Why Does Your Dog Have A Dry Nose?

Dogs have adorable mushy noses that tend to be moist all the time which means your pup is healthy. Your dog’s wet nose is one of the reasons why your dog has an amazing sense of smell. The wet nose draws in tiny particles that are manifested in your dog's olfactory glands. Therefore, if your dog has a dry nose, should you be concerned?

Most of the time, a dry nose is nothing to worry about, but if it is consistent, it could be an indicator that something more serious is transpiring. There are times when your dog’s dry nose can go from just a dry nose to a more serious condition quickly. For instance, your pup’s nose might start to form a crusty type of scab which can bleed or merely flake off.

A dry nose doesn’t necessarily mean your dog is sick, but it usually indicates some type of underlying issue such as an allergy or irritant.

There are many reasons why your dog’s has a dry nose:

Warm air in the house or outside

You know how we can have a scratchy throat from warm air during the summer? The warm air or heat can have the same outcome on your pup’s nose.  Does your pup sleep close to a vent to help him keep warm during the wintertime? If this is the case, his nose should regain its moisture once your dog wakes up and is no longer close to a vent. If your pup’s bed is anywhere near a vent, think about moving it elsewhere.

Your dog is dehydrated

Has your dog been drinking enough water? A dry nose could be a sign of dehydration and is very common in the summer. Make sure that there is always plenty of water available for your dog to drink. However, if you dog is not drinking or stops drinking, you should take your dog to the vet.

Allergies

Dogs with allergies tend to have dry noses just as we do! Your veterinarian can help with your dog’s allergies as there are some prescriptive medications that can relieve the dryness if it is a serious case.  Another thing you can try at home is to put some petroleum jelly on your dog’s not to keep it moist and prevent it from cracking. Some vets recommend rubbing on coconut oil, olive oil or even shea butter could do the trick.

Allergic to plastic

An allergy to plastic is very common for dogs. You may be able to relieve your pooch's dry nose merely by switching out your pup’s plastic bowls to a stainless steel or even a ceramic bowl. Also, make sure that your pup doesn’t play with toys that have plastic on them; rubber toys are a good replacement.

Your dog’s nose is sunburn

Just as we protect ourselves from the sun, we need to protect our dogs from UV damage as well. Dogs can potentially get skin cancer too. Sunblock is the key to keeping your dog’s nose moist and sniffling as it should.  Make sure to use a sunblock that is made specifically for dogs or even infants (human). These types of sunblock tend to be free or preservatives and not toxic and should be helpful.

Sleeping

It is completely normal for your dog's nose to become dry while he's sleeping. This happens simply because your dog isn’t licking his nose while he's asleep.  When your dog wakes up, it should go back to being nose and moist after a few minutes of his waking up.

For the most part, a dry nose is nothing to worry about. But if your dog has a chronic dry nose, or a nose that is cracked, it could be a sign of a more serious issue. In those cases, you should take your dog to your vet who can help determine what is causing your dog's dry nose.