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?

[Dee Rance]

Isn't Vitamin D one of those that you cannot OD on, because you 'excrete' the excess. (Not quite sure how you do it through, the paws or any other way!!!) I am not too sure of this, but there are some of the vitamins that will be got rid of in one ways or another, and there are some vitamins that you can take too much of, I think that this is a problem of our times, is it not, people taking too many vitamins and getting problems because of doing so. So before anyone starts giving extra vitamins to their dogs, for any reason, please check on this first.
Do you Cheryl take only Vit D or do you have to take anything else with it to 'secure' it in your system????

[Cheryl Gorey]

Hi Dee, I don't know think we excrete Vit D, just use it up to do its function to help our body absorb calcium. It is the only vitamin I take for this purpose, but I have been advised to start taking calcium supplements as well so that my bone density remains very good as it is now! It's one of those aging things with the menopause and the decline in oestrogen, too!!

I know we excrete vitamin C out of our bodies through urine. That's why they say when you have a cold you can have as much vitamin C as you want, because body will get rid of what it doesn't need.

Vitamin A is the vitamin that you have to be careful with and some minerals as well, because you can load your system up on these too much.

[Dee Rance]

I know that you should not give dogs more than one dose of Cod Liver Oil per WEEK, because that robs them of other Vitamins, I think A, again not sure, all these things are stuck in the back of my head, and they just pop up and spill out of me, rightly or wrongly, but there is always someone here that knows, and that isn't meant in any derogatory way, to anyone. I have said before we all have got to learn, and we can learn by asking, and being told...

[Guðrún Dögg]

Vitamin A, D and E end up in our liver and we can take to much of them but the maximum amount could be different I don't know about that. Other vitamins we excrete.

And I'm not thinking about giving my dog any additional vitamins just so you don't worry ;)

[Dee Rance]

Glad about that.Guorun. (Sorry don't have all those things that go over the O and the U)
Dogs really don't need all the extra Vit. Min especially if they are having a balanced diet, I think that is the main thing to give. A balanced diet..

[Guðrún Dögg]

Haha it's funny to see my name written Guorun. ð is just d with a - through it and you say it like th. So I would spell my name Gudrun in English letters.
Just something out of topic.

[Margaret Sierakowski]

This discussion made me look at all my dogs again. This winter they all seem to have lighter noses than usual, even the ones who normally have very dark noses like Polly. We have hardly seen the sun for months. We had a wet autumn, almost continuous rain in October and November, followed by very cold weather,, snow and still very litle sun in December. Since Dec 18th we have been snowed in , no sun at all, and the dogs are going out only for 20 to 30 minutes as it tis just too cold to leave them outside.
So I think the lack of sun has something to do with it as well as the shorter hours of daylight

And it is snowing again today, and from the weather forecast I doubt if I will be able to get out of here for the next two weeks
I'm glad that I stocked up on dog food and everything else early December!

[Dee Rance]

Always I stock up on dog food and my food this time of year, but I now live only a few hundred yards away from a 'supper store' Tesco's, but I think old habits die hard.
As for taking Vitamin D I think again, don't quote me, but it is one of those Vitamin's that you just expel if too much is taken...
That is why the dogs noses go lighter in the winter and yes in this hemisphere, we don't get enough of the rite type of Sunlight to keep noses dark, although some dogs like humans must retain Vitamins better than others. Hence some still have black noses...

[Margaret Sierakowski]

Up here in the Cabrach everybody still stocks up by the beginning of December with everything we need to survive however long the snow lasts, fuel, animal feed and food for ourselves - which is still pretty traditional, lots of game and locally produced meat in the freezer,sacks of oatmeal ,potatoes , onions, carrots and neeps. And some more modern things like coffee and long life milk and frozen vegetables
As long as I am well stocked up and the power doesnt go off, its not unpleasant being snowed in, lots of time to read and watch films and keep contact with the outside world by E Mail. Not even much housework to do, as the dogs stay clean , and dont bring mud and dust into the house
I was hoping to get Sandy down to England for the Boston and Manchester shows, not a hope of getting out for Boston, probably not Manchester either. I saw the estate's JCB going slowly up the road this morning, clearing snow, followed by one of the keepers' landrovers - probably getting his wife to hospital as her baby was due about now. I hope she gets there! I cant even get to the road on foot, the snow is too deep
Sorry this isnt anything to do with pale noses! Just idle chat :))

[Susan Stone]

Enjoyed your idle chat about life in the wilderness of Scotland:-)) Actually sounds quite pleasant, with clean dogs and nothing to stress you about...Hope the mother and baby coped!

As for brown noses: yes, here we go again, Glen has his ugly brown nose again - as soon as the have a longish spell without sun the pigment fades. Ugh!

We are suffering the cold drizzle here, the fog never lifted and it seemed to get darker all day instead of brighter. Still, we managed a glimpse of the moon last night:-)

[Carmel Murphy]

Sounds lovely Margaret!!!!

[Dee Rance]

It is believe me, and the helicopter would come if the keepers wife was in distress, I have had the Dr walk the, nearly mile, down my drive before now...you wouldn't get that in London they won't even come out when it is only necessary to walk from the car to the house a few yards...
I used to love being snowed in.
But now I live on a huge housing estate, I would rather be back in the country again. But this does have its advantages, motorway near by and that means the south is easily got to.
And again this time of year is great no mud or dirt, but wow when it thaws the muck it going to be horrendous.
As for the nose, mostly they get 'better' when the sun/daylight gets longer.