dogs nose bleeding

Question
Hi,
My dog has had a raw nose for a few weeks and now it is bleeding. We have tried to put vaseline and neosporin on it to help it heal but he just licks it off. I know we need to get him to the vet but it there something we can do in the meantime?

Answer
Wendy,

A raw nose is probably symptomatic of an allergy condition or an autoimmune disorder like pemphigus or discoid lupus. When you call your veterinary clinic to make an appointment, leave a message with the receptionist to have the doctor call you back that day. Ask them what they think you should do for the dog until the appointment time. Depending on what they think is going on, they make suggest you pick up a prescription steroid ointment. Otherwise, you might try Vitamin E ointment or coconut oil. He'll likely still lick anything you put on the nose off of it, so the only thing I can think of to try and stop that is to give him a dog bone or rawhide to chew on, and maybe it will delay the licking. Problems with the nose tend to take a while to clear up because of how often dogs lick them. Also, to help you out in the future - any time a dog's nose is consistantly dry, he should be examined by a veterinarian so that the problem doesn't develop furthur. A healthy dog has a moist nose.

Good luck!

Ashley