A cat has a cold, wet nose. Cats have wet noses. What could be a cause for concern?

For a cat, the nose is a full-fledged organ, without which it is difficult to imagine the animal’s existence. Only by its appearance can the disease be identified in a timely manner and measures taken immediately. It is unfortunate that many owners have no idea what the nose of a healthy cat should be like. Do you think this is a joke? Then take a close look at it: it can be wet or dry, and observing it is of great importance.

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Nose of a healthy animal

In terms of its structure, a cat’s nose is no different from a human’s: two nasal passages separated in the middle by cartilage. The differences start further. These passages lead into a labyrinth of lattice shells that are very sensitive. If necessary, cats can retain a particular smell and even filter it from impurities in order to sense it as accurately as possible. Contaminants on the surface of the nose reduce its sensitivity, so it should always be clean.

A healthy cat's nose performs many other tasks. For example, the air inhaled by an animal is purified and heated. The outer skin is highly sensitive to temperature, so it is easy for your pet to determine what kind of food is in front of them without even touching it.

The shape of a cat's nasal cavity can vary depending on the breed. The healthiest nose from a physiological point of view is found in cats of traditional breeds. Conversely, pets with a flattened face often have breathing problems due to the irregular shape of the nasal openings and septum.

Many owners worry about what color a cat's nose should be? This directly depends on the color and age of the fluffy. So in older cats the color may be darker, and pigment spots may even appear. Sometimes its color can change depending on the season, for example, by winter the hairline can noticeably darken. But this does not mean that the health of domestic cats is in any way threatened, even if it has changed in color.

So, having decided on the characteristics of this organ, we come to the question, what should a healthy pet’s nose be like? First of all, it’s clean. Otherwise, a cold nose that is slightly damp to the touch is considered normal.

Kitten's nose

For a kitten, its nose is even more important than for an adult cat. From the first days of life, while a newborn kitten’s eyes are not yet open, it is with its help that it gets to its mother for feeding and warming. As with adult animals, a healthy kitten's nose should be slightly damp and cold, but not dry. Only after sleep, active play or in a state of serious stress can it be warm or even hot. If the kitten’s nose is dry for several hours, then this is a reason to contact the veterinarian.

Why is your nose wet?

You may have wondered more than once: why is a cat’s nose wet? To understand the reason, you should turn to the ancestors of cats and remember who they are. All cats, without exception, have a predatory nature, their instinct is aimed at tracking down prey, so a moderately wet nose is more the norm than a deviation. A damp surface helps to better capture scent from the air, accurately identifying prey. Moistening the nose occurs in two ways: with the help of liquid released from the mucous membrane, and with the help of saliva when the cat licks its lips.

You should only be wary if the cat's nose is dry. This may indicate a problem with the intestines. The veterinarian will tell you which one, but most often this happens due to stagnation of fur in the body. As a preventive measure, you can give special food or paste for cats, but consultation with a specialist is required.

If the nasal surface remains dry for a long time, the problem can be much more serious. No one fully knows why this is so, but a dry cat nose may indicate a viral infection in cats. In this case, it is worth starting treatment immediately, at least with drops, and only then finding out the cause and waiting for other symptoms.

In any case, as you have already understood, if your nose is wet, this is absolutely normal, because it is a kind of indicator of good health. It helps to constantly monitor the pet’s condition and, if necessary, quickly take appropriate measures.

Video “Cat scratches its nose”

The video shows how funny a cat scratches its nose.

How to visually determine the health status of a pet? If a cat has a cold nose, then pet owners believe that there is no reason to worry. Dry and hot it causes anxiety. Diagnosis on this basis is groundless. A sick animal can also have a cold nose.

How can you tell if your cat is sick?

A healthy animal has a cool, slightly moist nose. The disease usually manifests itself with an increase in temperature. But this doesn't always happen. Why does a cat have a cold and wet nose when he is sick?

It is impossible to determine the cause of the pathology by one sign, because such a symptom can occur:

• with decreased immunity;
• viral infection;
• cold;
• allergies.

If a cat is sick, his behavior changes:

• appetite decreases;
• lethargy appears;
• he sneezes and snorts;
• often rubs his face with his paw.

