# Nose color changes



## woodjack (May 13, 2010)

I have had a golden for the last 15 years, unfortunately my best friend Woody passed away in 2008 Easter Sunday. But with all my time with him I noticed that during different seasons his nose would change color from dark black to whiter to redish purple to pinkish then back to black and it happened so slowly i hardly noticed it. I was wondering if this had to do with the temp changes or was it more an age thing? I seem to recall it happened when he was younger as well. here is a picture of Woods with a black nose. Just wondering cus I have noticed throughout all the pictures of Goldens on here that a number of noses are shades of different color. It is something curious I noticed but never really thought about to much just wondering if others noticed the same thing. So Far jack my new Golden Jack, his nose has turned dark pinkish in the winter and now is solid black. Maybe add some different pictures of your golden with different colored noses throughout the year? Or am i just crazy?

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## Willow52 (Aug 14, 2009)

No, you're not crazy, it's called 'snow nose'. Many dogs loose some the pigment in their nose during the winter then back to black in spring. It's due to the lack of sunlight and Vitamin D. Sometimes as they age, some of the black doesn't return and the nose stays a purplish/pinkish/brown. The are many remedies floating around but IMO, it's genetics.

Edited to add: My Hank's nose was black last fall, turned to a pinkish color during the winter and now it's back to black. His brother's didn't turn at all. My last golden's nose didn't change with the season but did change to pink as she aged.


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## Lestorm (Feb 25, 2007)

Our Poppy had a lovely black nose up until last Autumn, it turned pink and has sadly remained pink. We now call her Dudley Nose


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## jwemt81 (Aug 20, 2008)

Snow nose is very, very common in Goldens. Lots of dogs will have their nose turn from black to brown or even pink during the winter when there is less sunlight. It has also been said that eating and drinking from plastic bowls can irritate the nose and cause it to lose pigment, which is why we only use stainless steel bowls. Both of our boys still have coal black noses that have never gone pink. I'm hoping they will stay that way since I love their black noses, but one never knows. It could just be their genetics causing them to stay black.


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## Retrievers Rock (Apr 4, 2010)

Chloe's turned a light brown when she was about three years old, and it never turned back to black. That's how I can tell her age in photos.

I remember reading about the upcoming litter that Molly came out of, and in the packet on the stud, it mentioned his year-'round black pigment. Maybe Molly will keep hers.


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## eirepup (Apr 14, 2010)

Finns nose was jet black when he was younger hes 6 now and it stays mostly pink all year I'm not sure when the change happened I didn't really notice it untill recently but I think its been like that for a good while now.


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