Dog's Nose Window To Its Health

Dogs can smell up to 100,000 times better than humans. They have up to 300 million olfactory receptors in their noses versus only about 6 million in us. Also, the part of their brain dedicated to interpreting these is about 40 times larger than ours!

- Dr. Karishma Gupte ( M.V.Sc.)

It is often said that dog's nose should remain wet and that dryness may be a sign of illness. Let us understand the significance of wet nose in pets: Wet nose serves a few vital functions for dogs. First, keeping their noses moist helps them to regulate their body temperature. Dogs don’t have sweat glands all over their bodies like we do, so they rely on sweat glands in their nose and pads of their feet to help maintain a safe internal temperature.

Dogs’ wet noses also contribute to their incredible sense of smell. Licking their noses helps them to 'smell' even more deeply.

If nose of your pet has turned dry, observing your pet throughout the day is essential. Sometimes, nose dries off if the dog does not lick it often or has been sleeping too much. In such a case, nose will turn wet after sometime.

Pugs and Bulldogs can’t lick their nose very well because of conformation of their skull. These dogs often develop a lumpy, crusty, chalky, cracked, and uncomfortable nose.

We can get a clue about dog's health by observing its nose.