Why does my German Shepherd have unhealthy skin on her snout?

Hello. It looks like Reina may have Discoid Lupus Erythematosus (DLE). It is common in her breed. It is an autoimmune disease of the skin that causes loss of pigment and scaling (usually around the nose first) and worsens with exposure to UV sunlight. A biopsy is needed to make a definitive diagnosis. I would suggest you take her to your vet for an exam and to talk about the biopsy so you can get a diagnosis and to talk about treatment options. Here is a link for you to read about DLE: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2470 I hope this helps. Best wishes to you and Reina. Dr. Amber

Based on the picture, that sort of just looks like dirt or grime that is clogging up some of the porous parts of Ecko's hairless skin. Alternatively, as some dogs age, they do develop anomalies and changes to their skin just as human beings do due to the normal aging process. I would first simply try and just scrub the area with some soap and water to see what it looks like afterward. If it still looks the exactly the same but is causing Ecko no problems, I don't know that I would worry about it terribly much at this time. You can certainly take her to the vet where they can take a look, perform skin scrapings, take hair samples, collect biopsies, etc. I do not believe this is necessary at this time, though. Continue to monitor her for any changes, and bring her to the vet should the area become irritated, infected, or begins to spread to neighboring portions of the body.

There are a number of things that could cause excessive itching with hair loss and blackened skin. The most common possibilities would include allergies, fleas, a bacterial or fungal skin infection, or skin mites (mange). If she's also acting weak, I would be concerned that she may also have some type of systemic illness like liver or kidney disease, anemia, hypothyroidism, or Cushing's disease. It would be best to have her examined by a vet as soon as possible - he/she can do some simple skin tests as well as blood work or other testing if needed to help determine what's wrong and get her started on appropriate treatment.

Hello. Dogs can develop bumps on their nose from injury, trauma, bacterial & fungal infections, often from their habit of rooting in dirt, under leaves, bushes, etc. Gauge may need medication to help this heal, especially if it seems to be getting bigger. I recommend having your veterinarian take a look so that the proper diagnosis is made & the correct treatment/medication is prescribed. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It could be an infection or possibly an auto-immune disease. Have your vet take a look at the lesions to determine the exact cause. Your vet can do a biopsy, if needed, to help diagnose and then prescribe medications to treat the problem. He may need an antibiotic and/or an anti-inflammatory.

Likely the vet would start off with a physical exam, checking all of Kona out, but focusing on her face. Depending on what the vet sees, additional tests may be done like a skin scraping or skin biopsy.

It's not possible to tell you what is wrong with her skin based on the color only, you need to take her to the vet and have the skin checked and analised for infections and parasites first, after the vet reaches a diagnosis he can give you the correct treatment.