Allergies? Or something else?

#1 · April 1, 2022, 3:46 pm

Hi. I have an Italian Greyhound/Jack Russel mix. 2 weeks ago she started getting a discoloration under the left side of her nostril. Thinking that maybe it was just allergies, we did not take her to the vet because we had just spent $700 on her, all to find out that she had a bladder infection.
Over the past week I noticed that that spot under her nose was getting more red, itchy and swollen (from scratching I'm not sure) and her nose was becoming dry and scaly ... Also her right eye and ear were starting to bother her last night. She's also been kinda itchy on her legs (I thought that that might have been caused from using my "people" shampoo on her.).

Then today I noticed her nose was rather snotty (with a very slight greenish tent) and her right eye was red and goopy.

Here are a few pictures. They were taken with my cell phone, but you can at least get an idea of what is going on.

If you can't see the pictures, I've uploaded them onto Imgur. The link is here: http://imgur.com/a/2tcN3/embed

We will be taking her to the vet on Friday. But was just wondering if there's something at home we can do before then or if someone has seen this before.

Thank you!

#2 · April 1, 2022, 3:48 pm

A biopsy sent to a pathologist may perhaps be the best way to determine what this is. It may be an immune-mediated disorder, or a skin disorder such as an allergy or maybe a zinc deficiency. It can be triggered by excessive licking of the area or nasal discharge. A skin biopsy shouldn't be excessively costly. You can call your vet for a price estimate.

Former AAHA animal hospital employee, dog trainer and dog behavior consultant. Published dog author on several print and web publications.

#3 · April 1, 2022, 3:49 pm

I second having the area biopsied if it doesn't seem to resolve. There may need an underlying problem that needs addressed in order to have it go away. Let us know what it turns out to be.