Canine Nasal Disease

Nasal disease often manifests as nasal discharge with or without other nasal signs. Attention to signalment, history, and physical examination findings often facilitates a differential diagnosis. Imaging techniques and tissue sampling for microscopic examination are usually necessary for diagnosis. Advanced imaging offers important advantages over traditional skull radiographs but is less widely available and more costly. Bacterial culture is seldom beneficial, and fungal culture is reserved for cases likely to have fungal rhinitis. Nasal biopsy is required to confirm a specific diagnosis and is always required for diagnosis of specific tumor type or for inflammatory rhinitis.