My Ridgeback 6 yr old male dog has got a spilt down his nose, which started like a paper cut, but has got progressively worse, and is widening.  Every now and then it bleeds rapidly and stops from the split.  His sister had this problem very early on with a paper cut type split going across the middle of her nose.  This got progessively worse over the years to the degree the split is permanently as wide as your little finger and is red raw - it conjures images of the Grange Hill/Eastenders actress who lost the middle of her nose.  Obviously we don't want our dogs split to get this bad.  The 2 vets who have looked have both said there is not much you can do, other than put sudocrem on it.  The dog instantly licks this off, so it is pointless.  Can anyone suggest a way to assist the split healing?

Is this a symptom of dermoid sinus? Is that what's causing the splits?

Dermoid sinus is present from birth JG( I know a RR breeder ;) )so I am told & I don't think it involves the nose

Thanks for that link, MM. This nose problem certainly sounds like something else entirely. A strange condition. The fact that his sibling had the same thing makes me very curious as to what it could be.

I wonder if Evening Primrose oil and Vitamine E (in sunflower oil ;) ) would help to keep the skin on the nose supple enough to resist splitting??  They are brilliant for dry skin and eczema and do aid in healing.  Easiest way would be to add to the diet as anything put on the nose will be licked off.  But sunflower oil rubbed on the nose wouldn't hurt :) and may help.