Nares Dermatitis
My 3 1/2
year old Golden Ret. Perry, had what I thought might be a well placed
wipe on his nose from one of the cats. Although they truly enjoy each
other, Perry gets too wild for the smaller cat during play and Spike
sometimes puts up his dukes. I noticed a small, bloody spot on his nose
which I wiped clean and applied some Neosporin. Now his poor nose seems
to have what looks like chapped lips along the edge of his nose where the
fur begins on his snout. I've begun applying some Cortaid, but
I'm not sure what I'm really dealing with. Could it be some sort
of a fungus? Oregon has had a long week of rain (as usual), and could the
initial cat punch let a spore in somehow? I'd appreciate any
input....Thanks!
The edges of a dog's nose often become hard and dry associated with illness, age, and dermatitis. An upper respiratory infection can cause the chapping you describe, but would be associated with nasal discharge, coughing and sneezing. Golden Retrievers show their age in their nares of their nose after reaching eight years. Your dog is less than four.
Perry has rostral dermatitis. Fly bites and sun burn are the most likely culprits. These are treated with topical fly repellents and sun block or avoidance. Fungal dermatitis, or ringworm is a possibility, but would only affect the hairy areas of the body, not the nares of the nose. Mange, caused by mites, also only affects the hairy skin. Both ringworm and mange spread rapidly and make dogs itch severely. In some unusual cases, people mean well by applying a variety of topical ointments, which the dogs are quick to like off. The induced nose licking actually chaps the nose, as lips for humans.
A quick visit to your veterinarian will give you a precise diagnosis, and let you res
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