If there is one thing all dog lovers do, it is check their dog's nose — yes, because the legend goes that a dry nose is a sign of health problems. Well, it is time to bust a myth, and here is the news: that is not always the case; you may find your dog has a dry nose without there being any problem at all. In fact, there are many reasons why a dog's nose can become dry and often even chapped; but it is almost never a warning sign. Let's find out together the causes of a dog having a dry and chapped nose.
Causes and remedies for a dry nose in dogs
First of all, let's pay attention to the climate surrounding a dog; for example, in the height of summer it is perfectly normal for a dog that spends time outdoors, with temperatures of forty degrees in the shade, to have a dry nose. Much like what happens to our skin, prolonged exposure to the sun or to high temperatures can have this effect on a dog's nose; especially if the nose is pink or otherwise light-coloured. Sometimes cracks on the dog's nose and small spots may also appear; in this case we can use a specific soothing and protective cream designed for dogs — be careful not to use products meant for humans.
And if it is winter, you might wonder, why does my dog have a dry nose? Exposure to cold northerly winds can have the same effect as scorching heat, and so can proximity to radiators. Of course, dogs love to sleep near radiators in the middle of winter and to stay nice and warm, perhaps beside a lit fireplace. The warm air circulating near our dog's muzzle causes the nose to dry out; sometimes so much so that small sores can appear. Try applying a little petroleum jelly to soften the skin of the nose, and everything will return to normal. In these cases, the only thing to watch out for is that, once our friends are removed from direct contact with the sun's rays, or from the cold wind, or from proximity to radiators, the dog's nose returns to its normal moisture within a very short time.
Dry nose in dogs, a symptom of dehydration
Another particular moment when we may notice a dog's nose being dry and chapped is during sleep — the reason? The most obvious one in the world: while the dog is sleeping, it does not lick its nose as it repeatedly does when awake; this is why the usual level of moisture is lacking. As soon as it wakes up, everything will return to normal.
But what if the dog were dehydrated? Does that seem impossible to you? It is not at all — in fact, it often happens that a dog does not drink the right amount of water throughout the day that it should be taking in, and one of the first signs of dehydration is precisely a dog with a dry nose. It should also be said that it is not at all easy to measure how much water our dog drinks over the course of a day; however, we can make sure it always has bowls filled with fresh water. More than one, even, if the environment in which it lives is very large — especially if you have a garden where your friend runs and plays; a bowl should always be available outdoors as well. If the dog always has access to nice fresh, clean water, it will feel the call of thirst more often, and the problem of dehydration in dogs will not arise.
Watch out for allergies
Excessive drying of a dog's nose, to the point of making it chapped, can also be caused by allergies unknown to us. It could in fact be a food allergy in the dog, in which case we will need the vet to help us work out which food is bothering our friend.
But it could also be a plastic allergy, in which case the coloured bowls will need to be replaced with ones made of aluminium, for example, or all dog toys that are not made from hypoallergenic materials will need to be removed. In this case the matter is a little more complicated because our dog will encounter plastic everywhere — inside the home we can perhaps keep it under control, but outdoors it is more difficult. So what can we do? We can undoubtedly avoid as much as possible any direct contact with the material that causes the allergy in our dog, and in addition we can relieve the dryness that will inevitably arise with every involuntary contact. For this purpose, the vet will be able to recommend very useful soothing agents such as coconut oil or shea butter.
The dog has a dry and chapped nose due to physical problems
Having listed all these causes with straightforward solutions, however, we must add a note: of course, a dog's dry and chapped nose can be a symptom of dozens of physical problems — for example, it is one of the symptoms of leishmaniasis… But how can you tell? First of all, let's try to establish how frequently our dog's nose dries out, ruling out the kinds of situations just listed above. Let's pay particular attention to whether, once the cause has been removed, the nose returns to its usual moisture within a short time. Furthermore, sometimes pink patches on the dog's nose may appear on a chapped nose, and these should set alarm bells ringing.
Of course, it is also important to make sure that the dog's dry nose is not accompanied by other symptoms such as lethargy, loss of appetite or fever. As we always say, when in doubt the most sensible thing is to seek a medical opinion; a phone call or a visit to our trusted vet will clear up any doubts. While it is true that unnecessary alarm is foolish and often counterproductive, it is equally true that ignoring clear signs of discomfort in our dog is even worse.
