You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

Sometimes apparently minor signs can be an indication of serious problems. Take for example distortion or twisting of the nose

Medium to long nosed dogs such as collies or German Shepherd Dogs over 6 years of age , sometimes develop a condition in which the bridge of the nose appears to swell, or the nose becomes distorted and twists to one side. 

Other signs that may be present include :

• an increased snoring noise during breathing
• sneezing 
• a nasal discharge. 
• blood may be present in the mucous from the nose. 
• occasionally there is a discharge from the eyes

In the early stages these other signs may be absent or very mild, but the swelling and distortion of the nose is a serious sign because it is usually associated with the presence of a cancer within the nose.

The prognosis is generally not good for animals with cancer in the nose because these cases are difficult to treat successfully, but the earlier the condition is diagnosed the better - so an animal with swelling or distortion of the nose should be examined by a veterinarian who will probably  advise XRays of the region and other tests to confirm the diagnosis.

Updated October 2013