Is it Bad if my Dog's Nose is Cold?

You have probably heard that a dog's cold and wet nose indicates good health, so many people worry when their dog's nose feels dry or hot at some point. Nevertheless, this popular belief is not entirely true.

The truth is that your dog's nose is not a thermometer, so a hot nose does not necessarily indicate a fever. It is way more likely that your dog has been in the sun for a while, or that it is simply a hot day. In that case, provide shade and cool water to prevent heat stroke. Prolonged exposure to the sun can cause dryness and lead to cracking in the delicate skin of your dog's nose, so you should prevent it.

Some breeds naturally have a drier and hotter nose than others, and it should not be a cause of concern. If your dog enjoys digging and sniffing surfaces, it is possible that contact with the soil make its nose a little warmer than usual, and it may even get hurt. You should not worry too much about it unless it becomes a constant issue and is accompanied by other disturbances or unusual signs.

All in all, a dog may be sick and still have a cold nose: the temperature of the nose is not useful to determine your dog's health. Here you will learn more about fever in dogs, its symptoms and treatment.

A dog's nose is much more developed than that ours, so it is not surprising that its features are different. In dogs, the nose acts as a mechanism to regulate body temperature: dogs cool down by licking their noses. When the saliva evaporates, the animal's body is cooled down. This process is accompanied by panting: here you will learn more about how do dogs sweat.

This small organ is formed by glands and thin membranes that are responsible for transporting smells. The humidity of the nose allows the dog to capture a greater number of olfactory stimuli, which are sent to the brain and give the animal the ability to perceive a wide variety of scents, even over long distances.

In other words, no: it isn't bad if your dog's nose is cold. In fact, it's a good sign that its organism is functioning correctly.

The temperature of your dog's nose can vary through the day, as it is determined by external factors such as weather, temperature changes and even the recreational habits and preferences of the animal.

However, there are some signs that could indicate a health problem. If you notice any of these symptoms, it would be best to take your dog to a specialist:

• If your dog's runny nose is not colorless but shows a greenish-yellow frothy consistency or there is a similarly unusual appearance.
• If the skin of the nose is scaly or too dry to the point of small wounds, your dog's defenses may be low.
• If your dog shakes its head to the side when sneezing, it could have something stuck in its nose.
• If your dog has difficulty breathing.
• If the nose is swollen.
• If your dog has a nosebleed.
• If you notice discoloration in the nose.
• If the high temperature of the nose is maintained for several days.
• If any of these signals is accompanied by other symptoms, such as fatigue, lethargy, lack of appetite and so on.

It is not bad for a dog to have a cold nose, but if you notice other symptoms such as those mentioned above you should go to the vet so that they can carry out a careful-check up and determine what is wrong.

To learn more about your dog's organism and health, don't miss the following articles:

• Why does my dog have red eyes?
• Why do dogs eat grass?
• Why has my dog's personality changed?
• Why is my dog howling?

This article is purely informative. AnimalWised does not have the authority to prescribe any veterinary treatment or create a diagnosis. We invite you to take your pet to the veterinarian if they are suffering from any condition or pain.

If you want to read similar articles to Is it Bad if my Dog's Nose is Cold?, we recommend you visit our Other health problems category.