5 Reasons Why Dogs Have Wet Noses & When To Worry

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As a dog owner, you have probably noticed that your dog's nose, in most cases, is wet. In the dog community, there is a saying that a wet nose is a healthy sign, but why is that? Did you ever wonder why dogs have wet noses in the first place? Our vet expert will teach you all you need about dogs and their wet noises. Let's start.

Is a wet nose in dogs considered normal?

This will completely depend on each dog individually, but most dogs will generally have wet and cool noses. Of course, in some situations, your dog's nose will be dry and warm, for example, when they are sleeping. So, a wet nose in dogs is completely normal, and if your dog is one of the dogs that have wet nose most of the time, you have nothing to worry about.

Why do dogs have wet noses?

There are many reasons why a dog's nose could be wet. These are all the reasons that dog experts and lovers concluded together. Currently, there are no scientifically confirmed reasons for wet noses in dogs. But we are sure that the reasons we are about to list will be true in most cases. Let's start.

1. They lick them a lot

All dogs will lick, and some will have a habit of licking their noses. There could be a variety of reason why your dog does it, but the most common ones are because their nose is dirty and they want to clean it – if your dog loves to dig and stick his nose in the dirt, he will probably lick his nose to clean it up.

The dog will sniff the environment to gather all sorts of scents to get information. By licking their noses, dogs will be able to test the environment. Their taste glands can give them more information about a specific thing.

RELATED: What Does a Dog Runny Nose Mean?

2. To cool themselves down

You probably already know that dogs cannot cool themself like humans with sweat glands. To cool themself down, they will pant. But did you know that dogs have a small number of sweat glands in their snout and paws? Small amounts of sweat will come through their nose when they want to cool themselves down, which will help control their body temperature.

3. Picking up scents

Wet nose will help your dog catch a better smell from the environment. This will help the dog gather chemicals that can give them better information about specific things. With this, they can easier follow a specific scent they find interesting.

RELATED: Scent Work in Dogs - Can My Dog Do it

4. Picking up moisture

If you have a dog that likes to sniff a lot or put his head into different things, his nose could be wet because of moisture. His nose is capable of absorbing moisture. This could be why your dog's nose is usually wetter after he's been outdoors investigating.

5. Genetics

For some dogs, genetics can affect whether or not your dog has a wet nose. Some breeds naturally have wet noses, while others could have a dryer noses. So if you didn't notice a wet nose on your dog, this doesn't have to bother you unless your dog is showing some other symptoms that could indicate that he is ill.

When should you be worried?

Overly wet noses in dogs could potentially indicate some problems. Of course, this isn't always the case, but for your dog's safety, it is best if you know when you should get worried and contact your vet.

The easiest way is to look for dog mucus. If your dog starts to produce more mucus, this could be a sign that something is bothering him. Also, you should contact your vet if mucus changes color, like green or yellow.

Of course, if you notice a wet nose and some blood, you should immediately contact your vet since this could indicate some infectious diseases and, in a worst-case scenario, cancer.

What to do if my dog's nose is dry?

Some dogs can have dry noses, which shouldn't concern you immediately. In some cases, dry noses could indicate a health problem, but you will have to figure out by yourself what is causing your dog to have a dry nose.

Before contacting your vet, this article could help you a lot- What Does it Mean When a Dog's Nose is Dry

Conclusion

As a dog owner, you must watch your dog and ensure his health. A wet nose is completely normal in dogs; in most cases, you have nothing to worry about. If you notice changes in mucus, you can contact your vet and ask for advice because, generally speaking, changes in mucus will indicate that something is bothering your dog.

World Dog Finder team