Losing pigment on his nose - Page 1

Hi all,

Ok, I've never seen this happen before and I'm starting to feel that I suffer from Munchauzen by Proxy with my dog. However, about two months ago I took my dog to the vet because his gums kept going pale and then pinking up, but with no other symptoms. After all the blood tests the vet couldn't tell me what the problem is. However, what I have since noticed is that his nose has lost pigment - his nose was always pitch black, but it has now become almost a rusty pink in patches. Has anyone else out there experienced this with their dog(s) and should it be something I should be concerned about. Other than the fibrotic myeopathy of this hind legs, he is hale and hearty.

Regards
Vanessa T

This is a super serious condition for those with Munchhausens. His nose may never recover, as you keep rubbing it on the concrete sidewalk. A better way to get attention, is to rub the dogs front left paw raw with sand paper. He will then limp, and you can act all confused as to how he possibly could have done that on the grass.

Sometimes feeding out of a plastic bowl is the cause of this. I have had this twice, and it was because I had not yet gotten a steel bowl yet.

Ah, so it's not the sandpaper I've been using to wipe his snotty nose with then...  Will apply to left front paw forthwith!

Thanks for the heads up - I do use a plastic feed bowl.

Regards,
Vanessa

On a serious note, these are symptoms of K9 lupus:

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus is also called SLE, or Canine Lupus. This disease is specific to dogs, who, when affected, have unusual blood antibodies that target the tissues of their own body. In addition to the other damage it causes, Lupus can cause decreased platelet numbers and anemia. It usually affects more than one organ at the same time.

SLE tends to wane and wax, so your dog will have some periods when he feels better, and then flare-ups. You may notice a lameness that shifts from one leg to another, pale gums and weakness (from anemia), and possibly increased urination and extreme thirst (from kidney disease). The feet and face are often affected, showing loss of nose pigments, and thickening and ulceration of the pads of the feet.

Canine Lupus causes so many symptoms, that it may be incorrectly diagnosed as a number of other diseases. Some of its symptoms include a fever that may fluctuate, arthritis in several joints, lesions, skin crusting, renal failure and septicemia. The latter are signs that it in its later stages. SLE, once the symptoms are linked to it, can be confirmed by blood work and by biopsy for further examination by a veterinarian.

Discoid Lupus is a skin disease that is presumed to be related to SLE, but it mainly affects the face and the nose. The cause of this disease is unknown, but it seems to affect primarily the Siberian Husky, Shetland Sheepdog, Brittany Spaniel, Collie, German Shepherd and German Shorthaired Pointer breeds. Discoid Canine Lupus is also called Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus, or CLE.

CLE usually begins as a pigment loss around the area of the nose. Your dog may have sores that appear scabby, or a simple scaling of the nasal tissue. As it progresses, CLE can cause sores on the areas where the nose borders normal skin. The sores will begin to go up the nose as the disease progresses.

It has not been determined if Canine Lupus is hereditary or not, but it does tend to run in families. Do not breed affected animals – it's probably wise not to breed their close relatives, either.

related terms: systemic lupus erythematosus, cutaneous (discoid) lupus erythematosus

What is lupus erythematosus?

There are several forms of lupus erythematosus that are recognized in people, two of which have been identified in dogs. Lupus is an autoimmune disorder, meaning that the body mounts an inappropriate immune response to some part of itself.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an uncommon but severe disorder in which the inappropriate immune response is widespread in the body, and can cause arthritis, kidney disease, anemia, and skin disease. Cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) is thought to be a milder variant of SLE, and the problems are confined to the skin. CLE is also called discoid lupus erythematosus

How is lupus erythematosus inherited?

unknown, but the condition runs in families.

What breeds are affected by lupus erythematosus?

CLE is seen more often than SLE, although both conditions are uncommon. There is a breed predisposition for the collie, Shetland sheepdog, and German shepherd, as well as crosses of these breeds.

For many breeds and many disorders, the studies to determine the mode of inheritance or the frequency in the breed have not been carried out, or are inconclusive. We have listed breeds for which there is a consensus among those investigating in this field and among veterinary practitioners, that the condition is significant in this breed.

What does lupus erythematosus mean to your dog & you?

SLE most commonly affects joints, muscle, skin, blood, and/or kidneys. The condition tends to wax and wane, so your dog will have periods of remission and of flare-up. The kinds of problems you may notice include shifting lameness (ie varies depending on which joint is affected at any time), weakness and pale gums (due to anemia), and/or increased drinking and urination (kidney disease). The face and the feet are the areas of the skin most often affected, with ulcers and loss of pigment on the nose, and ulceration and thickening of the footpads.

With CLE, you are most likely to see red, scaling areas of inflammation on your dog's face, and loss of pigment from the nose. There may also be lesions on the ears and thickening of the footpads. Affected dogs are otherwise healthy.

Nasal scarring is common with both SLE and CLE. Exposure to ultraviolet light is a factor (especially in CLE), and so the condition is seen more often and is more severe in the summer and in sunny parts of the world.

How is lupus erythematosus diagnosed?

Because SLE can affect many different body systems, diagnosis is challenging. (In fact it is sometimes called, "the great imitator"). Once suspected, diagnosis is confirmed by specific blood tests and biopsy for examination by a veterinary pathologist.

CLE is diagnosed through examination of biopsy samples.

For the veterinarian: The l

For the veterinarian: Treatment for SLE must be individualized for each dog, generally starting with large doses of systemic glucocorticoids, and going to other immunomodulating or chemotherapeutic drugs if necessary.  There is a good discussion of treatments for both forms of lupus erythematosus in the reference below.

Breeding advice

Although the mode of inheritance is not known for either cutaneous or systemic lupus erythematosus, these conditions run in families. Affected animals should not be bred and it is prudent to avoid breeding their close relatives as well.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS DISORDER, PLEASE SEE YOUR VETERINARIAN.

Resources

Scott, D.W., Miller, W.H., Griffin, C.E. 1995. Immunologic Skin Diseases. In Muller and Kirk's Small Animal Dermatology. p. 578-588. W.B. Saunders Co., Toronto.

Copyright © 1998 Canine Inherited Disorders Database. All rights reserved.
Revised: July 23, 2001.

This database is a joint initiative of the Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre at the Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, and the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association.