If you are a dog owner, chances are you have been awakened by a cold, wet nose snuffling in your face. But what makes your pooch’s sniffer so soggy? Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions!
A wet nose means he’s healthy, right?
Not necessarily. The idea that a wet nose means a healthy dog is incorrect. There are several reasons why your dog’s nose may be wet or dry, cold or warm.
Your dog sweats through the pads of his paws to regulate his body temperature – typically around 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit. He also pants, allowing moisture to evaporate from his tongue and nose as an additional cooling mechanism. A better indicator of illness is how hot his nose and ears feel. His nose can be …show more content…
A person has around five million smell receptors in her nose. Your dog has between 20-300 million. When a dog is actively checking something out, her nose produces a thin layer of mucus. This sticky mucus covers her nose, and picks up thousands of chemical scent signatures. When she licks her nose, those chemical scents are transferred to the olfactory glands in the roof of her mouth, allowing her to separate and identify them.
If you look closely at your dog’s nose, you will see that on each side of her nostrils is a slit. This design enables the dog to inhale through the nostril, and exhale through the …show more content…
That nose is doing double-duty!
A dog also licks its nose to clean it, especially after snuffling into the grass and dirt outside, or after eating and drinking.
Why is my dog’s nose running?
A runny nose can mean many things. A runny nose with clear, watery discharge is typically normal, and usually attributed to allergies. Allergies are very common in dogs of all breeds, and most dogs start to exhibit allergic symptoms between the ages of six months and two years.
Like humans, when a dog has an allergic reaction, the lacrimal glands that produce tears ramp up to wash any irritating material out of the eyes. Since the tear ducts are connected to the sinuses, the whole mechanism starts to churn out fluid – hence the runny nose!
If your dog has thick, mucusy discharge, or the discharge is not clear, it may be a sign of infection, blockage, or another medical issue. Have a veterinarian check your dog out if he has thick, crusty, or discolored mucus or if he is repeatedly pawing at his nose.
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