TATTOED NOSE : is it dangerous for a dog?

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Question:

| <snip | | Of course it is marked under a complete anesthesia in order not to | | make the dog suffer. | | | Hmmm. Never had a tattoo, have you? ;) | | <graphic, but species-specific, stuff snipped | | Never had a dog tattooed, have you? NONE of the things you suggest | happened in response to having Sprite’s AKC number permanently | emblazoned on her belly. No anesthesia was used during the process | either, and her only complaint was that she didn’t like to be held | down. I’m serious, she made no complaint while the tattoo itself was | being done, just when the tattooist paused and we did not let her up. This is because the type of tattoos done for numbering are far less extensive in the amount of dye applied per mm of skin than when filling in areas of color. In many cases, the numbering is applied with a punch or grip-type of press, and is done in an instant. When filling in colored areas, you cannot use this type of device. I do not doubt that a number tattoo does not cause many problems – the process is far different than when getting areas filled with color. Yes, I have had tattoos done. The numbering system used for dogs is for identification – knowing how filled tattoos are done on people, I don’t see how you could use the press process for filling in areas of color. | The tattoo was washed once, by the tattooist, who spread a bit of | something on it (carbolated Vaseline, I think). We didn’t follow up | with any regular washing. We didn’t put any ointments on it on any | kind of basis at all. We sort of admired it when she was lolling | belly-up in the sun and we gave her the belly-rubs she always gets. | | The skin did not peel, there was only a tiny bit of redness (around | the ink itself) and that was gone in the morning, there was no | roughness, NOTHING. The tattoo people say dog’s skin is different | from people’s skin; maybe it is. I don’t know what a nose tattoo | would be like, but I can tell you first hand that a skin tattoo is | NOTHING like what you describe. Again, a number tattoo is different than filling in areas. There are only enough "pins" applied to make the number distinguishable. You can probably count the number of holes use to make the number, and it probably numbers less than 50. In order to cause an entire area of skin to be turned a different color, you can’t use this type of device, and unless someone has come up with a great device for filling in large areas quickly, I believe you’d have to use the standard methods used today on people. Has anyone here had a filled area tattoo done on a dog that can give us a better idea of how it was done?

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – | <snip | | Of course it is marked under a complete anesthesia in order not to | | make the dog suffer. | | | Hmmm. Never had a tattoo, have you? ;) | | <graphic, but species-specific, stuff snipped | | Never had a dog tattooed, have you? NONE of the things you suggest | happened in response to having Sprite’s AKC number permanently | emblazoned on her belly. No anesthesia was used during the process | either, and her only complaint was that she didn’t like to be held | down. I’m serious, she made no complaint while the tattoo itself was | being done, just when the tattooist paused and we did not let her up. This is because the type of tattoos done for numbering are far less extensive in the amount of dye applied per mm of skin than when filling in areas of color. In many cases, the numbering is applied with a punch or grip-type of press, and is done in an instant. When filling in colored areas, you cannot use this type of device. I do not doubt that a number tattoo does not cause many problems – the process is far different than when getting areas filled with color. Yes, I have had tattoos done. The numbering system used for dogs is for identification – knowing how filled tattoos are done on people, I don’t see how you could use the press process for filling in areas of color. | The tattoo was washed once, by the tattooist, who spread a bit of | something on it (carbolated Vaseline, I think). We didn’t follow up | with any regular washing. We didn’t put any ointments on it on any | kind of basis at all. We sort of admired it when she was lolling | belly-up in the sun and we gave her the belly-rubs she always gets. | | The skin did not peel, there was only a tiny bit of redness (around | the ink itself) and that was gone in the morning, there was no | roughness, NOTHING. The tattoo people say dog’s skin is different | from people’s skin; maybe it is. I don’t know what a nose tattoo | would be like, but I can tell you first hand that a skin tattoo is | NOTHING like what you describe. Again, a number tattoo is different than filling in areas. There are only enough "pins" applied to make the number distinguishable. You can probably count the number of holes use to make the number, and it probably numbers less than 50. In order to cause an entire area of skin to be turned a different color, you can’t use this type of device, and unless someone has come up with a great device for filling in large areas quickly, I believe you’d have to use the standard methods used today on people. Has anyone here had a filled area tattoo done on a dog that can give us a better idea of how it was done?

