Reasons for Your Dog’s Nose To Turn Brown

If you really love your pet, then you surely like watching it grow, develop and turn into a beautiful adult. An interesting aspect you might notice at some point in your dog’s life is his nose changing color. If your dog’s nose is slowly turning brown then relax, there’s really nothing you should worry about.

A Dog’s Nose Gives Out Information About His Health

Most dog owners will tell you that feeling their dog’s nose will actually give them a lot of information about his health. Although true to some extent, there are still some conditions to this. If you notice that your dog’s nose is warm and dry to the touch, it could indicate that there is something out of the ordinary with your dog, especially if he also has other symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, or weakness.

A healthy dog will usually have a cool and wet nose, most of the time. Of course, just the state of the nose isn’t enough to make you understand that your dog is in top condition. It should always be accompanied by other symptoms like an active demeanor and a good appetite.

If you want a clear and simple way of getting your dog’s real temperature, try a thermometer. Although most types of thermometers will do just fine, using a digital one will make your life so much easier. To lubricate its tip just use petroleum jelly or if you have none of it, use water instead.

You might also like my articles on why is the dog’s nose warm, signs of otitis in dogs, and signs of paw infections in your pet.

The tip has to be lubricated properly before inserting it in your pet’s behind about an inch deep. Try to keep the dog from moving for a little while until you get the necessary reading. It usually takes less than a few seconds, but the more the dog moves, the less accurate the results will be.

Why Is The Dog’s Nose Losing Some of The Pigment?

One of the enzymes from the animal’s tissue is called Tyrosinase. It is in charge of catalyzing the creation of all kinds of pigments, including melanin. As you might already know, this pigment is also found in your dog’s nose and experts say it is sensitive to temperature.

Your dog’s nose will usually turn brown when it is cold because the tyrosinase will break down. It won’t necessarily turn brown because depending on the breed, some dogs will also have a nose that turns pink. Some people call this transformation “snow nose” or “winter nose”. When the weather will get warm again, the dog’s nose should return to its initial color. These color changes are pretty much normal, so you really have nothing to stress about.

Are There Other Reasons For Your Dog’s Nose Turning Brown?

There are instances in which a dog’s nose will turn lighter than its original color. For example, when it heals from an injury (a scrape or an abrasion). It should, however, turn to its normal color as soon as it is fully healed.

The dog’s nose will also turn brown or a lighter shade when affected by contact dermatitis. If this is the case, then you should switch to stainless steel bowls for both water and food, because plastic bowls will elliminate plastic particles that will contaminate the food and water of the pet, which leads to irritation or even allergic reactions.

There is also vitiligo, a pretty uncommon condition that will make the skin to lose its natural coloring. This condition will also make your pet’s coat turn white. If this is the case, you sill have nothing to worry about because the whole color changing process is painless. Among the most likely breeds to get this condition are Dobermans, Pointers, Samoyeds, Afghan Hounds, Irish Setters, Poodles, Dachsunds, German SHepherds and Rottweilers. You should only have your pet checked by your vet if you suspect that the depigmentation is due to an underlying autoimmune disease.

And let’s not forget about “Dudley Nose”. This is something that looks like winter nose, it is basically the same depigmentation of the snout, but it is something permanent. This is known as a defect between breeders bcause although the nose will start off being black, it will slowly turn either pink or brown.

When Is It Time To Go to The Vet?

There are very few instances in which you should panic when your dog’s nose starts to change color to brown. Kep him under observation and see if you notice your pewt being weak, having eating or drinking issues, suffering from diarrhea or vomiting. If you notice any of these other symptoms, then you should get him to a doctor for a consultation.