Know Something? I nose something

We all have felt a wet doggy nose pushing into our hand or snuffling our neck. Did you know that dog's noses are an integral part of their sensory input about this world? Most dog's have average to poor eyesight, but the nose, that's keen! With up to 300 million receptors, compared to a paltry 6 million in human's their sense of smell just blows ours out of the water.

Wet or dry?

Neither is a distinct indicator of health, it is a matter of current state, such as a hot day, a nap, or just having a drink

A dog's nose is wet due to a thin layer of mucas that assists in trapping and detecting odours and is one of their two places to 'sweat', the second being their foot pads. An overly wet, runny nose for longer than a day could indicate a virus or an allergy.

A consistently dry nose could be a skin disorder, severe dehydration or a sunburn.

Because a dogs only heat release area is their noses and feet, dogs do not tolerate heat as well as humans and are much more susceptible to heatstroke. This is especially true for short snout pooches, like Shitzus, Bulldogs and Boston Terriers.

Signs of heatstroke:

panting and rapid breathing
vomiting
diarrhea
dazed or confused behaviour
excessive drooling

If your pup loves hanging with you on hot, sunny days, keep in mind a few simple ideas to keep them healthy and happy.

exercise in the cool of the morning or evening
provide a shady area and fresh water
don't cook them in the car - even 15 minutes on a hot sunny day can lead to heatstroke
provide them a pool - many dogs, even if they dislike water will 'dip their toes in to cool down

That's it! Now you nose a little more about your dog's nose!