Miko's Nose Issues - Round 2

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Mikos_Mom

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Siiiiiigh… Man, I wish Miko could talk. It would make figuring out what’s going on with him so much easier! At least I know now that pulmonary fibrosis is definitely off the table… In fact, we’re liking not even looking at any type of respiratory infection at all.

I managed to get an appointment with our regular vet yesterday (he works very sporadically, due to health issues.. I actually thought he was closed for good.. but he’s still around every once in a blue moon) He couldn’t believe that the new vet wanted to do chest and skull x-rays and blood work. He said it was a complete waste of time and money. There’s nothing about Miko’s symptoms that indicate any of those things were necessary. I kept telling that other vet that he was coughing and/or sneezing and he kept tell me what the concerns would be with lots of coughing/sneezing. – Considering I’m out $621 for it all and didn’t get ONE clue as to what was up with Miko’s nose, I’d say my vet was bang-on correct that the other vet was off his rocker!!

Anyway, it turns out that the skin around Miko’s nose is discoloured and raw due to his constant rubbing at it. His irritation worsened over the weekend and he actually opened up a bit of the skin on his muzzle from the not stop pawing at it that he was doing. So, the vet gave me some prednisone to help with the itching… it worked.. Miko actually slept a bit last night. (he was up ALL night on Saturday and Sunday) He also gave me some cephalexin for him, rather than the clavamox I got from the other vet. (thinking that maybe the clavamox was making the itching worse… I doubt it though)

So here’s the $30,000 question… WHY is Miko’s muzzle so irritated and itchy?? - FYI – it appears to be itchy inside and out

  • He’s not sneezing much, nor is there a ton of nasal discharge to indicate a foreign object up his nose.
  • He’s not having any reaction anywhere else on his body.
  • He’s never had any allergies in the past.
  • I haven’t changed his food.
  • I started adding Salmon Oil to the top of his food about 3 weeks ago – this issue started about 2 weeks ago. (I asked the vet if it could be contact dermatitis from the salmon oil – he says “no”, but I’ve cut out the salmon oil anyway)
  • I have started to use a new cleaner to spot clean the floor when/where the new puppy has an accident – also started about 2-3 weeks ago.

I have racked my brain over and over and over trying to think of what could have caused this. Has anyone else had a dog with an incredibly irritated and itchy muzzle? If so, what was the cause?
 
Another update....

DH took Miko to the vet on Tuesday because the Cephalexin & Prednisone were having very little effect. His snout was still very itchy... the skin was crusting more and more and the fur was falling out.

The vet is totally perplexed. He really doesn't have a clue what it is. I told DH to ask about Nasal Solar Dermatitis, but the vet said "NO". TBH, I'm beginning to wonder if he doesn't just say NO to everything people suggest. I really think it is NSD.

The vet took a skin scraping to see if it's fungal - those results will take a week or so.

Anyhoooo... :rolleyes2: .... he's now given us a tube of Otomax to apply to Miko's snout 4x a day and Miko's wearing the cone of shame, so he can't wipe the cream off or scratch at his nose.

Not much has improved since Tuesday - so I'll be making another appointment tomorrow. He said that taking a biopsy of the skin on the bridge of the nose is an option, but "it's too early". I think I'd rather just go for it than play this guessing game for the 4th week in a row.

The good news is... other than being totally miserable about the cone and the itching... Miko is eating, drinking and barking as usual... so I know he's not too terribly sick.
 
I hope he is feeling better soon. Just a thought, What kind of bowls to you use to feed him? We used to use plastic type bowls and Hollie's nose got sore from them. I did some research and found out that the plastic absorbs whatever you clean them with which can cause irritation. We switched to ceramic and her nose got better.

Also I am sure you probably already considered this but have you looked at "collie nose"? I know it is common in Shelties.

Hope you find an answer soon.
 
I was just about to suggest asking about Solar Nasal Dermatitis (SND), also known and "collie nose"(:wink2:). I would try to limit his time outside as much a possible, even on cloudy days, until you know for sure. If you can it would also be beneficial to keep the lights inside low or off. Severe itching, inflammation of the nose and sometimes eyelids, loss of pigment, and hair loss is common in SND. Do as much research as you can on it, and keep bringing it up to your vet.
Keep us updated on Miko. I hope his nose is cleared up soon.:hugs

Solar Nasal Dermatitis
 
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Thank you, ladies. I've one a lot of reading about NSD/collie nose. That's why I brought it up with the vet. Now, if you had asked me last week, when I typed that post, I'd have told you that I was 85% sure it was NSD. BUT... I have to be honest... the otomax seems to be working. Miko's nose looks a lot better and he's not scratching at it at all. The skin scraping cultures should be ready to look at by now... so maybe it really was something fungal or bacterial. In a way, I hope that's what it is/was. NSD means a lifetime of flare-ups, etc. If it's fungal or bacterial, we can treat it and move on.
 
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