Dogs` Noses Change Color

May 17, 1993|By Dr. Michael W. Fox

Dear Dr. Fox: Can you tell me what causes a dog`s nose to turn from black to liver color?

I`ve had two dogs. Our golden retriever-setter mix had a black nose when we got him, but after a year it lightened and then turned completely liver- colored. (He lived to the age of 14!)

Our yellow lab also had a black nose when we got him as a 1-year-old, but now at age 2 his nose is liver-colored also!

Our vet said not to worry about it, but I`m curious about why this happens. -- D.M.

Dear D.M.: There seem to be at least two interacting processes that influence the color of a dog`s nose. These are genetic and environmental. Some dogs inherit pinkish or brown ``liverish`` noses.

Sometimes, however, the genetic expression changes with increasing maturity. A black-nosed pup can finish up with his father`s or grandmother`s or mother`s liverish nose.

My two black-nosed dogs are subject to environmental influences. They develop brownish-pink blotches in late winter. These are gone by mid-spring when the dogs spend more time outdoors. The pigment cells (melanaphores) in their skin get bigger because of increased solar radiation exposure.

Dear Dr. Fox: My 6-year-old kitty is really sick. She drools from the right side of her mouth and can`t grasp food in it. Her hind end is becoming progressively weaker. She keeps staggering and falling. The vet says she has a thiamine deficiency and blames me for not feeding her correctly.

She refuses most meat-based cat food, but I give her all available fish varieties, plus vitamins. She is prone to hunt small reptiles, and a knowledgeable friend suggests that she may have eaten a poisonous lizard. -- P.D.

Dear P.D.: I am distressed that you spend time writing to me when your cat is in need of immediate veterinary attention.

If what you tell me you feed your cat is accurate, any veterinarian who says your cat has thiamine deficiency should have his license revoked.

Yes, it`s quite possible that your hunter-cat killed and consumed a poisonous lizard. You should seek a second opinion, or take your cat to the veterinary school nearest you, where there are feline medicine experts on staff who can make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment.

---- The Animal Doctor appears every Monday. Write to Michael Fox, United Features Syndicate, 200 Park Ave., New York, N.Y. 10166.

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