Is a wet nose always a sign of health, and a dry nose always a sign of illness? The amazing nose of dogs How much can one not eat when he is sick?

The condition of a dog's nose will tell the owner of the animal a lot. This is a kind of indicator that signals any problems in the pet’s body. By carefully observing your pet, you can very quickly determine that he feels bad or, on the contrary, is healthy and full of energy. Any disease changes appearance, temperature and humidity of the nose. Noticing signs of ill health in a timely manner will help you avoid many troubles and will tell you when you need to see a doctor.

Norm

A cold and wet nose in an adult dog or puppy is an indicator of normal health. Why do these signs indicate good health:

• The dog has no sweat glands. A wet nose evaporates excess water instead. It also saves you from overheating in hot weather. When purchasing a puppy, it is important to pay attention to the condition of this organ.
• The mucus produced by the nose moisturizes it, preventing the skin from drying out, since the dog perceives the world 90% through smell.

When you don't need to worry

Some people believe that a warm and dry nose is a sign of illness. It is not always so. There is no need to worry in the following cases:

• In the morning, when the dog is sleeping or has just woken up. During sleep, all metabolic processes slow down.
• In hot weather. The fact that the dog is hot is indicated by its protruding tongue and rapid breathing. You can bathe your pet in cool water or wet his paw pads.
• During the heating season, when the air in the apartment is dry and warm.
• For minor trauma to the surface of the nose. A simple scratch can cause temporary dryness and increased temperature of a sensitive organ.
• During estrus in females. Hormonal surges can change the condition of the nose.
• After a long active walk. Physical overwork or fatigue affects the condition of the nose.
• When the weather changes. The dog's nose is sensitive to such indicators.
• When replacing baby teeth in puppies. The humidity and temperature of the nose becomes changeable.
• Under stress. Temporary dryness is observed in a healthy puppy that is brought into an unfamiliar home, but it quickly passes.

Warm and dry nose of a healthy dog ​​if he eats well, plays and nothing bothers her, it is considered the norm. Some dogs live with this their whole lives.

If the nose is not just warm and dry, but hot, then we can talk about trouble in the pet’s body.

When to see a doctor

Before you panic, you need to observe your pet for a while. If the nose is dry and warm, and the ears are cold, then this is normal and means there is no fever. There is no reason to worry.

The animal's unusual behavior and additional signs should alert you feeling unwell.

Additional symptoms

A dog's dry, cracked and hot nose, coupled with other signs, indicates a disease. You need to sound the alarm when additional symptoms appear:

• drowsiness;
• apathy;
• lethargy;
• lack of appetite;
• nausea and vomiting;
• increased body temperature;
• discharge from the nose and eyes (including clear);
• cough and sneezing;
• diarrhea.

These manifestations signal an illness or painful condition. These are different concepts. In the summer, when it is very hot, and the dog does not have water in his bowl, he becomes apathetic and lethargic, his nose will be hot and dry. It is enough to give your pet something to drink for its condition to change.

Discharge from the nasal passages and eyes can indicate either a cold or an allergic reaction, for example, to the plastic from which the food bowl is made, or to pollen. Diseases that cause dryness and fever include:

Any dog ​​illness is accompanied by dryness and increased temperature of the skin of the nose. It is important to notice the dangerous condition of your pet in time when urgent veterinary help is needed.

Poisoning

In some poisonings, the nose is not only hot, but also very cold. Body temperature drops sharply. An icy nose and cold ears may indicate chemical poisoning or a bite using venom if the following symptoms occur:

• nausea;
• vomit;
• salivation;
• weakness;
• trembling of limbs;
• drop in body temperature;
• violation of the respiratory rhythm - the dog breathes often or breathing is heavy and too slow;
• unusual odor from the mouth;
• pupil dilation.

In this case, emergency veterinary care is required.

If you are poisoned by chemicals or poisons, you should not try to treat your dog at home or save it yourself. She could die within a few hours. Immediate medical attention is required.

Food poisoning is usually accompanied by fever and diarrhea.

How to help your pet

In case of any poisoning, you should immediately remove the bowl of food, leaving the water. If the dog refuses to drink on its own, you must forcefully inject it with 50-100 ml of water using a syringe or a medical bulb. A poisonous substance that enters the body orally will be diluted and cause less harm. No other solutions such as soda or potassium permanganate need to be used.

