Why is my dog's dry, cracked nose not healing? Is it autoimmune?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | German Shepherd | Male | neutered | 7 years and 1 month old | 80 lbs
my dog has had a dry cracked nose since winter. he was on antibiotics and steroids and they didnt help. the nose skin almost like sheds to fresh skin but comes back after a few days back to being dry and cracked. its like a repeating cycle. do you think it could be a immune disease? it happened in winter so we also think it started with frost bite.
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on May 22nd, 2017
I am so sorry to hear about Drako! It is definitely quite possible given the appearance and his breed that he could be suffering from an autoimmune disease such as lupus. Other possibilities would include bacterial and fungal infections, solar dermatosis (sensitivity to sun) and zinc responsive dermatosis, and less commonly cancer. It looks like if your dog didn't respond to the antibiotics and steroids then some additional testing needs to be done. A biopsy is the fastest way to determine what the problem here could be. I would recommend discussing this with your vet and if they don't feel comfortable asking for a referral to a specialist.
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on April 14th, 2019
I'm sorry to hear that! Poor Toa, that does look sore. It may be that this is something like discoid lupus. https://dermvettacoma.com/discoid-lupus/ He may need a combination of oral and topical medications to help. Some of these dogs do well with niacinamide (B3 vitamin) and tetracycline (a prescription medication) . Here is an article with info on those medications: http://veterinarycalendar.dvm360.com/tetracyclines-and-niacinamide-canine-dermatology-proceedings Make an appointment to recheck with your vet. You could ask about a possible trial on those medications. You can also consider seeking out a veterinary dermatologist. https://www.acvd.org/tools/locator/locator.asp?ids=16_Find_Dermatologist Thank you for asking PetCoach!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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