Tne needles used to fill in an area solid hurt even less than the liner needles, which is to say it really isn’t pain at all. I think the sound of the vibrating needle would disturb a dog more then the sensation. and yes, I know quite well how it feels.

Response:

| First of all I think I’ve been mistaken by you : | be sure I want the best for my dog and for his health!!! | They just tell me that the hot summer sunrays woul have been | dangerous for his little pink nose skin and they also told me that | even for some labrador a particular kind of tattoo worked as well as | it was safe for him. | Of course it is marked under a complete anesthesia in order not to | make the dog suffer. Hmmm. Never had a tattoo, have you? ;) The actual process of getting a tattoo is not the most pleasant experience to most people, but the inking process is just where the fun begins. Basically, you’ve just had a million tiny little holes punched into your skin, which equals a million little open wounds. You now have a lovely patch of swiss cheese for skin, that must be washed and coated with Neosporin twice daily. It is very sensitive, and generally oozes plasma for a few days, after which you can switch to just washing and coating the area with some type of skin lotion. Now, that damaged skin isn’t going to hold on to your body anymore, so it’s going to start peeling off like a moderate sunburn, and you had better not pick at it! For a period of a few weeks, you *must not* let the area be exposed to the sun for any length of time if possible. Really, for people, it’s not that bad, just kind of icky for a about 2 weeks. It’s not like what you see in the movies. You don’t get a tattoo and run out on the beach with it the same day. For a dog, you’d still have some major discomfort afterwards, and I don;t know how you’d be able to keep him from scratching his nose raw. He also can’t be out in the sun while it’s healing, for more than a few minutes. I assume we’re talking about a fill tattoo, which represents a large area instead of a leg or ear dot (punch) tattoo, which is not nearly as invasive. NOTE!!!! Tattoing is NOT going to protect your dog from a sunburn. The ink is injected *below* the layers of skin that sunburn. Melanin is what protects you from the burn, and adding colorant under the skin is not going to protect the surface. You can burn just as easily over a tattoo as anywhere else on your body. I think you want good, old-fashioned sunblock for sensitive skin, if your dog has need of it.

Response:

<snip | Of course it is marked under a complete anesthesia in order not to | make the dog suffer. Hmmm. Never had a tattoo, have you? ;)

<graphic, but species-specific, stuff snipped Never had a dog tattooed, have you? NONE of the things you suggest happened in response to having Sprite’s AKC number permanently emblazoned on her belly. No anesthesia was used during the process either, and her only complaint was that she didn’t like to be held down. I’m serious, she made no complaint while the tattoo itself was being done, just when the tattooist paused and we did not let her up. The tattoo was washed once, by the tattooist, who spread a bit of something on it (carbolated Vaseline, I think). We didn’t follow up with any regular washing. We didn’t put any ointments on it on any kind of basis at all. We sort of admired it when she was lolling belly-up in the sun and we gave her the belly-rubs she always gets. The skin did not peel, there was only a tiny bit of redness (around the ink itself) and that was gone in the morning, there was no roughness, NOTHING. The tattoo people say dog’s skin is different from people’s skin; maybe it is. I don’t know what a nose tattoo would be like, but I can tell you first hand that a skin tattoo is NOTHING like what you describe. It’s also possible that dog tattoos aren’t as deep — this might explain why some vets say it can protect from sun when a human tattoo doesn’t. Remember, a lifetime tattoo for a dog needs to last 20 years at best; for a human, 3 or 4 times that long. — Elizabeth B. Naime * Email may be forwarded and/or posted CUR 70 / FUR 212 * * Standard Disclaimers Apply*

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have an excellent puppy of AST , 7 month old , he has only one problem, the non-defenitely black nose and it is a foult in the dog show : so vet told me that if the sun influence doesn’t blacken the dog’s nose until the following 3 or 4 months, the only way to solve the problem is to tatto it. So I ask if it’s dangerous for the health of my dog even because I heard even an opposite version : some people say that tatto is therapeutic , I mean that it would be a difence against the ultraviolet sun rays, otherwise very dangerous for pink parts of dog’s nose Thank in advance zatto A dog whose appearance has been cosmetically altered (tattooing the nose) would be disqualified from a dog show. This is considered deception and is unethical, not to mention downright inhumane to the poor dog! The dog’s nose is about the most sensitive area of its body. It would be extremely cruel to tattoo! I’m shocked that your vet would even suggest such a thing! Peace, Lisa Schade

