Help with a Westie's nose
January 11, 2008 4:33 PM Subscribe
Crusty top of dog nose... what could it be?
My Westie's snout has an interesting thing going on. Where the nose leather stops and the fur begins, he's getting these little crusty scabby things. It almost looks like dirt that you can flake off with your fingernail. Removing them does not reveal any open sore or blood, but it does show a little more pink than normal. They are not bumpy.
Any idea what this could be? I am taking him to the vet for his annual exam and shots within the next 2 weeks for a diagnosis, but does anyone have any idea what this could be?
My Westie's snout has an interesting thing going on. Where the nose leather stops and the fur begins, he's getting these little crusty scabby things. It almost looks like dirt that you can flake off with your fingernail. Removing them does not reveal any open sore or blood, but it does show a little more pink than normal. They are not bumpy.
Any idea what this could be? I am taking him to the vet for his annual exam and shots within the next 2 weeks for a diagnosis, but does anyone have any idea what this could be?
Is he eating out of a plastic dish? My vet noted this as a common problem and suggested we give our dog a tin one.
posted by bondgirl53001 at 5:07 PM on January 11, 2008
posted by bondgirl53001 at 5:07 PM on January 11, 2008
My dog growing up had something a little like this, and it turned out to be some sort of pre-cancerous condition of the skin. He prescribed some ointment, which cleared it up, and then we put sunblock on her nose to protect it when she was out during the day.
posted by infinitywaltz at 5:37 PM on January 11, 2008
posted by infinitywaltz at 5:37 PM on January 11, 2008
My boxer growing up had this as well; I always assumed it was wet dog food that had caked on her nose when she ate.
posted by blastrid at 5:41 PM on January 11, 2008
posted by blastrid at 5:41 PM on January 11, 2008
My dog had this at about 9 months. The vet said it was a harmless wart like condition that lots of young dogs get and that it would get worse before it got better. As predicted it got pretty big (dime sized) and once or twice the scab would come off and bleed profusely but, as predicted, it healed up and she's 12 years old now and her nose is A-OK.
posted by fshgrl at 5:52 PM on January 11, 2008
posted by fshgrl at 5:52 PM on January 11, 2008
Please let us know what the vet says. I have two Westies, and I am really curious about this.
posted by Robert Angelo at 6:17 PM on January 11, 2008
posted by Robert Angelo at 6:17 PM on January 11, 2008
Is he putting his nose up to or through holes in a fence? Our dog had an incredibly red and scabby nose last week, which we were stumped by until we remembered she had been at the kennel -- with a chain link fence -- for four days prior.
She's all healed up now and just fine.
posted by fiercecupcake at 7:15 PM on January 11, 2008
She's all healed up now and just fine.
posted by fiercecupcake at 7:15 PM on January 11, 2008
One of my foster boxers has a crusty nose, and the vet wasn't at all cocerned about it, it has healed up a bit since he's been with me, but I think it's just calloused from many years on the street, or whatever happened to him before he happened my way.
If there isn't any discharge, and the water dish isn't plastic, I'd likely think it's nothing to be worried about. Some people recommend vasoline to help, and I can't imagine it causing harm... I've also heard mites can get into the nose, but know nothing about that really.
Is the dog getting lots of water? If your house is dry maybe that is exasperating the condition? I think lots of water is what helped my foster's nose improve in the month he's been here.
I wouldn't worry about too much.
posted by glip at 7:43 PM on January 11, 2008
If there isn't any discharge, and the water dish isn't plastic, I'd likely think it's nothing to be worried about. Some people recommend vasoline to help, and I can't imagine it causing harm... I've also heard mites can get into the nose, but know nothing about that really.
Is the dog getting lots of water? If your house is dry maybe that is exasperating the condition? I think lots of water is what helped my foster's nose improve in the month he's been here.
I wouldn't worry about too much.
posted by glip at 7:43 PM on January 11, 2008
It's part of the dog's nose drying out and flaking off (according to our boxer's vet - boxers get it a lot and seem just not to have very wet noses naturally, which makes them prone to it).
The dog may be dehydrated - ours was a mess in many ways when she came here from the shelter - or the tissue may be sun-damaged, or both. Make sure the dog gets lots of water. We were told to put vaseline on the affected area. That, in combination with not being underweight and dehydrated and suffering from a number of other ailments, seems to have done the trick.
For reference, this is what I think you're talking about. If it looks nothing like that, ignore all the above. (She got better, even though it's still not exactly a typical wet dog nose now.)
posted by genghis at 5:29 AM on January 12, 2008
The dog may be dehydrated - ours was a mess in many ways when she came here from the shelter - or the tissue may be sun-damaged, or both. Make sure the dog gets lots of water. We were told to put vaseline on the affected area. That, in combination with not being underweight and dehydrated and suffering from a number of other ailments, seems to have done the trick.
For reference, this is what I think you're talking about. If it looks nothing like that, ignore all the above. (She got better, even though it's still not exactly a typical wet dog nose now.)
posted by genghis at 5:29 AM on January 12, 2008
It could be a condition called hyperkeratinosis, where the skin grows overly thick and rough (does your dog have it on the foot pads as well?). Definitely get it checked by the vet, but there is a cream designed for diabetics' feet called Kerasol which you can get in most drug stores which can help keep this skin supple and less prone to cracking.
posted by biscotti at 7:16 AM on January 12, 2008
posted by biscotti at 7:16 AM on January 12, 2008
This thread is closed to new comments.
Other than that, all I can think is it's either chapped or an allergy - food or otherwise. I think if nothing else develops, you should be fine with waiting 2 weeks for the vet appointment.
posted by jerseygirl at 4:41 PM on January 11, 2008