Winter nose.

[Guðrún Dögg]

Do you have any advice how to reduce or prevent winter nose? Egan's nose has gotten lighter and lighter. Therefore I was wondering if there where some thing I should give him like some special food or vitamins?

[Laura Kolbach]

there was a discussion about this earlier, check here: http://irishsetters.ning.com/forum/topics/865021:Topic:44801
hope this helps.

[Guðrún Dögg]

Thank you Laura, I was not aware of this discussion.

[Margaret Sierakowski]

Some people give their dogs Dorwest's Elderberry and Nettle liquid as a remedy for winter nose
I wouldnt count on it having much effect though :))
I think its just something that happens to setters who genetically have less well pigmented noses, ie the ones who have brown rather than very dark brown or black noses. And it is more noticeable in the more northerly countries which dont get much daylight or sun in the winter months. Not much you can do about it,living in Iceland, and I wouldnt worry.
Some of my IRWS (in the north of Scotland) have lighter noses in winter, some of them stay the same dark coloiur all the year round

[Carmel Murphy]

The herbs dont work!!!!! I tried with Rua! Rua gets winter nose even though as a pup she had a black nose! The only other time she had a black nose was when nursing her litters!! Her eye rim pigmentation is dark though! Her son Milo stays dark all seasons! As Margaret says dont worry as the colour comes back in spring/summer months!

[Guðrún Dögg]

You talk about brown noses witch make sense. But the thing is Egan has always had very dark nose, almost black but now it's brown... not pink. But he still has some black pigmentation in the edge of his nose.

[colette tuite]

I used to give Portia elderberry tablets and seaweed tablets which seemed to work.

[Melinda Auld]

Here in Australia, our dogs get summer nose instead!

[Dee Rance]

Lovely picture, I have one with winter nose, Jas, it is all to do with amount of sun and the intake of I think Vitamin D (but don't quote me on that) I know that it is a vitamin and the sun permits the body to take it in, some dogs no sun no intake others take enough...But it does go black again in the summer...

[Guðrún Dögg]

Sunlight increase making of vitamin D in us humans and it hast to do with pigmentation so it makes sense, at least in us. That's why people get tan when they're in much sunlight.
Why shouldn't it be the same with the dogs? But I'm not sure It helps to take in vitamin D...

[Cheryl Gorey]

I can't comment on the winter nose problem. We don't have enough winter here in this part of Australia for dogs to not get enough sunlight.

I do know in humans, the Vitamin D from the sun actually assists the body in absorbing the calcium from our food and Vitamin D supplements is one of the preventative measures against osteophorosis. I don't know if it has any role to play in pigmentation?

[Guðrún Dögg]

I used the wrong words sorry. Vitamin D needs sunlight to be useful actually daylight is enough but with sunshine it increases....

I would do much better making my self understandable on my own language :P hope you understand me.

[Cheryl Gorey]

No need to apologise. Just thought I would provide some information on Vitamin D as I do have to take it. Funny it seems that in Australia where there is sun most days, to have a deficiency in it! Trouble is we get too much sun and end up with skin cancers,so always cover up!!

I don't think I would give Vitamin D supplements to the dogs though, as I think it must be something else that the dogs miss out on during winter from the sunlight which affects the pgimentation.