By pressing on the root of the tongue, you must try to induce vomiting, if you are sure that the poisoning is food, then do an enema and give activated charcoal - one tablet per 1 kg of weight.

If you suspect a chemical substance, you should not rinse your stomach. This can damage the mucous membrane and cause stomach bleeding. All necessary procedures must be performed by a doctor, who must be contacted immediately. If your pet's body temperature drops, you should warm it up.

Dangerous diseases

Deadly viral diseases, such as canine distemper (distemper) and rabies. The fulminant form of distemper, especially in unvaccinated puppies, has no symptoms other than an increase in temperature - a hot nose and ears. Therefore, you need to immediately show the young dog to the doctor.

Distemper manifests itself with a variety of symptoms similar to a cold, poisoning or allergies. If they occur, you should immediately contact a veterinarian.

Rabies poses a great danger to humans. In dogs it occurs in different forms and is accompanied by various symptoms. The causative agent of the disease is a virus to which the animal’s body reacts with an increase in temperature. You should pay attention to the following behavior of your pet:

• the dog hides and does not respond to the call;
• drooling appears;
• difficulty swallowing;
• The dog makes grasping movements with its mouth.

These symptoms appear in the first 3 days after the onset of the disease. It takes about 3 months from the moment of infection to the first signs of the disease. At the slightest suspicion of rabies, you should immediately consult a doctor so as not to expose your health to mortal danger.

There is no cure for rabies in dogs. The animal is quarantined to exclude contacts and monitored. Within 10 days the diagnosis is confirmed or excluded.

To heavy autoimmune diseases refers to pemphigus. If papules and vesicles appear on your dog's nose, you should consult a doctor. The sooner support for the body is started, the fewer areas of skin will be affected by the disease.

Help

If rabies is suspected, the dog is isolated indoors, taking measures to protect against bites, and a doctor is called.

Symptoms of distemper can appear even in a vaccinated dog. He may refuse food and water, become lethargic and apathetic. Treatment, unless otherwise prescribed by a doctor, consists of forced watering and feeding during a hunger strike of more than 2 days.

Meals should be fractional - 5-6 times a day. To do this, use low-fat Ground beef, pushing small balls closer to the root of the tongue so that the pet reflexively swallows them.

In this article I will talk about the causes of dryness or elevated temperature dog's nose. I will describe possible diseases and why it is hot or warm, and what to do. I’ll tell you what your nose should be like, when dry is normal, dangerous or not.

Reasons why a dog has a dry nose

A wet and cold nose in an adult dog or puppy indicates that the pet is feeling well.

Causes of dryness:

• Allergy.
• Stress.
• Cold.
• Dehydration.
• Sudden change in weather.
• Injury.

It occurs not only on certain foods in the diet, but also on dust, pollen, chemicals, materials (plastics). An allergic reaction manifests itself in a rash on the skin, lethargy of the pet, runny eyes, sneezing, and loss of appetite. A walk in the spring among flowering plants can cause allergic reaction, even if a year ago everything was fine. Bowls and toys made from low-quality plastic should be checked first.

A dog's stress can be caused by a change of owners, moving, change of environment, or punishment. The depressed state of the dog provokes a lack of attention from the owner. Daily walks, games and contact with your pet will help avoid attention deficit and support him even in the most difficult moments of life.

A pet with a cold coughs and sneezes. A cold can be identified by a lethargic state, refusal to play or eat, and elevated temperature.

Dehydration is expressed in a depressed state of the dog, he tries to move less, and in this case the body pressure is increased.

Dogs react to changes in weather; dryness can appear due to strong winds, snowfall, frost or abnormal heat.

An injured pet experiences pain and the nostrils become dry. In this case, you need to examine the dog for damage, and if there are wounds, you need to treat them and take the pet to a veterinary clinic. A fight with wild animals is dangerous; the dog’s opponent may be a carrier of the rabies virus, in which case unvaccinated pets become infected, and the chance of survival is reduced to zero.

Causes of a hot or warm nose

An increase in the temperature of the nose and its dryness indicate that the pet is sick. To all the causes of dryness are added increased temperature and pressure.

Hot indicates that the animal has a fever; by measuring it, you can understand what exactly is happening to the dog. Dogs' temperature changes rectally. You need to lubricate the end of the thermometer with Vaseline and insert it into the anus. The procedure will be unpleasant for the dog, so the presence of the owner is important for him. It is recommended to speak affectionately to your pet, calling it by name, or stroking it.

