Should I give my dog zinc for hereditary nasal parakeratosis?

Hello, sorry to hear about Willa. It does indeed look like something she may have and can be very responsive to medical management. Zinc responsive dermatosis is within a line of diseases that is diagnosed with exclusion of other potential diseases and may include obtaining skin cultures, biopsies, and frequent examinations. I would recommend having her examined by her veterinarian to determine how likely it is that she has zinc responsive dermatosis as an initial physical exam, skin sampling, and other diagnostics may better help narrow a definitive answer for you. Hope this helps and best of luck.

A lot of things can cause skin lesions on the face, from allergies to mange, so it's difficult to necessarily pin it on the diet. Zinc deficiency is very uncommon, but is genetic in huskies. It's not the diet that causes it, but rather a problem in how they metabolize zinc. It usually appears in young dogs (1-3 years old). The only way to diagnose it is via biopsy, which is a test your vet can do. If Tonka was doing well on the same diet previously and the only thing that has changed is the amount he's getting I would be surprised that it would cause this, especially if it's a balanced diet. Please do not supplement zinc without talking to your veterinarian, as zinc toxicity can be very dangerous.

I don't recommend to start this supplement on your pup without speaking with your veterinarian. Yes, arctic breeds can get zinc responsive dermatitis but the condition is rare. More common causes of lip dermatitis are allergies to something in the environment or food. I recommend to explore these options first. Speak with your veterinarian about what to look for first. I hope this helps.

Oh goodness! That does look uncomfortable! It could be just infection, but if it keeps returning then I agree there could likely be an underlying problem such as thyroid disorder, zinc deficiency, pemphigus, or lupus. If I were in charge of his care I would check a thyroid panel and if that came back normal then I would do straight to a skin biopsy. This is the fastest route to a diagnosis. Best of luck and I hope you find an answer and a resolution soon! Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Yes this could be zinc deficiency or it could be discoid lupus. I would bring him in for an exam. For a difinitive diagnosis you will need to have a biopsy done. I have a malamute with discoid lupus and am able to manage it without medication although initially I treated her for it and then weaned her onto supplements. I would be happy to help with holistic supplements when you have a diagnosis.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The zinc/methionine are not likely causing this. This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. Other possibilities such as mange need to also be considered and a physical examination and basic diagnostics should help sort that out. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

There are quite a few things this could be: * nasal hyperkeratosis * discoid lupus erythematosus, * bacterial dermatitis/mucocutaneous pyoderma * pemphigus complex * solar dermatitis * hereditary parakeratotic hyperkeratosis * uveodermatologic syndrome * cutaneous lymphoma (mycosis fungoides or epitheliotropic lymphoma) * squamous cell carcinoma Because a wide variety of diseases may present with similar clinical signs, the most helpful diagnostic test is a skin biopsy. So, I suggest you work with your vet to get the biopsy done. That is the only way you will know how to treat it.