There appear to be a number of reasons why pigmentation can fade, but in the reference texts that I have "snow nose" is listed as specifically affecting Bernese Mountain Dogs. Basically it is a common condition in which the dark pigment of the nose fades during the winter months and darkens again in spring. Lack of pigmentation is primarily a cosmetic problem. A number of home remedies have been advocated, but their success is questionable. Complete depigmention does not occur.
There is also "plastic dish nasal dermatitis". This is a localized form of depigmentation that affects teh nose and lips. It is caused by eatint our of plastic or rubber dishes that contain the chemical p-benzylhuydroquinone. This chemical is absorbed thorugh th e skin andinhibits the sythesis of melanin, the chemical that produces dark picment in the skin. The involved skin also becomes irritated and inflamed. The problem can be corrected by feeding from glass, ceramic or stainless steel bowls. There are other causes of depigmentation -- vitiligo, "Dudley nose" (probably a form of vitiligo). There is no cure for these, but the odds are Berners have "snow nose." Nancy Melone Mars, PA
