# Do poodles noses change color?



## cindyreef (Sep 28, 2012)

Please forgive the basic question but I am new to poodles. 

I have a black/white changing to blue/white (I think, maybe silver/white) standard parti. He just turned a year old. He has a jet black nose. Do poodles noses turn color like retrievers do most times? If they do is there anything I can do to prevent it? I ask because Im looking after my sons golden while he is on vacation and his nose has turned pinkish. They are eating out of plastic right now and I just realized it may be a problem. I really want him to keep his black nose.


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

I am wondering too. Tiki is white/cream and had a black nose but it has been changing and getting more grey with a hint of pink. Is this normal?


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## cindyreef (Sep 28, 2012)

I was told by my breeder he should retain his black points but I still wonder if I should be doing anything to prevent it.  Somebody here must of had a parti for a while and could shed some light for us newbies ...lol


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

I didn't have this problem until he was about 3 1/2


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## iuhippiechick (Jun 9, 2012)

I'm also a newbie, so I can't answer your question. I noticed you mentioned eating out of a plastic bowl possibly being a problem. Is plastic a problem? I've never heard/been told to not use plastic.


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

iuhippiechick said:


> I noticed you mentioned eating out of a plastic bowl possibly being a problem. Is plastic a problem? I've never heard/been told to not use plastic.


My vet says not to use plastic for either food or water, that many dogs react badly in various ways. So I went and got good quality stainless, Occasionally I will feed him something from a glass bowl too.


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## cindyreef (Sep 28, 2012)

I remember with my Golden Retriever this was touted as a possible cause. Of coarse this was 10 yrs ago so I was hoping there was some new info on this. I use plastic for now. Its hard to find a nice steel setup for water dispensing etc.


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## N2Mischief (Dec 3, 2012)

I have never heard of plastic causing a nose to change color, but I do know that plastic gets small scratches in it that harbors bacteria. This bacteria can cause skin infections on the face, lips and chin. It is always better to use stainless steel or ceramic.


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## cavon (Aug 10, 2010)

I have heard that you shouldn't use plastic bowls for food or water either. I use metal or ceramic. Poodles can lose thier pigment depending on their genetic background


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## Chagall's mom (Jan 9, 2010)

N2Mischief said:


> I have never heard of plastic causing a nose to change color...


I've actually read about it. Here's some info.

Plastic Dish Nasal Dermatitis - dog information, symptoms and treatments
Plastic dish nasal dermatitis is a type of depigmentation. This depigmentation occurs in the skin of the nose and the lips. The cause of plastic dish nasal dermatitis is dogs eating out of plastic and rubber dog bowls that have the chemical pbenzylhydroquinone within them. This chemical in the plastic and rubber bowls is absorbed into the skin of the lips and nose while the dog is eating and prohibits melanin from being manufactured in the skin. This can cause the skin of the lips and nose to become irritated and inflamed.

Symptoms of Plastic Dish Nasal Dermatitis
Some of the symptoms of plastic dish nasal dermatitis may be:

*Depigmentation of the nose, Depigmentation of the lips,* Irritation of the nose, Irritation of the lips, Inflammation of the nose, and Inflammation of the lips.

Plastic dish nasal dermatitis only occurs in dogs that eat and drink out of plastic and rubber bowls. Should a dog be presenting similar symptoms and only eats out of stainless steel or ceramic bowls, the dog has a different condition and not plastic dish nasal dermatitis.

View Symptoms Of Plastic Dish Nasal Dermatitis
Treatments for Plastic Dish Nasal Dermatitis
The* treatment for plastic dish nasal dermatitis is switching the type of bowl that the dog eats out of to stainless steel or ceramic. Typically, no other form of treatment is necessary*.


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

Very interesting, but I use only stainless steel or glass bowl, and his nose is still changing color.


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## Indiana (Sep 11, 2011)

Sometimes the sun can cause some changes in colour too; there is a product called nose butter to keep their noses nice and supple. I use it on Maddy because she is so rough on her poor little nose, running headlong into bushes and fences when she is playing.


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## cindyreef (Sep 28, 2012)

Indiana said:


> Sometimes the sun can cause some changes in colour too; there is a product called nose butter to keep their noses nice and supple. I use it on Maddy because she is so rough on her poor little nose, running headlong into bushes and fences when she is playing.


My spoo does that too. He would be trotting right along (with his nose to the ground) and wham....into a tree or bush. I think he is not paying attention to where he is going ...just to the ground.. 
I will see if I can get this "nose butter" He is always digging etc so Im sure it will get dry. Thanks


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## cindyreef (Sep 28, 2012)

Thanks Chagalls Mom. Excellent read


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## N2Mischief (Dec 3, 2012)

Well, lol, I just posted in another thread that you learn something new every day! I guess today I learned two new things! Chagalls mom that is an excellent article, thank you!


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

Indiana said:


> Sometimes the sun can cause some changes in colour too; there is a product called nose butter to keep their noses nice and supple. I use it on Maddy because she is so rough on her poor little nose, running headlong into bushes and fences when she is playing.


Hmm - it can't be the sun either that is causing his nose to change color, we live way north, and aren't out during the sunny part of the day. Still a puzzle - there is now only one spot of black left.


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## Chagall's mom (Jan 9, 2010)

kontiki said:


> Hmm - it can't be the sun either that is causing his nose to change color, we live way north, and aren't out during the sunny part of the day. Still a puzzle - there is now only one spot of black left.


Spotted this reply on Yahoo Ask in response to a similar question. Don't know if it's spot-on, but I think the tip to possibly have the thyroid checked is interesting.

"Snow nose is a (most often) temporary loss of pigment in the center of the nose. A pink to brown light stripe appears in the center of the nose, with the edges remaining black. The nose returns to full black color during the longer daylight months. *Once thought to be a winter-only condition, dogs in warmer southern climates have also been reported to have snow nose, also called winter nose.* As dogs age, the snow nose may stay around all year long. The cause is not completely understood. *Snow nose is more common in light and white-coated breeds*. This condition by itself *isn't a health problem*, but caution is advised in sunny weather, as the depigmented area is at increased risk for sunburn. *Some vets advise testing the thyroid levels to make sure that there isn't an underlying thyroid problem."
*


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