This case blog follows the mystery of Oiva’s dry nose. Well, not a mystery anymore. It’s an autoimmunediseace called Discoid Lupus Erythematosus (DLE).
Category: Blogs
Silent signals
In winter 2021 I noticed that Oiva’s nose seemed a little dry. There was nothing alarming, so I decided to follow and see what happens. He’s been a very active and happy veteran, turning 9 years in April.
Nose getting worse
Oiva’s nose is getting worse. It’s gotten dryer, and has 2 laserations. Vet appointment ahead! As the symptoms are strongly referring to DLE a biopsy will be needed.
“Nasal dermatoses are diseases of the skin of the nose, that may involve either the haired portion (bridge of the nose) or nonhaired portion of the nose. Most often, when the nose itself is affected, it is a question about an autoimmune disease.
There are several immune-mediated nasal dermatoses found in dogs. The most common of these autoimmune diseases is Pemphigus Foliceaus, the second most common is Discoid Lupus Erythematosus.
© Minna Nuotio
Biopsy
Today we headed to the vet for a biopsy @Lemmikkilääkärit. Not much has happened in a week, the nose is still very dry. Despite the horrendous look it’s not itching or bothering Oiva at all.
We took 2 cuts to ensure there is enough material for the pathologist. The samples were sent to Patovet and probably we will have news in a week or so. Despite the drastic look there was only very little bleeding but some stitches needed.
Wounds healing
The biopsy wounds are healing nicely. No bleeding or itching. Now I’ve started to put cream on the nose but Oiva licks it immediately. Hopefully there is something left to absorb!
Diagnosis: DLE
Today we received the confirmation, we really are dealing with the DLE. Tomorrow we’ll make a plan how to live the best possible life with the condition. Thanks for Oiva’s breeder Anne Britt for support <3
Healing in progress
It’s been now 1,5 weeks since the operation. Some stiches have dropped causing minor bleeding, the rest I will remove tomorrow. The nose is looking pretty good at the moment!
Nice progress!
It’s been now 3,5 weeks since the biopsy, and the nose looks very nice. Probably recent cloudy weather has been of great help. We’ll see what happens when the sun is shining again.
Summer and still good
Summer came early this year, and sun has been shining a lot. Sunbathing is not recommended for dogs with DLE, but we have decided to go by quality over quantity. Oiva has a free choice of going out also on sunny days, we just protect his nose with sunscreen. So far it works.
March 2022
The winter went well, nose wise. Unfortunately in March the sun was shining a bit more and the DLE activated. Luckily the situation is under control, and we’ve managed to stabilize it with local treatment only. Fingers crossed for an easy summer!
