# Red Nose



## jackie_hubert (Jun 2, 2010)

Cosmo's nose is red. Could it be sunburned? We were at the beach today and this morning he had his first day of daycare. He's always had some red/brown on his nose but today is is redder/browner than ever before. The black pigment seems to have changed. Perhaps this is normal in pups? I'm including a picture.


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## ebenjamin85 (Apr 13, 2008)

How old is Cosmo? Samantha's nose turned from black to pink at about 1 year. I believe that it's conisdered a major fault in the show ring but we still love her, and considering that we have never intended on showing her we don't care either way... it's kind of cute. Her nose actually gets darker in the summer, and lighter in the winter. 

I suppose that it could also be a sunburn though like you said, and if so, I hope that he heals well!


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## jackie_hubert (Jun 2, 2010)

Just search for "pink nose" and I see that this has been asked many times on the forum. I'm thinking it's not "snow nose" as it's summer, obviously. Must be sunshine or his nose naturally changing to pink as he's getting older. Though he's only 4.5 months old...Both his parents have black noses and are successful in the show ring. If it stays we'll just learn to love it!


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## marieb (Mar 24, 2008)

Maddie's nose changed to pink when she was about 1 year old. I just went through my pictures to look and I remember hoping that it was snow nose at the time, but it never changed back to black.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

Actually, it is lack of natural vitamin d from sunlight that contributes to "snow nose" in the winter. A dog lacking pigment should have sunscreen applied to the nose. Melanoma is real issue in dogs right now. 


On the OFA site right now:
*Attention Owners of Dogs Diagnosed With Melanoma*

The Canine Hereditary Cancer Consortium needs your help! The CHCC is studying canine melanoma. They are requesting blood samples from any purebred dog with melanoma. The samples will be used in DNA studies to further research into identifying underlying genetic differences and biochemical pathways that contribute to this disease. The CHCC can provide sample collection kits, and will pay for shipping. Requested samples include whole blood (5 mls in an EDTA – purple top – tube), and/or fresh tumor samples. Dogs in remission are eligible to participate in this study, as are dogs who have already had tumors removed.
For further information, collection kits and shipping information, please contact Dr. Roe Froman, at the Van Andel Research Institute ([email protected] office: 616.234.5569).


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## jackie_hubert (Jun 2, 2010)

Pointgold, why do you think it's turning pink?

I'll start applying sunscreen if we go out in the sunshine.


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## Mssjnnfer (Aug 9, 2009)

Pointgold said:


> Actually, it is lack of natural vitamin d from sunlight that contributes to "snow nose" in the winter. A dog lacking pigment should have sunscreen applied to the nose. Melanoma is real issue in dogs right now.
> 
> 
> On the OFA site right now:
> ...


Both of my doggies have pink noses still. Is there special lotion for dogs? I'm worried they will just lick it off. They spend a lot of time outside playing.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

Mssjnnfer said:


> Both of my doggies have pink noses still. Is there special lotion for dogs? I'm worried they will just lick it off. They spend a lot of time outside playing.


A waterproof sunscreen labeled for babies/children is your best bet. There is a product made for dogs called, I think, Vet's Best Suncreen or something like that.

Look for products that are PABA free - if ingested can be toxic.


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## SophieP (May 7, 2010)

Would sunscreen not block the natural sunlight therefore cause a Vit D deficiency hence the pick "winter" nose?

Thanks,


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

jackie_hubert said:


> Pointgold, why do you think it's turning pink?
> 
> I'll start applying sunscreen if we go out in the sunshine.


 
You said it's always been brown/pin (as opposed to black). It likely is sunburned, now.


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## Lestorm (Feb 25, 2007)

It doesnt look sunburned and hes at the age when the pigment on the nose can change. im sure hes fine.

Our vet always suggested to us to put sun cream on the dog nose and just above it and for cats the nose and ears.

