My dog's nostril is red, irritated, and has mucus. What should I do?

I would take Kodiak into the vet to have this examined, as it's not normal for the inside of the nostril to be bright red and raw looking. If he's resistant to you looking at it, I would imagine that it is bothering him a bit. You are correct that it could be due to a respiratory infection (sinusitis), but it could also be due to injury, a foreign body, fungal infection, or a nasal tumor. Kodiak should see a vet today during normal business hours, or tomorrow morning for an exam.

That looks like it must be very uncomfortable! The area is very red and inflamed, most likely a sign of active infection. An antibiotic will almost certainly be required in order to put a stop to the problem. The area on which this is distributed may suggest a contact related allergic reaction. Your dog may have stuck his face in something, and ultimately this is the result. The best method to figure out what the cause of this is, is by obtaining skin scrapings, cultures, and potentially biopsies of the region. The veterinarian will be able to determine which of these, if any, are appropriate once he views the area. You and him may decide that simply treatment with an antibiotic and a steroid first might be more appropriate.

Poor baby. Definitely looks red and irritated. It may need oral antibiotics or possibly just some topical antibiotics. I would call and schedule an exam and get the correct medications. The cause could be infection, allergies, immune mediated conditions, and more. Needs to be looked at a little more closely.

Yes a bit of redness could be normal, but from the picture it looks slightly more red than usual. That may have been due to the trauma. If you notice no discharge at all, I would not be worried about it. Monitor Leroy in the next 48hours and if you notice any sign (sneezing or discharge) I would recommend a check up. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Thank you for posting the picture. It is really helpful. This lesion could be many things, and an examination with a veterinarian would be the first step toward a diagnosis and treatment plan. In my experience lesions such as this one in a young dog are usually either a histiocytoma, eosinophilic furunculosis, or ringworm. All of these can pop up quickly, and they are all treated differently. A histiocytoma is a benign tumor that will usually resolve within 4-6 weeks. The others need medications. A veterinarian can do a needle aspirate to help make the diagnosis and determine what the best treatment plan should be. Best of luck and I hope Tank improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

I recommend purchasing a basket muzzle either from amazon or from your local pet store and scheduling an appointment with your vet. That much thick nasal discharge definitely indicates either a bacterial or viral respiratory infection that can possibly lead to pneumonia (expensive/difficult to treat and possibly life threatening) if not treated early. Your vet may write a script for Xanax and dispense trazadone to be given prior to the appointment. Good luck! Keno is a good looking shepherd!

I would take Cheeko into the vet. The dry nose is not a concern, as a dog's nose can become dry simply by sitting in the sun or next to a heat source, and is therefore not considered a sign of illness. The red eye is a concern, as she could have an eye infection or may have injured her eye . Any eye problem should be examined by a vet as soon as possible because leaving it untreated can lead to vision loss. The vet can diagnose what is causing the red eye, and can prescribe her medication for it.