Why Do Dogs Have Wet Noses?

Dogs have a very sensitive sense of smell, which is mainly manifested in two aspects: one is the sensitivity to smells; the other is the ability to distinguish smells. The sensitivity of dogs to smells will vary depending on the type of smell. There are nearly 200 million olfactory cells, which are 100 times more sensitive than humans, so no matter what you are eating, it can smell it at once. There are many folds on the dog's nose, forming a variety of lines. It is unique like a human fingerprint, and some non-profit organizations use the dog's nose print to determine the dog's identity. Its nose is wet, why?

Know a dog's nose

Many dogs have black noses, which is a natural choice. There is a lot of melanin on the surface of the dog's nose, which can protect the exposed nose from sunburn.
Another reason is human aesthetics. People think that black noses are more cute, so they are also biased towards this choice in terms of breeding. In fact, the dog's nose also has other colors, in addition to black, there are pink or brown. There are both genetic reasons and acquired factors, malnutrition, lack of irradiation, and aging will cause the dog's nose to fade. A dog's nose can be said to be the most important organ in a dog, but its vision is not very good, so you must protect your dog's nose.

Why is my dog's nose wet?

The nose is the most direct organ to measure whether a dog's body temperature is normal. In general, a dog's nose should be moist and cool. A wet nose can contaminate more odor molecules in the air, which enter the dog's nose and complete a series of analyses in the dog's brain.

The moistness of the dog's nose is an important guarantee for their sensitive sense of smell, and the moisture on their nose can maintain the sensitivity of the sense of smell. There are many tiny particles floating in the air. These particles are the source of the odor, and it enters the nasal cavity with the breath. To smell odors in the air, the tiny particles that make up those odors are adsorbed on the mucous membranes of the nasal cavity. If the mucous membrane is moist, the tiny particles are more easily adsorbed on it, and the more odor-containing particles can be captured. Therefore, dogs' noses naturally secrete some moisture to keep their noses moist. When the weather is hot, they also lick their noses with their tongues to keep their noses moist.

Causes of dry nose

Of course, a dry nose doesn't mean your dog is sick.

Normal conditions:

• 1. Aged dogs
• 2. The dog just woke up
• 3. Physiological dehydration after strenuous exercise
• 4. Being in the sun for a long time or basking in the sun for too long

Abnormal situation

• 1. Sick

The nose also becomes dry when the dog has pathological symptoms. Diseases such as canine distemper can cause a dog's nose to become dry and cracked, similar to tortoiseshell patterns

• 2. Broken

Caused by trauma or certain bacterial infections
Symptoms of a broken nose in a dog

• 3. Runny nose

A dog with a runny nose, just like a human, is likely to have a cold. It's not that human medicines don't work, it's that some of the ingredients are toxic to dogs. If the measurement is not accurate, it will lead to side effects. Therefore, the dog's cold needs to be guided by a veterinarian who clearly understands the dog's weight, symptoms, and duration of illness.

In some cases, however, changes to the nose can be a warning sign. If your dog's nose is chronically dry, take him to the veterinarian. This could be a problem with the tear ducts in his eyes, because normally a dog's tears run down the nose, leaving it wet. A dry nose can also be due to an autoimmune problem in the nose. A high fever can dry out a dog's nose and show other signs that a dog needs help, such as loss of energy, lethargy, and anorexia. If your dog's nose is chronically dry and warm, you should take him to the veterinarian to find out the cause.