First of all I think I’ve been mistaken by you : be sure I want the best for my dog and for his health!!! They just tell me that the hot summer sunrays woul have been dangerous for his little pink nose skin and they also told me that even for some labrador a particular kind of tattoo worked as well as it was safe for him. Of course it is marked under a complete anesthesia in order not to make the dog suffer. However my puppy is just 7 months and 1/2 old so I think that he can improve by himself at least a bit.; infact they told me until the year there are good possibilities to turn nose black by his own. Remember that his nose isn’t dudley but just "butterfly" ,that’s about the 85% black so there’s only a 15% pink. Anyway I’m sorry having appeared as a monster because everything I thought about his nose was complitely for his health and not for a personal way of hiding dog’s foults,just believe me.. zatto

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – OUCH! I’m not a handler or breeder but my cocker will show this summer. She has "snow" nose. My vet says this comes in the winter and goes in the spring/summer. She said you can blacken the nose with some "stuff". It can be washed off. Ask some other breeders what they use. Tattooing is a bit drastic if not downright cruel. If you have to hurt the dog to qualify for the ring, scrap the ring and make him a pet. C. Jackson R.N. owned by Max the black cocker and now the lovely Demi, his sister.

Using "stuff", even washable stuff, which alters the natural appearance of the dog is illegal under AKC rules–not that it doesn’t happen, just check out the grooming area & all that chalk, or the terrier rings and explain why the Airedales are all the same exact shades of black and red.;-) If you alter the color of the nose, you risk being fined and having AKC privileges revoked for a period–lifetime bans are usually for horribly egregious offenses, like abuse, nonexistant or fraudulent record-keeping, surgical alterations, bribery of judges/officials and such-like. More likely is that the judge will suspect the alteration and dump the dog–too much paperwork involved in a disqualification & subsequent hearings. The other problem with tattooing pigment is that when/if the dog is bred, the pigment problem will likely be passed on. If by hiding a fault you deny that it exists, it’s not really fair to future generations, is it? If I bred a bitch, and later found that the stud dog I’d bred to had had his nose tattooed and now I had a litter of dudley/off-color noses, I don’t know what I’d do (well, I do know, but there might be impressionable children reading) . Karen

Response:

problem, the non-defenitely black nose and it is a foult in the dog show : so vet told me that if the sun influence doesn’t blacken the dog’s nose until the following 3 or 4 months, the only way to solve the problem is to tatto it.

If you plan to show the dog, you should wait and see if the nose does darken naturally. You might want to ask breeders, like your dog’s breeder or anyone else you know in that breed, if this is sometimes self-correcting. If it dosn’t correct, then I too have heard that tattooing a pink nose protects it from sun damage, and you would want to discuss that with your vet. If you tattoo the nose though you should not show the dog in conformation, though you could still compete in obedience if I understand the rules correctly. — Elizabeth B. Naime * Email may be forwarded and/or posted CUR 70 / FUR 212 * * Standard Disclaimers Apply*

Response:

: I have an excellent puppy of AST , 7 month old , he has only one : problem, the non-defenitely black nose and it is a foult in the dog : show : : so vet told me that if the sun influence doesn’t blacken the dog’s : nose until the following 3 or 4 months, the only way to solve the : problem is to tatto it. Tattooing his nose makes him ineligible for the show ring anyway, so why not leave it the way it is?

Tatooing the correct pigment is also unethical, painful for the dog, and if caught, you could lose your right to participate in the show ring forever. Terri

Response:

MY question is: isn’t tatooing a very sensitive part of the dog–his nose–Painful??? Why would anyone who loves their dog want to put their pet through that? Lois S Dogs 9

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – : I have an excellent puppy of AST , 7 month old , he has only one : problem, the non-defenitely black nose and it is a foult in the dog : show : : so vet told me that if the sun influence doesn’t blacken the dog’s : nose until the following 3 or 4 months, the only way to solve the : problem is to tatto it. Tattooing his nose makes him ineligible for the show ring anyway, so why not leave it the way it is? Tatooing the correct pigment is also unethical, painful for the dog, and if caught, you could lose your right to participate in the show ring forever. Terri

OUCH! I’m not a handler or breeder but my cocker will show this summer. She has "snow" nose. My vet says this comes in the winter and goes in the spring/summer. She said you can blacken the nose with some "stuff". It can be washed off. Ask some other breeders what they use. Tattooing is a bit drastic if not downright cruel. If you have to hurt the dog to qualify for the ring, scrap the ring and make him a pet. C. Jackson R.N. owned by Max the black cocker and now the lovely Demi, his sister.