Skin cancer in dogs can be as nasty as it is for humans.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

SophieP said:


> Would sunscreen not block the natural sunlight therefore cause a Vit D deficiency hence the pick "winter" nose?
> 
> Thanks,


No. You still get the benefit of vitamin d provided by natural sunlight, but still are protected from the harmful uv rays.


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## SophieP (May 7, 2010)

Pointgold said:


> No. You still get the benefit of vitamin d provided by natural sunlight, but still are protected from the harmful uv rays.


Hi - sorry I Googled it before I read you response (I was too curious! ) and here's what I found:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4001172/

http://pediatrics.about.com/od/sunscreen/a/sunscreen_myths.htm 

It's the first time I've heard that the pink/winter nose is caused by Vitamin D Deficiency - I always heard that it was caused by dogs drinking from a plastic bowl or the cold weather which both seemed odd to me - I like your theory much better! 

It DOES however seem that sunscreen blocks Vit D from being made and absorbed. Interesting for sure...I'm sure most dogs don't get enough sunlight to create "adequate" amounts of Vit D (whatever that equates to in dogs) so it's quite possible/likely that the pink/winter nose is caused by Vit D deficiency and would explain why it returns in the warmer summer months when there is more sunlight in most parts of the world.

Thanks for the stimulating discussion! 

Cheers,


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

SophieP said:


> Hi - sorry I Googled it before I read you response (I was too curious! ) and here's what I found:
> 
> http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4001172/
> 
> ...


Are you planning to marinate the dog in sunscreen? :curtain: Because unless you are, the nose being covered with sunscreen will be the only place that is blocking the natural Vit D from being absorbed...


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Pointgold... I was wondering a little bit, because all of our goldens developed pink nose as they got older... this despite the fact that they drank from metal bowls and our one guy got salmon oil (vitamin d source) for his elbow problems. Also our well water is questionable, so they only get distilled water (the same that we drink) - and in the metal bowls.

The only thing the dogs had in common were their bloodlines (maybe one or two dogs way back in their pedigrees/common lines) and also the dogfood (lamb and rice kibble) we fed them. 

I'm keeping an eye on my current guy's nose, which is still black. With our guys they started losing pigment at 5 or 6. About the same time they started going white around the whiskers. They also lost pigment around their eyes as well. <- Losing pigment prior to twelve months seems odd to me for that reason. 

I guess I'm wondering if there is another factor which causes dogs to lose pigment. That maybe it could be diet related?

ETA - Just for fun, with the golden who got the salmon oil supplement, we used to joke about where all of the black on his nose was going. As his nose got a bit pinker with age, he got more black splotches on his tongue.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

I don't know. I've fed the same food for years, and have had dogs from varying bloodlines. If they've had really good pigment from the start, most have maintained it. "Snow nose" (we live in Northern MI) usually darkens again when the days get longer. I have had 2 dogs that I can recall as having had noses that faded somewhat as they aged, but the liplines and eyes remained quite dark. They were pretty closely related.


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## SophieP (May 7, 2010)

Pointgold said:


> Are you planning to marinate the dog in sunscreen? :curtain: Because unless you are, the nose being covered with sunscreen will be the only place that is blocking the natural Vit D from being absorbed...


Ha - nowhere near marinating actually - don't use sunscreen on my dogs. BUT, my point was simply that if the nose is turning pink because of Vit D deficiency, using sunscreen could possibly make it worse. However, if it's red/pink due to a sunburn, then sunscreen would make sense and help prevent further burning...hard to know what the cause is I suppose. 

Cheers,


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

SophieP said:


> Ha - nowhere near marinating actually - don't use sunscreen on my dogs. BUT, my point was simply that if the nose is turning pink because of Vit D deficiency, using sunscreen could possibly make it worse. However, if it's red/pink due to a sunburn, then sunscreen would make sense and help prevent further burning...hard to know what the cause is I suppose.
> 
> Cheers,


 
Ahh... My point was sort of the same, then. If the nose is the only place that we are applying sunscreen, to prevent burning, we are still producing it via the rest of the body being exposed (albeit fur covered) as well as via dietary means. If a dog that has poor pigment to begin with, as the op stated this dog does, I'd be sure to use a sunscreen to prevent burning and the risk of melanoma.


