Why is my dog's nose is slowly, over time, evolving from black to pink.?

Question

What causes this?

Answer 1

Probably snow nose.

The most common cause of a fading nose is "snow nose," says Grant Nisson, D.V.M., a veterinarian in private practice in West River, Maryland. Vets aren't sure why, but many breeds of dogs will lose pigment from their noses during the cold months. (This rarely occurs in cats.) People once thought that snow nose was caused by bright sunlight reflecting off snow and bleaching the nose white -- or by a combination of cold and trauma, since dogs often use their noses as miniature snow shovels. Vets have found, however, that even dogs living in warm, southern climates may get snow nose, so weather doesn't appear to be a factor.
There is no proven way to prevent snow nose, although some breeders swear that giving pets vitamin E and kelp will help restore the color. (Your vet can recommend safe amounts.) Vets sometimes advise getting rid of plastic food bowls and replacing them with metal or ceramic bowls since some pets may be allergic to plastic. Finally, your vet may suggest a thyroid test be done. There is no evidence to prove that it is true, but some vets believe that low thyroid levels can cause the nose to lose its color.

Snow nose isn't the only condition that can cause the nose to fade, although it is the only one in which the color eventually comes back. When a nose goes pale and stays that way, your pet may have vitiligo, a condition in which skin cells lose some of their melanin, or pigment. Pets with vitiligo may turn white on the paws, lips, and fur as well. Vitiligo appears to be a hereditary problem, affecting Doberman pinschers and Rottweilers more than other breeds. It will keep your pet out of the show ring but is otherwise harmless, says Dr. Nisson.

A more serious condition that can cause the nose to fade is Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH), or Harada's, syndrome, which occurs only in dogs. Vets suspect that it is caused by an immune system disorder that damages the eyes and the pigment in the skin. It can turn any part of your dog's body white, and without treatment, it can lead to blindness, says Dr. Nisson. Vets often prescribe steroids to pets with this condition, which help keep the immune system from going out of control.

Answer 2

unless the dogs nose has turned pink from being gnarled or sanded off...there's nothing wrong with the dog. It's common for animals minor features to change as they grow. My dog was a light sand color when we got him as a puppy with a pink nose., he's now a dark copper brown with a black nose..His appearence changed drastically...He is perfectly fine, as is your dog.

Answer 3

It's a loss of pigment, most likely due to an alergy.

Your vet should be able to fully explain it (And no, it is NOT caused by feeding the dog out of a plastic bowl!).

Answer 4

If you're feeding out of a plastic dish, switch to metal or ceramic. My dog had this problem and the black came back after switching him to metal bowls.

Answer 5

my dog had this for a while but that's because he was digging everything up with his nose....my vet told me he kind of scratched it off but not enough to worry about.

Tell your dog to stop rubbing his snout on rough things :)

Answer 6

Sound like he is losing the nose colour pigment by some chemicals. What things contain chemicals does he regularly contact with? Try to remove it and see what happens.

Answer 7

im having the same problem with my dog. His black nose is turning pinkish. If he/she is doing fine, eating playing etc. I think it's the weather. "Winter nose" they call it, the lack of sunlight is causing the depigmentation.

Answer 8

The breed could have a dudely nose or he may just have a snow/winter nose
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0109clay0109.html

Answer 9

I just went through this with my dog. It is caused by lack of sunlight and also check your dog bowls, if there dirty that could be the cause.

Answer 10

Feeding out of a plastic dish can cause this.