Sore mouth and nose

by Teresa Beesley
(Spruce Grove, AB Canada)

My 6 month old puppy has what appears to be irritated skin around his mouth and now moved to around his nose that looks a bit like blisters that bleed or ooze a bloody looking liquid.

He had his second booster a couple of weeks ago is this a reaction to his shots, an allergy or could it be caused from the cold temperatures and the snow as being a siberian husky he is constantly putting his face in the snow?



Hi Teresa
I doubt this is a reaction to his puppy shots. Although some localized swelling or 'hives' is not terribly unusual, it wouldn't last this long and wouldn't bleed or ooze.

I think it's more likely that the snow has something to do with it, especially if this is something he's doing every day. Is there any chemicals in the snow.. such as salt/de-icer etc? This would cause irritation, and he could be allergic to these sort of products.

Making sure that you wash his muzzle with an antibacterial cleanser and then dry it thoroughly after he's been out in the snow may help if this is the problem.

There are certain skin conditions that can cause rashes/blisters and hair loss. Mange is a condition caused by tiny mites and it often is first seen on the muzzle, head and front legs. It's possible that this is what your pup is experiencing. You can read all about this on my Mange in Dogs page and your vet can diagnose it by taking a skin scraping.

Overall, I'd recommend having your vet take a look at your pup to make sure that there's no infection or other issue that needs treatment.

Best of luck, hope he's doing better soon.