Could It Be Something Other Than Snow Nose?
If your dog is continuously rubbing his nose, or if the nose has sores, complete changes in pigmentation, changes in texture or moisture, or is crusting, bleeding or itching, then you should discuss these symptoms with your veterinarian. These types of issues can be an indication of something more serious, such as cancer, lupus infection or an immune disease known as vitiligo.
There may be other benign reasons that your dog’s nose may change color. Although Dr. Cain says it isn’t common, some dogs lose the pigment on their nose from eating or drinking from plastic dog bowls.
If you don’t see any other changes in your dog’s nose and suspect this to be a problem, you can switch to a dog bowl like the Bergan stainless steel pet bowl or the Van Ness stainless steel pet bowl.
Why Is My Dog’s Nose Turning Pink?
Is your dog’s nose turning pink? Pink dog nose occurs when a dog’s normally dark nose loses pigment and becomes noticeably lighter in color. A dark dog nose can become brown or pink. Sometimes lighter dog noses may still have a darker stripe across the nose. The outer edges of the nose, however, will remain dark.
Does your dog have a pink nose at times? Or does her dark nose become lighter in winter and fade to brown? These are common signs that your dog has a condition called “snow nose.”
Snow nose affects white dogs and lighter colored dogs most often, but other dogs may also lose nose pigment. It occurs most often during winter months, causing some people to theorize that the condition is related to sunlight. Because snow nose often occurs in winter time, it is sometimes called “winter nose.”
The effects of the condition are temporary. If your dog’s nose becomes paler in the winter then it will usually become dark again in the summer months, though as they get older some dogs will keep their lighter colored noses year-round.
It has also been suggested that changes in nose pigment may be related to a dog’s thyroid levels.
Some dogs naturally have lighter colored noses from birth. If your dog is brown or liver-colored, then his nose may be fur colored at all times. This is not the same as a snow nose. His brown nose is genetic and not related to sunlight or other changes in his environment.
Some dogs can lose nose pigment as a reaction to eating from plastic bowls. Luckily it’s easy enough to test this theory! If you suspect that your dog is losing nose pigment because of eating from a plastic dish just switch him to a metal or ceramic dog bowl.
Usually, it’s a seasonal phenomenon. The nose will be dark in the warm weather and then turn significantly lighter in winter. The reason for the change is not known, but some have speculated that it is associated with the activity of the enzyme tyrosine, which is responsible for the synthesis of melanin — the skin and hair pigment. Perhaps affected dogs have a variant of the enzyme that is less active during the winter months.
If your dog’s nose changes color and it’s not related to seasonality or aging, something is probably wrong. For instance, sometimes the nose loses pigment during an illness or trauma — but will then return to normal upon healing. Also, some dogs are sensitive to the materials used to make plastic food bowls, and the day-to-day irritation causes their nose to turn pink. (The lips may become inflamed as well.) But as soon as you switch to stainless steel, the problem resolves.
Ditto if the color change is not symmetrical or comes with lesions — changes in the nose’s surface or texture. One disease that comes with color asymmetry is vitiligo, an immune condition in which antibodies are formed against pigment-containing cells. The result can be white patches on parts of the nose and also on other parts of the body.
Otherwise, your dog’s nose is in the clear. Just make sure, if your pet has a pink or other light-colored nose, to protect it with sunscreen. It can burn and is more sensitive to the sun, putting a dog at a higher risk for cancer.
Nor is it anything to worry about if your dog’s nose lightens with advancing years, with no back and forth from summer to winter. That’s just an age-related change.
Dog’s Nose Losing Black Color
Your dog’s nose has gone from black to pink — or from pink to black. What’s that about?
Usually, it’s a seasonal phenomenon. The nose will be dark in the warm weather and then turn significantly lighter in winter. The reason for the change is not known, but some have speculated that it is associated with the activity of the enzyme tyrosine, which is responsible for the synthesis of melanin — the skin and hair pigment. Perhaps affected dogs have a variant of the enzyme that is less active during the winter months.
“Snow nose,” or “winter nose,” as it’s sometimes called, is harmless. You’ll tend to see it more in golden retrievers, Labrador retrievers, Siberian huskies, and Bernese mountain dogs. But other breeds can get it, too. It’s nothing to worry about.
Nor is it anything to worry about if your dog’s nose lightens with advancing years, with no back and forth from summer to winter. That’s just an age-related change.
Note that all dogs’ nose color is genetically determined, just like hair color. It can range from black to pink to liver-colored to the same color as your pet’s coat. All are normal.
If your dog’s nose changes color and it’s not related to seasonality or aging, something is probably wrong. For instance, sometimes the nose loses pigment during an illness or trauma — but will then return to normal upon healing. Also, some dogs are sensitive to the materials used to make plastic food bowls, and the day-to-day irritation causes their nose to turn pink. (The lips may become inflamed as well.) But as soon as you switch to stainless steel, the problem resolves.
It’s also a problem if more than the nose is affected. Check to make sure there’s nothing different about the lips, foot pads, eyelids, claws, or any part of the coat. If there is, take your dog to the veterinarian for a workup.
Ditto if the color change is not symmetrical or comes with lesions — changes in the nose’s surface or texture. One disease that comes with color asymmetry is vitiligo, an immune condition in which antibodies are formed against pigment-containing cells. The result can be white patches on parts of the nose and also on other parts of the body.
And erosions, or “crusts,” on the nose along with a loss of pigment can be signs of lupus or another relatively severe inflammatory disease. Any crusting, blistering, dryness, or other texture changes on the nose are cause for concern and require medical attention.
Otherwise, your dog’s nose is in the clear. Just make sure, if your pet has a pink or other light-colored nose, to protect it with sunscreen. It can burn and is more sensitive to the sun, putting a dog at a higher risk for cancer.