My dogs dry nose?

Question

I have a puppy.. Im not a dog expert yet.. Does a dry nose mean anything? Could it mean hes not drinking enough?

Answer 1

I'm assuming you mean that the actual nose leather is dry on the outside? If so, that is normal for most dogs and you don't need to worry about it.

If the nose leather feels hot, you might want to check puppy's temperature, as hot nose leather and bright pink ears (on the inside) can be indicators of a temperature.

If you're worried about dehydration, you can carefully pull up puppy's skin on his back. If it stays up for a bit before "snapping" back down onto his back, he is dehydrated and needs more water. If it goes right back, he's fine.

Since you're a novice dog owner, you may want to consider a general dog forum or a breed specific forum or Yahoo Group for help and advice. That can be very useful and help keep you from tearing out your hair at the roots over dog issues. There are also a lot of good books out there - check some of them out and purchase some of them. "Dogs for Dummies" would be a good starter, and "The First Aid Companion for Cats and Dogs" should be in every dog owner's library in case you ever face medical issues. Having a good reference at hand can be a big help.

Answer 2

I cannot believe the amount of people who believe that if a dog has a dry nose it means the dog is sick. This is an old wives' tale and not at all true. It does not mean your dog have a fever or your dog is going to die. All dogs will occasionally have dry nose at one time or another. A dog just waking from sleep can have a dry nose. As a rule, look for a change in eating habits, personality, and energy level, if you think your dog is sick. If you see any of these changes or nasal discharge, swelling, lethargy, discomfort, or observe offensive odors coming from your dog's nose, contact your vet as soon as possible, your pet could be very sick.

Answer 3

Having a dry nose is not necessarily a bad thing or a major sign that something is wrong. Does the dog have any other signs of illness? Lethargy? Dogs noses are wet to increase their sense of smell. If you are really concerned, take him to the vet. If he/she is a puppy, I'm sure you'll be getting shots and deworming, and regular check ups. As far as drinking enough, do you see him/her drinking? Some dogs drink more than others, watch to see if he/she drinks anything, also check the urine color (if you can see it) if it is dark yellow, there is something wrong and he/she is not getting enough water. If it is light yellow to clear - he/she is getting plenty of water.

However, prolonged dry, cracked skin on the nose, with discoloration, scabs or open sores is not normal. If his/her nose is warm and dry for a prolonged period of time, it could be a sign of illness. Get him to a vet.

Answer 4

not all dogs have wet noses, and a dry nose wouldn't mean he wasn't drinking unless you noticed him not drinking enough and then his nose is hot and dry

Answer 5

dry noses only mean that the dog hasn't licked his nose, got a drink lately or snoted out of his nose...a cold wet nose is just a myth

Answer 6

Yes it is not healthy or natural.
Make sure the puppy is drinking water and food. It could mean the dog is dehydrated.

Answer 7

a dry nose may not mean anything there nose may get wet when they are palying it almost like when we sweat

Answer 8

is it dry and hot or crusty/ if it is i would take the dog to your vet and have it check out. or at least call them

Answer 9

oh ****

its not bad thing but make sure for about another 2weeks give him more water than food

also try giving him showers for every other day for about a week

Answer 10

It doesn't matter, as long as its wet in the inside of his/her nose.