A lot of people think the only reason for a dry dog nose is an illness. This, however, is not always the case and discovering that your dog’s nose is dry is no reason to panic. There is much harmless reason why your dogs nose is dry and cracked.
The first of these is that they have not licked their nose recently. A dog’s nose is usually wet because they will frequently lick it, but on some occasions, your dog will stop licking their noses temporarily. The most common cause is sleeping. Dogs will usually not lick their noses while asleep, so it is natural for your dog to have a dry nose after a long nap.
Another common reason for a dry nose is sunburn and allergies. Both of these issues can injure the skin on the nose of your pup and cause it to become cracked, dry, and inflamed. The good news, however, is that you can limit the damage of these causes by removing the allergen from the reach of your dog or to keep them out of the strong sun.
There are some other, more dangerous causes, however. Nasal hyperkeratosis refers to hardening and calloused of the nose, leaving dogs vulnerable to infection. There are a variety of reasons for nasal hyperkeratosis and some are dangerous, so excessive cracking and calloused should warrant a vet visit especially when accompanied by other symptoms.
Fungi can also cause a dry and cracked nose. There are a wide variety of fungi living in our environment and these can infect the nose. This can cause inflammation, redness, itching, and discharge as well as a variety of other symptoms, so a dry nose in combination with discharge, significant redness, and other symptoms like fever or lethargy should be checked out by your veterinarian.
The good news, however, is that even if your dog has a benign reason for their dry nose there are still steps you can take to soothe the irritation. Your vet can help you decide on a lotion, jelly, or balm that can help keep your dog’s nose wet and healthy.
