Dudley Nose

[susan toalson]

Alfie came to me with a black, black nose that turned reddish. The vet calls it a Dudley nose. Anyone else have this happen? Dixie: Is there an explanation? 

[Cheryl & Matey & Checkers]

Matey's nose was black as well and now is lighter and reddish also. I thought that someone has posted that it happens to their dog in the winter when he didn't get as much sun, but in the summertime it turned black again. Matey's does not turn black. I googled Dudley nose and found this:

My yellow Labrador is approximately 2 years old. His nose has changed color over the last several weeks, from black to pink. This happened once before, after he spent a few days in a kennel. What causes this and why?

There could be two or three reasons for this, but the mostly likely one is that your pooch has Dudley nose.
It's nothing to worry about, and it's fun to say. Try saying it five times really fast.
Dudley nose is a fading of the pigment in the dog's nose and in some case the rims of the eyelids, too. I am told it is fairly common in yellow Labs, Golden Retrievers, and Bichon Frises.
It doesn't hurt the dog, and it isn't always permanent.

Or your dog could have "snow nose," which is a variation of Dudley nose in which the nose turns pink during the winter and goes back to black in warmer weather. It might have something to do with the amount of sunlight the dog gets.

Some dogs that eat or drink out of plastic bowls get something called plastic dish dermatitis that causes their noses to change color, but I'm sticking with the Dudley nose thing.

[Dixie Moore]

When a nose fades, I believe it is called snow nose. A dudley nose I believe is born that way, and in Labradoodles we call them rose noses.

Do you use plastic dishes for food and water? You could try switching to stainless.

I've also heard lack of sunlight can cause it.

[susan toalson]

Thanks, Dixie and Cheryl. Alfie drinks from a ceramic bowl. I used to squeeze his big black nose gently when we played, so I was afraid I had somehow altered the color by doing that. It's good to know that Matey's nose has turned, too.

I think I like this color better than the black with his brown eyes and blonde/reddish hair.

[Beth Lord]

Funny story: Our first guide dog puppy to raise was a yellow lab, Willie. When we turned him in for advanced training his nose was solid black. When I returned to do a blindfold walk with him around 8 months later I at first thought they'd brought me the wrong dog -- his nose was all brown/rosy! So that's when I found out about the whole nose changing color thing. They feed on stainless dishes and he sure got tons of sunlight so I guess it was just in his genes. Apparently not unusual in labs. I think it's kinda cute! ;-)