My dog has sudden black circles around eyes and nose, should I worry?

The change in pigment can be due to excessive tearing or irritation from Luna rubbing the skin around her eyes. I recommend having her eyes checked, it looks like she may have mild conjunctivitis. This is treated with eye medication and when treated it should reduce the eye discharge. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Luna.

We can occasionally see pigmentary changes so if the area is not raised and not irritated I would just continue to monitor. You can try some snout soother https://naturaldogcompany.com/product-category/products/snout-soother/ on her nose. If it persists an exam at the vet is recommended. We can sometimes see a dry nose if a dog's tear production is decreased as the tears normally flow from the nasolacrimal duct which carries them from the corner of the eyelid out to the nostril.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It could be due to acne development or other local allergic or inflammatory reaction. As long as this area is not painful and is not bothering your dog, you can monitor her at home for the weekend. However, if the area is sore or is bothering your dog, you should take her to your local vets tomorrow.

I am sorry to hear about your concern for Snoop Dogg! We can sometimes see a darkening in the skin pigment with Cushing's disease but we can also see it with skin infection or other causes of inflammation. For this reason I would let your vet know about the change so they can determine if it warrants an examination for Snoop Dogg.

This is generally speaking related to excessive eye discharge as the fatty component of tears is the one that stains the most. Excessive discharge can be caused by a variety of causes, being eyelid and conjunctival inflammations and infections the most common ones. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotic eye drops may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but 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. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

Unfortunately, without images or an exam, it is difficult to determine if there is an underlying medical condition that should be addressed. Ideally, Maggie should be physically examined by your veterinarian. The veterinarian may examine the eyes and mouth to diagnose or rule out [eye infection](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/conjunctivitis/), [allergic reaction](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/allergic-reactions-hives-and-swelling-of-the-face/) or [dental disease](https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-signs-that-your-dog-needs-dental-work). Any treatment will depend on the diagnosis. An [e-collar](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/well-and-good-e-collar) (cone) should be used to prevent rubbing or pawing until Maggie sees the doctor.

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.