There are quite a few secrets about dogs’ noses. Their tiny noses are like weather forecasts and can even indicate a dog’s health and mood.
We often hear experienced dog owners say that a wet nose means a dog is healthy, and a dry nose means it’s sick. So, is this just folklore or is there any scientific basis?
Today, let’s dive into the secrets of a dog’s little nose! Let’s see just how amazing a dog’s nose really is!
Each Dog’s Nose Print is Unique
If you take a close look at a dog’s nose, you’ll notice lots of patterns. It’s quite similar to our fingerprints—each dog’s nose patterns are unique, and no two dogs have the same nose prints.
Some dog-related charities abroad use nose prints to help identify dogs.
Maybe in the future, we could use the patterns on a dog’s nose as their ID information. This way, we wouldn’t have to worry about them getting lost—if they do, we can identify them easily!
Dogs Have an Incredible Sense of Smell
Dogs having a keen sense of smell isn’t news. No matter what you try to sneak, their noses won’t miss it. Just take out something with a scent, and the dog will twitch its nose and follow the smell right over.
A dog’s nose has lots of wrinkles, which greatly increase the surface area inside the nose, allowing for more smell receptors.
A dog’s nasal cavity has four times the open area of a human’s. Their olfactory mucosa contains around 200 million scent cells, which is 40 times more than humans. So, dogs perceive smells far beyond our capabilities, even picking up the faintest scents!
Dogs have an extremely sensitive sense of smell, and a moist nose helps them pick up scents better. If a dog’s nose is too dry, their ability to detect smells diminishes, so they’ll lick their nose to add moisture, enhancing their smelling ability.
Conveying Health Status
Besides their impressive sense of smell, a dog’s nose is also an important way for them to communicate their health status to their owners.
Many people know that a dog’s nose shouldn’t be dry. If a dog’s nose stays dry, it might mean they’re sick. A lot of dog owners use this as a way to check if their dog is healthy.
So, if a dog’s nose isn’t moist, does that always mean they’re sick? The answer is no.
A dry nose in dogs isn’t always due to illness. There are several situations where a dog’s nose might be dry and they’re still healthy.
- When sleeping or just waking up, dogs don’t lick their noses, so a dry nose is normal.
- Too much sun exposure can dry out a dog’s nose.
- After exercising, a dog might be excited and hasn’t had time to lick its nose, causing it to be dry.
Apart from these cases, if a dog’s nose is dry, it needs attention! It could be a sign of illness. Usually, a dog might have a fever, which increases dehydration and weakens the body. Make sure to take them to the vet promptly.
Relieving Anxiety
When dogs are anxious, they may continuously lick their noses to soothe themselves and relax.
Owners can gauge whether a dog’s nose is moist to maintain moisture or dry due to some irritant causing discomfort. This helps understand the dog’s true needs.
Dogs Don’t Like Their Noses Being Touched
When raising a dog, it’s easy to see that they love being petted by their owners. Whether it’s their head, chin, or belly, they’re happy. But dogs seem unwilling to let people touch their noses. Why is that?
A dog’s nose is one of its most important organs. They rely on their sense of smell for survival, eating, drinking, eliminating, and reproducing. So generally, dogs don’t like people touching their noses.
If your dog doesn’t resist when you touch their nose, it means they’re completely devoted to you!
Color of Dogs’ Noses
So, you often hear that the darker a dog’s nose, the healthier it is. Is this true or not?
The color of a dog’s nose can be an indicator of health, but it’s not absolute. The following situations can also cause a dog’s nose to have a “varied color.”
- Born with a mottled nose—Not all dogs have black noses. A dog’s nose can be black, pink, or brown. Mottled noses caused by genetics don’t have any other impact besides not matching human aesthetics.
- Age-related nose color changes—Just like humans, as dogs age, their nose pigmentation can fade slightly. This is normal.
- Weather affecting nose color—In winter, a dog’s nose may lighten because the enzyme tyrosinase in their nose doesn’t react as much in lower temperatures. When temperatures rise, the nose color can improve.
But if the color change in the dog’s nose is due to the following reasons, owners need to pay attention!
- Lack of nutrition—If a dog lacks proper nutrition, they might produce insufficient melanin, causing their nose to lose its dark color.
- Friction or injury—If the nose is injured, showing signs like swelling, cracking, or bleeding, take your dog to the vet for professional treatment. Owners should avoid trying to treat it themselves, as many issues can worsen if not properly addressed.
- Lack of sunlight—If a dog doesn’t get enough sunlight, reduced UV exposure can also cause the nose to lighten. So, take your dog out to play regularly.
- Allergies—Some dogs are allergic to plastics. Allergies caused by plastic products can make the dog’s nose lose color, along with symptoms like swollen lips. If you notice unusual signs due to allergies, remove the allergen immediately!
