Skin Pigmentation

Question
I am an American leaving in a farm in Brazil, my dog, a mixed breed is 1 year old and have no pigmentation in his nose, it is total pink outside and inside.  Because he is always running around the farm and in the sun, the nose start to get scabs that little by little comes off, but the skin inside and outside the nose  becames very fragil and several times bleeds.
 I took him to a vet here in Brazil and he suggested that I put sun protector on his nose (wich I've tried by he remove it with his tongue), the vet also suggested to make a tatoo.

Is this a correct treatment?

I appreciate your reply,

Thank you very much

Silvia Cutler  

Answer
If it is a sunburn, then tattoo is appropriate.  Many dogs with depigmentation and crusts have disease.  Ask your vet if it could be discoid lupus or pemphigus.  These two autoimmune diseases are treatable.  If the pink is limited to the black front part of the nose, that is discoid lupus.  If it is crusty on the bridge of the nose, it is probably pemphigus.

I would try and keep something on the nose so that the sun cannot burn the tissue.