Recently we had a dog diagnosed with Discoid Lupus.  Lola was about 7 years old when one day we noticed that she had a ulceration going up the nostril towards the top of her nose.  We thought at first it was just an injury from her notorious digging excursions out back.  But when it persisted and began to get worse we looked for other causes.

The vets were all stumped, so I did some research on my own and found that her problem most likely was Discoid Lupus Erythematosus (DLE).

What is Discoid Lupus?

according to Wikipedia:

"Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) is an uncommon autoimmune disease of the basal cell layer of the skin. It occurs in humans and cats, more frequently occurring in dogs. It does not progress to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in dogs. SLE can also have skin symptoms, but it appears that the two are either separate diseases or DLE is a mild form of SLE.

Because worsening of symptoms occurs with increased ultraviolet light exposure, sun exposure most likely plays a role in DLE, although certain breeds (see below) are predisposed. DLE is the second most common autoimmune skin disease in dogs.

What are the symptoms of DLE?

"The most common initial symptom is scaling and loss of pigment on the nose. This is found in up to 90 percent of dogs.The surface of the nose becomes smooth gray, and ulcerated, instead of the normal black cobblestone texture. Over time the lips, the skin around the eyes, the ears, and the genitals may become involved.Lesions may progress to ulceration and lead to tissue destruction. DLE is often worse in summer due to increased sun exposure."

Treatment of DLE

"Avoiding sun exposure and the use of sunscreens (not containing zinc oxide, which is toxic to dogs is important. Topical therapy includes corticosteroid use. Oral vitamin E or omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are also used. More refractory cases may require the use of oral niacinamide and tetracycline, corticosteroids, azathioprine, or chlorambucil. Treatment is often lifelong, but there is a good prognosis for long-term remission".

We put Lola on a three week course of doxycycline (Vibramycin) in conjunction with topical application of "Snout Soother" (Natural Dog Company) 2-3 times a day.

As you can see below, the ulceration on Lola's nose was fairly large, although it did not appear to be painful. 

After treating as described above, we noticed a dramatic improvement in only two months.  Now, Lola's nose is beautiful once again!

We will continue the use of "Snout Soother" daily and try to keep her sun exposure to a minimum to prevent a reoccurrence.

We do not know if there is a genetic component at play here or if Lola was just unlucky.  However, if you have a puppy out of Lola please keep an eye on your dog; if similar symptoms manifest let me know and talk to your vet about the possibility of this being DLE.  The cure is quick and easy, thankfully!

http://www.naturaldogcompany.com/