Dog Owners Guides | A Healthy, Wet Dog Nose
Did you know scent is your dog’s primary sense—in fact, the olfactory region of their brain is 40 times larger ours, meaning they can smell up to 10,000 times better than humans. Dogs are constantly experiencing the world around them by processing the smells in their environment and their cold, wet nose is vital to this.
A dog’s nose may become dry at various times throughout the day or year for many reasons, but a dry nose doesn’t necessarily mean the dog is sick. Below are some useful tips on keeping your dog’s nose healthy.
A healthy dog’s nose is wet because of a thin layer of mucus secreted by their nasal lining (scent particles are more easily trapped on this damp surface.) The area of the dog’s brain devoted to analysing their daily sniffs is about 40 times larger than the comparable part of the human brain. Frequent nose-licking also helps to keep your dog’s nose moist, and pulls those trapped scent particles into their mouth, where olfactory glands receive the smelly intel.
Ensuring good, everyday care of your dog’s nose can help to protecting one of their most vulnerable parts. Plus, a healthy and balanced diet can also help to ensure healthy wet nose.
Try cleaning your dog’s nose first
If you notice your dog has a dry nose it’s a good idea to give is a gentle clean first to help remove any external factors which may be causing the dryness. Using a cool, wet cloth – gently wipe their nose. You should notice the nose naturally moisten back up, if not there may be some other factors causing the dryness.
A Change in Seasons
Just like how our skin routine changes from season to season, your dog’s nose also needs different types of TLC depending on the time of year. During the hotter summer months, it can be a good idea to add a small amount of sun-cream to your dog’s nose to help protect them from sun burn. During the colder winter months, your dog’s nose might become drier due to excess time spent out in the cold or snoozing next to a heater and may need some add protection.
Allergies
Some dogs can develop allergies to all sorts of things their experience in their everyday lives. As dogs experience the world through their nose, if they have an environmental allergy to something in their living space, chances are they’ll show a reaction on their nose.
Dehydration after exercise
If your dog has had a particularly energetic game of ball in the park, it may be possible that their nose may feel a little drier than usual. This is due to dehydration. Make sure there is plenty of water available for your dog at all times, but especially during and after playing or exercising.
