immune-related issue with my dog's nose

September 11, 2007 2:40 PM

Our old dog's immune-related crusty nose disappeared post surgery and has now reemerged. What gives?

Her nose has been crusty for some time now, like 6 years or so, and the thinking is she may have some kind of immune issue, like pemphigus. Recently, she was operated on for a separate, unrelated condition and, perhaps because of being flushed with antibiotics, her nose in the days following the surgery looked better than it had in years. Now, a few weeks later, it seems to be slowly returning.

Any suggestions on how to keep her nose crust-free?

posted by mizrachi to pets & animals (2 comments total)

My collie-shepherd mix had this. Our vet told us it was a reaction to sunlight common among collies.

Could it be that it got better because she was mainly indoors after her surgery?
posted by jamjam at 4:04 PM on September 11, 2007

Here is a page with a picture of 'collie nose' near the top (interestingly, since your dog is female, it says the condition is a form of lupus) and here is a page by a couple of vets discussing the incidence in collies and other breeds.

I would say your guess about antibiotics is also a good one.
posted by jamjam at 11:39 AM on September 12, 2007