Crusty Dog Nose

What Causes a Hard, Crusty Dog Nose?

I have a ten-month-old yellow Lab that has developed a crusty, hard nose over the last two months. What could it be?

~~ Robin

Expert Reply

Hi Robin,

There's a couple of possibilities for what's causing your dog's nose to become hard and crusty. Let's begin with less serious causes and work our way up.

Is the crusting just on the surface? Can you gently wash it away with warm water? If so, then perhaps he just has seasonal allergies that cause his nose to run and crust. If this is the case, then you should also see some crusting at the corner of his eyes.

Is he a digger? If so, then the dry crusty tissue could be caused by nosing in the dirt. If this is all it is, then moisturizing it with aloe vera gel should help.

At the other end of the spectrum, there is a disease called Discoid Lupus that some breeds are particularly prone to. Lupus is an auto-immune disorder that can present as rashes and crusty lesions. In dogs, the lesions typically appear on the nose and can spread over the muzzle.

Your vet could test for antibodies at the site of the lesions to confirm or rule out Lupus. If you're dog has it, your vet will recommend the proper course of treatment. Corticosteroids can be very effective on the lesions when given orally or applied to the site in a cream. Dogs with Lupus lesions should also be given extra protection from the sun, since sunlight seems to aggravate the condition.

I think it's worth a trip to the vet to figure out exactly what's going on.

Thanks for your question~~ Kelly

Mysterious Nose Lesions

About 4 months ago, my mixed breed dog had a little spot the size of a pencil eraser on his snout near his lip. I treated it with antibiotic creams and such, but it just got bigger and started turning raw.

The vet gave him steroids and an antibiotic, thinking it was a reaction to a bite or sting. When nothing improved my vet sent us to a surgeon who lasered it to thin it down, and also took samples that were tested two different ways for cancer. The results were negative.

This isn't a growth, it is part of his lip. So, the surgery did nothing to improve it. The surgeon gave him more antibiotics and steroids. I took him back to my vet and he gave him a week of the strongest multi-spectrum antibiotic and 50mg prednisone, which I am currently weaning him off.

Shortly after the surgery, little bumps starting popping up too. He now has it on the other side of his nose and in the corner of his mouth. He has also developed a knot in the front of his neck. My vet thinks it's all connected and would say it is cancer, but he knows that tests have already been done. However, he's still not completely ruling out cancer.

So now, he has directed me back to the surgeon. The reason I haven't taken my dog back to the her is that it seems like after she got paid for the surgery money she couldn't return my calls. However, she seemed very informed and nice, so maybe she just isn't getting the messages.

My dog doesn't act like he is in pain at all, but the inside of his mouth looks very nasty on the side the lesion started. I think my dog has gained 15 pounds from all the steroids. Anyway, I don't know which step I should take next to figure out what's going on. Both the surgeon and vet seem to still think it was originally a reaction to a bite or sting. I have looked for pictures of what he has going on and I can't find any. I would appreciate your take on it and perhaps some guidance on my next move.

~~ Lisa

Expert Reply

Hi Lisa,

I had a similar question about a dog that actually had a crusty nose, and while I was researching that answer I came across an autoimmune disease called Discoid Lupus that presents some of the same symptoms you're seeing in your dog.

I suggest you ask your vet to specifically perform an antibody test for Discoid Lupus. This still may not be the culprit, but I believe it's worth looking into. You should also continue to follow up with the surgeon. It's going to take some persistence to get this problem properly diagnosed.

Please let me know what you find out~~ Kelly.