Expert: Dr. Louis N. Gotthelf - 3/2/2008

Question
Hi, My 2.5 year old American Eskimo has recently started scratching his
nose...quite often. In fact, its scratched so bad that scab would grow from the
cuts his put. I really didn't think of it as a major problem, and thought it
might just be him scratching it against the outdoor mat, where he likes to
sleep. However, after the nose has fully healed, he started scratching again.
After doing extensive research, I concluded the following: 1) he had been on
flea/tick medication the whole time (Frontline Plus) so the chances of it being
flea/tick is low; 2) he sneezes, but not while he's scratching. In fact, he does
not scratch in front of me (or rather, I have not noticed any scratching in my
presence. When he does not like a smell, he does scrape his nose across the
carpeting, but I do not see that it. In fact, sometimes, his nose seems to
become scratched even when he is not outdoor (effectively crossing off my
outdoor mat theory). The scabs on the nose are causing me a lot of worry.
Thanks ahead of time!

Answer
Scabs on the nose can come from him itching his nose, which is common in allergic dogs.  Also, there is a disease called pemphigus that shows up with the dog scratching at the nose and the skin becomes flaky and crusty. Some dogs that are outside can get sunburned on the nose.  Ask your vet about those.