An increase in temperature of 1 degree during estrus is normal.

If the temperature rises higher, the bitch should be checked for diseases. reproductive system or sexually transmitted infections.

The symptom may warn of high or low blood pressure in the dog. Blood pressure is measured with a veterinary tonometer. Normal blood pressure in dogs of average and large breeds 150 by 90 mm. For small breeds, the norm is different - 170 by 90 mm.

When a dry nose is normal

Dryness and increased temperature of the nose are normal immediately after the animal awakens.

During sleep, your body temperature rises and your nostrils dry out. In hot and dry weather, the dog’s organ dries out, in such conditions the dog is at risk of dehydration, so it is necessary to provide the dog with clean water in large quantities and in constant access. If an animal sleeps near the stove and fireplace, it dries out from exposure to outside temperature.

When to contact a veterinarian

You should seek professional help or advice if ulcers, rashes, or sores appear on your animal’s skin. Diarrhea, frequent belching, vomiting, cough and shortness of breath are symptoms that appear due to gastrointestinal upset, poisoning or infection in the blood. In all these cases, a trip to the veterinarian cannot be postponed.

An eating disorder appears even when eating foods that are completely familiar to the dog. If symptoms appear, you need to review your pet’s diet with your veterinarian and, if necessary, create a new one.

If your nose is extremely dry in hot or cold weather, it is recommended to lubricate your nose with a drop of hypoallergenic ointment based on calendula.

What a healthy nose should be like

The pet's nostrils may dry out and become wet several times a day; this only indicates good heat exchange and reaction to the environment.

A dry and hot nose is not a disease itself, but rather one of its symptoms.

At room temperature while awake, healthy dog It will be damp and cold.

If your pet has noticed dryness and increased temperature of the nose, you need to observe the pet and find out more about its condition, and if other symptoms appear, contact a veterinarian.

It is almost certain that a potential dog breeder is fully aware that the dog's nose should be exceptionally cool and moist. Any deviations are often mistaken for one of the symptoms, simply of the dog’s malaise. Is this so, and yet, what kind of nose a healthy dog ​​should have, we will consider below.

Cold nose on a dog

Have you ever wondered why it is generally accepted that a wet and cool nose is normal for a pet? The thing is that an animal does not have the ability to sweat like a person. And the nose is precisely the mucous membrane that secretes secretions in order to balance the thermal balance. For the same reason, during periods of extreme heat, dogs and cats stick out their tongues: you and I take off excess clothing, they also provide a larger area of ​​mucous membrane for secretion.

Therefore, it is generally accepted that a dog’s nose should be extremely cold and always wet. But, just like in humans, deviations from the accepted norm do not always mean the onset of illness or illness in the pet. This largely depends on the age and breed of the dog, its individual characteristics, activity and lifestyle.

For example, for puppies or some breeds a little is quite normal after active play, sometimes after sleep or a state of rest. Sometimes the nose remains wet but warm. Many chronic disease are reflected in the normal state of the pet’s mucosa, and this is not necessarily within the framework of accepted norms; here you will consider individual changes specifically for your dog.

Please note if the dog’s nose remains a little wet and cold, but the mucous membranes have changed color. It is the change of color that should attract your attention more than dryness. By the way, we often wonder what kind of nose a healthy dog ​​should have, but we don’t notice the other points. For example, wheezing, sniffling, and sneezing are accompanied by a completely normal state of the mucous membrane, although the animal is sick. On the contrary, a completely healthy dog ​​walks with warm nose. Many animals react in this way to changes in temperature, sudden changes in air humidity, or active games in the fresh air. This is why a cold nose in a dog with characteristic dampness is not a guarantee of health. Typically, breeders recommend observing the dog’s behavior, any changes in its usual routine, and drawing conclusions based on this. So it is not always correct to perceive the nose as an indicator.

For ages, there has been a myth that dogs with wet noses are healthy, while dogs with dry noses suffer from fever or some other disease. However, over time, this statement is no longer so relevant. The first mention of wet noses dates back to the time when a deadly virus spread through dog populations. Symptoms of canine distemper included hyperkeratosis, which causes thickening of the skin on the animals' noses. Therefore, at a time when the dangerous virus was widespread, a wet nose was considered a good sign, which indicated that the dog did not have the disease.