Response:

: unethical, not to mention downright inhumane to the poor dog! The dog’s : nose is about the most sensitive area of its body. It would be extremely : cruel to tattoo! I’m shocked that your vet would even suggest such a thing! I’ve read in cat magazines that white cats who are exposed to the sun are especially likely to get skin cancer on their ears and nose. Some vets will tattoo these areas. The pigment in the tattoo acts as a permanent sunscreen and protects the tender skin.

Response:

The dog training club I belong to had a presentation on tumors and cancers just a couple of weeks back. The presenter was a specialist in this area. She said exactly the same thing, and that it’s also true of light-colored, short-haired dogs. She did mention tattooing as a helpful measure. — Lisa Ochoa, Proprietor, Ochoa Petting Zoo- Home of Archie (6yo Doberman/Torpedo); Nell, CGC (Gorgeous 5yo Lady Whippet); Oliver, CGC, FDCH (TMWDITW — 5yo Border Collie); Ripley, CGC (BC Wonder Pup); and Haley Bell the "Do not disturb. Already disturbed."

Response:

: She said you can blacken the nose with some "stuff". It can be washed off. [snip] : If you have to hurt the dog to qualify for the ring, scrap the ring : and make him a pet. Well, if you really want to go by the rules, if you have to *dye* a dog to qualify for the ring, make him a pet — the AKC really doesn’t care if you tatoo or dye the nose; either way it’s changing the dog’s appearance by artificial means, and either way it’s a suspension from all privileges for anywhere from 5 years to life. Do people do it? Of course they do. Do they get caught? Every month, according to the secretary’s page in the Gazette. More to the point, if you have to dye the dog’s nose, is it really a good show and breeding prospect? — http://www.cris.com/~ahendrix

Response:

Do people do it? Of course they do. Do they get caught? Every month, according to the secretary’s page in the Gazette. More to the point, if you have to dye the dog’s nose, is it really a good show and breeding prospect?

Besides, a tattooed dog is likely to start going to seedy bars and getting into trouble. It’s probably not worth it. http://www.good-things.org/ <– pet pics and atheist cookies

Response:

I have an excellent puppy of AST , 7 month old , he has only one problem, the non-defenitely black nose and it is a foult in the dog show : so vet told me that if the sun influence doesn’t blacken the dog’s nose until the following 3 or 4 months, the only way to solve the problem is to tatto it. So I ask if it’s dangerous for the health of my dog even because I heard even an opposite version : some people say that tatto is therapeutic , I mean that it would be a difence against the ultraviolet sun rays, otherwise very dangerous for pink parts of dog’s nose Thank in advance zatto

A dog whose appearance has been cosmetically altered (tattooing the nose) would be disqualified from a dog show. This is considered deception and is unethical, not to mention downright inhumane to the poor dog! The dog’s nose is about the most sensitive area of its body. It would be extremely cruel to tattoo! I’m shocked that your vet would even suggest such a thing! Peace, Lisa Schade

Response:

Dogs that are shown in conformation should be nothing less than superior examples of the breed. That is why there are rules. If your dog is not up to standard, than you should not show it, and you should not breed it. Tattooing the nose is cheating. Try and keep in mind the larger picture than the DQ of your dog, and the ramifications of what you propose- Should we hide our dogs faults so they can compete/breed? Should dogs with corrected defects, like a tattooed pink nose or flopped & propped GSD ears be bred? Should these faults be kept from potential breeders (studs & bitches) in order to sell puppies? Of course not. Accept that your dog may not be able to compete, and instead do obediance and agility work, which REALLY shows what a dog is made of. Saxon — *Saxon Brown * Experience is a hard teacher- * *Department of EPO Biology * The test comes before the lesson * *University of Colorado at Boulder * *

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