known as “Dudley Nose." Vitiligo is a progressive disease in which the melanocytes are gradually destroyed causing unpigmented areas on the skin. They develop pigment loss from their skin or hair on their heads, but it can occur in other locations too. In some cases, antibodies against melanocytes have been identified in the serum of infected dogs indicating an immune component to the disorder. And skin biopsies of the affected areas will typically reveal a total lack of any remaining melanocytes. What all three of these causes for depigmentation have is common is the fact that they are not a disease that can bother or hurt your dog at all. There is no reason to worry about them and there is nothing to be done to ‘correct’ them. The depigmentation is purely cosmetic. Some depigmentation is cause for concern. For instance, any contact dermatitis/irritation can cause depigmentation as can certain chemicals in rubber that can affect the production of melanin pigment where the rubber touches the skin. The administration of certain drugs like ketoconazole, procainamide, and vitamin E have been reported to cause generalized changes in coat color in dogs, and injections of other drugs (glucocorticoids, for instance) can cause localized loss of pigment. Additionally, hormonal disorders (imbalances of thyroid, adrenal or sex hormones) can alter pigmentation as can bacterial and fungal infections and even cancers (neoplasias). Immune-mediated diseases also occur in dogs where the dog’s own antibodies attack different parts of the skin resulting in depigmentation. I recommend getting your dog seen by your vet just to be safe. She is young for some of these conditions to occur, but nothing is impossible.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! While this may be caused by a bite from another dog, from my experience, this looks a little bit more like a wound from nudging something constantly with the nose. Perhaps nudging a door to a crate, or sticking his nose under a door repeatedly. I recommend keeping a close eye on the area, and maybe even getting Bear an E-collar or "cone" so that he does not cause further trauma to the area. I advise against applying antibiotic ointments such as Neosporin as Bear is likely to lick them off quickly. I hope this helps and that all is well with Bear!

This is a difficult place to put anything on, because it will just be licked off. From what I'm seeing in the picture, it is a very minor abrasion, so I would not be to worried about it getting any worse. For now, it's best to just keep the wound clean by wiping it with warm water occasionally. This should be completely healed within the next two weeks.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It sounds like the wound was minor and I wouldn't recommend to do anything with it. Any products you put on it might just cause a bacterial skin infection due to the moisture, or he will likely lick it off. Just leave it alone to heal on it's own. It might take a few weeks. Best of luck with your puppy!

Yes, it looks just like some sort of wound from an injury. I would not be overly worried about it at this stage. You can use this wound spray 3-4 times per day and if after a week or so it is not looking better then she should see your vet. https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/vetericyn-plus-hot-spot-antimicrobial-gel-for-dogs