Causes of wet nose in animals

Nowadays, dogs do not always have wet noses, which is also associated with vaccination. Therefore, it is no longer possible to say 100% about the state of health, starting only from this factor.

The nose of these animals is moistened by secretions from the lateral and vestibular glands. Another reason is that dogs lick their noses. Therefore, if a dog has just woken up from a long sleep, then its nose may be dry, because it has not yet had time to moisten it with its tongue.

Most mammals have wet noses. Only a few of them have lost the ability of a hypersensitive sense of smell, giving preference to vision. This can be said about people and some primates, who perceive information about the world around them primarily visually. After all, they have completely switched to a daily lifestyle. The sense of smell remains the main way for dogs to perceive the world. This is how they recognize each other and transmit most of the information.

Why do animals have wet noses?

Dogs have a very sensitive sense of smell, and a wet nose helps them with this. Thanks to humidification, not only the internal part is involved in the process of odor recognition, but also the external part. How does a wet nose increase sensitivity? This can be compared to how a person wets his finger with saliva to determine the direction of the wind. This is why bloodhounds rarely have dry noses.

When a dog licks its nose, some of the information about smells is transferred from it to the mouth. There, this information is already recognized by an additional aromatic gland located on the palate.

Life-saving cooling in hot weather

Another reason for a wet nose is the cooling of the animal's body. Since dogs have small sweat glands only on the pads of their paws, they try to cool themselves by evaporating fluid from their tongue and nose. To understand this mechanism, you need to wet your finger with water and wave it in the air. You will notice how cold it becomes.

Likewise, dogs use the evaporation of water to cool certain parts of their body. Therefore, dry noses are usually hot, while wet noses remain cold. The wet area of ​​the body gradually becomes cold, which helps animals withstand the heat on especially hot days. Dogs also pant rapidly with their tongues hanging out to cool down. The body cools due to the evaporation of fluid from the tongue.

A dog's nose is not protected by hair; it has many vessels and capillaries. Therefore, cooling it also leads to a decrease in the temperature of the blood that circulates through it, which also affects the cooling of the entire body. A dog that licks its nose when it's hot can be compared to a person splashing water on himself to cool down.

If the animal did not sleep or lie with its nose buried in its paws, and its nose remains dry for a long time, this may indicate dehydration.

The Legend of a Dog's Sense

According to one legend, when Noah gathered all the animals into an ark to save them from the flood, he needed some help. Someone had to help him keep order in this crowded ship. Therefore, God rewarded the dog with a sensitive sense of smell and a special sense of smell.

While two dogs were patrolling the ark, they noticed a leak. The hole was small, but the water quickly filled in. When one of the dogs ran for help, the second selflessly plugged the hole with its nose. Noah and his sons arrived to fix the leak, and at this time the dog that saved everyone was in pain and was already suffocating. But her brave act was able to protect the ark from flooding.

To remind the whole world of the dog's brave deed that saved humanity, God rewarded all dogs with cold ones. wet noses. They still bear this badge of honor.

Most owners know what their healthy dog's nose should be like - cool and moist - this is a sign of good health. This is true, however, if your pet’s nose becomes dry and warm, this does not mean that he is sick. Let's try to figure out what a dog's nose should be like and what signs to look for.

Dogs have a nose, just like many other animals., covered with special secretions - mucus, produced by cells. With its help, our four-legged friends detect the slightest vibrations in the air and sense the approach of the enemy. So in normal condition dog nose should be wet and cold. But what to do if suddenly your pet’s “nasal planum” becomes hot and dry? Don't immediately panic and run to the vet. This could happen for completely harmless reasons.

There may be the following reasons:

In all of these signs, warming of the nose is a short-term and normal phenomenon.

Signs of a pet's illness

If the nose is not wet for a long time(from several hours to several days), then your pet needs increased attention from the owner. Along with the “nasal indicator”, other signs may indicate the disease:

What diseases cause the nose to be dry and warm?

Remember! Humans also suffer from rabies. A sick animal poses a mortal threat to the people and animals around it.

Normally, a dog's nose should be wet and cold. If your nose becomes dry and hot and you suspect that your four-legged friend is sick, contact your veterinarian. It won’t go away on its own, and self-medication can only do harm. Show care and attention to your pet, and he will give you all his love.