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## marieb (Mar 24, 2008)

This is interesting, so if Maddie's nose was pitch black until she was 1 year old (February of 2009) - do you mean that she probably got snow nose and since then her nose has been getting sunburned? 

I am going to find a picture of her before nose and after nose ... thanks I will definitely put sunscreen on her nose now ...

First picture - December 2008, nose still black
Second picture - February 2009, nose started changing
Third picture - present, what her nose looks like


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

marieb said:


> This is interesting, so if Maddie's nose was pitch black until she was 1 year old (February of 2009) - do you mean that she probably got snow nose and since then her nose has been getting sunburned?
> 
> I am going to find a picture of her before nose and after nose ... thanks I will definitely put sunscreen on her nose now ...
> 
> ...


 
Not necessarily. Snow nose doesn't automatically equal sunburn, but if a dog who has poor pigment is out in the hot sun, particularly for any length of time, I would use sunscreen to protect it. And they do get sun through their coat, BTW. I had a male who got sunburn on the top of his head and muzzle when he fell asleep out in the yard in the sun. He was out of coat at the time, but still had hair, nonetheless. 
Better safe than sorry, I believe.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Pointgold said:


> I don't know. I've fed the same food for years, and have had dogs from varying bloodlines. If they've had really good pigment from the start, most have maintained it. "Snow nose" (we live in Northern MI) usually darkens again when the days get longer. I have had 2 dogs that I can recall as having had noses that faded somewhat as they aged, *but the liplines and eyes remained quite dark*. They were pretty closely related.


*nods* I tossed the eyelines in there, but I have a feeling that it was related to old age 'tearing'/allergy issues that my old guys went through at that time. I started noticing the "eyeliner" change when they were definitely up in age and over 10. 

My current guy's eye rims are not as black as his nose, especially by the inner corners. I suspect that's because of his eye allergies. 

I was curious and googled... and came across this:



> Infections with parasites, fungi or bacteria can cause nasal disease. Injury, burns, hormonal changes and drug reactions can all affect the health and appearance of the nose. Allergy to food dishes (usually plastic), food and inhaled allergens can cause inflammatory lesions and loss of pigment. Excessive sun exposure can cause bleaching and burning of the nose, particularly in dogs that have reduced amounts of color and pigment in the nose to start with. Nutritional deficiencies can affect nose and coat color as well. Some cancers can also affect the nose.


http://www.dogchannel.com/dog-vet-library/vetqa/articlediscolorationqa.aspx


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## marieb (Mar 24, 2008)

Thanks for the info., I will make sure to put sunscreen on her nose now!


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## MillysMom (Nov 5, 2008)

Pointgold said:


> Actually, it is lack of natural vitamin d from sunlight that contributes to "snow nose" in the winter. A dog lacking pigment should have sunscreen applied to the nose. Melanoma is real issue in dogs right now.
> 
> 
> On the OFA site right now:
> ...


Milly is getting sunscreen on her nose everytime she goes out! I never thought it could burn, but she's had snow nose since I adopted her. I sunscreen the horse's nose, I should my dog's too! I've tried a variety of things to darken her nose, but nothing works. It also seems to be a little lighter now that she's 11 and I've had her for four years.


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## jackie_hubert (Jun 2, 2010)

Thanks guys! Great discussion that I'm sure will come up again soon.

I will love my little Rudolph as he is and will put sunscreen on his nose in the sun. Good thing we we live in Vancouver where sunshine is a rarity.

Pointgold, Cosmo comes from a showline. How common is it for pups in showlines to have lack of pigment? When we got him there was tiny pit of brown (we thought it was dirt at first). From the discussion it seems rather common. Do you think the breeder would be interested to know about his new pinker nose?


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