border collie with pink nose

by Lou
(Canada)

When I got my tri-colored border collie at 6 wks, he had a very pink nose which I was told was a 'puppy thing' and would come in black.

Looking around, all the adult dogs looked good, great kennel on a super guest ranch. I fed him cooked spinach and chard from my garden, a little bit each day, his nose coincidentally came in blacker to the point that now, at 7 months old, it is 3/4's black but would like to see it come in more.

There are little scalloped edges on the black as if more would like to come. Should I continue with the spinach/chard feeding?
Is there anything else I can use? Thanks for this.




Hi Lou
I'm afraid I don't own Border Collies and am not really familiar with the way their pigmentation develops, but I believe that the nose color should match the dominant body color.

In some breeds the nose pigment changes from pink to black over time, and may always be lighter in the winter than in the summer. As you seem to have bought from a reputable breeder I would probably suggest talking to her first and asking for advice or input.

As for diet, I know that with my Rottweilers, feeding dried Kelp with their food often helps to darken the black pigmentation on mouth/gums/eye rims etc. Both vitamins B and C are helpful here, so a good vitamin/amino acid supplement would probably be a good idea.

Adding some fresh liver to his diet may help too. I would continue with the spinach and chard as well. Your pup is still not mature and has some developing to do, so there's time for improvement.

Best of luck.