The temperature may be elevated even if the cat has a cold and wet nose. A hot ear on the inside is a sign of hyperthermia. To clarify the indicator, a thermometer is used, as when measuring temperature in people.

It is difficult to determine the temperature of the earlobe, because it can be dry and warm after sleep, prolonged play, or during emotional excitement. However, if this condition persists for several hours and the cat is depressed, then it is necessary to show him to the veterinarian.

Characteristics of diseases accompanied by a runny nose

Viral immunodeficiency is diagnosed in 13% of sick cats. Middle-aged and old animals that roam freely on the street are at risk. Infection occurs through saliva. A cat that has been licked or bitten by a sick cat becomes infected with the FIV retrovirus (feline immunodeficiency virus).

In addition to nasal discharge with VIC, there is:

• weight loss;
• diarrhea;
• lacrimation;
• temperature increase.

But such manifestations of FIV symptoms do not always occur. Often a viral infection passes, especially in the initial phase, almost asymptomatically, with slight discharge from the nostrils and without a change in temperature.

Other viruses that affect the mucous membrane of the nasal passages are herpes and chlamydia. Herpes viral infection is caused by feline herpesvirus. Kittens are predominantly infected. The disease is acute, with copious discharge, high fever, complications in the form of tracheitis, bronchitis, and pneumonia. An excessively cold nose in this disease is a sign of severe intoxication and a weakened immune response of the body.

Animals suffer from chlamydia most often at the age of 2-6 months. This is a chronic respiratory disease that is transmitted to humans and occurs in the absence of vaccination. Its characteristic signs are moderate rhinitis, a cold nose, which causes the cat to sneeze. Other symptoms are photophobia and conjunctivitis.

The cause of colds is hypothermia and drafts. The cat breathes through his mouth, snorts, sneezes, and has a wet, cold nose. A complication of rhinitis is inflammation of the maxillary sinuses.

The cat is sensitive to allergens. These can be any strong odors (detergents, perfumes), plant pollen. An allergic reaction is accompanied by swelling of the nasal passages, which causes them to narrow. Breathing and mucus flow are difficult. A cat’s cold and wet nose, sneezing, and intermittent breathing are evidence of the animal’s increased sensitivity to aggressive odors.

Lack of proper care is the main cause of cat diseases. The health of animals depends on nutrition, living conditions, and vaccinations that their owners must do.

Not everyone understands why cats have a wet nose, whether this is normal or indicates the presence of some disease. If you have never had a cat at home and you are not particularly interested in animal noses, this question could quite reasonably arise at some point in your life.

Should a cat's nose be wet?

If a cat has a cold and wet nose, this means that she is healthy and feels great. In some cases, a warm, wet nose in a cat is also normal, for example, if she has just woken up or was actively running and playing.

– this is a consequence of dehydration, low air humidity, and elevated body temperature. A cat's wet nose remains so due to the secretion of the mucous membrane or by licking, if there is not enough secretion. When a cat sleeps, its nose dries out and becomes warm - this is not a cause for concern. After just a short amount of time, it will become moisturized and cool again.

If you notice that your cat's nose remains dry and hot for a long time, you should look for other symptoms of her poor health. For example, she is lethargic and does not eat well. These signs clearly indicate that the cat is unhealthy.

Very often the cause of concern for cat owners is pet's hot dry nose. It is believed that dryness of the organ of smell certainly indicates the presence of a pet disease. However, is this so?

In a normal healthy state, a cat’s nose should be slightly moist and cold due to the fact that a certain secretion of its mucous membrane constantly appears on the surface of the olfactory organ, and also because the animal often licks it.

What does a hot and dry nose mean (reasons)?

A cat's body temperature is different from a human's body temperature. a couple of degrees higher. This fact can mislead the owner and touching the cat’s nose and ears can cause a false alarm.

Household

However, false dryness and increased temperature may be present for several other reasons, and if you discover them, you should not panic:

• the animal is sleeping;
• cat only after sleep;
• lying in the sun for a long time or near a stove or fireplace;
• excessive heat in the house.

Such reasons are called domestic. As a rule, they are not associated with pathologies, and there is no need to worry. You should give your pet time to recover from sleep, place it in a cooler place, and check again after some time.

Pathological

Pathological causes of dry and hot nose and ears can be due to overeating, leading a sedentary lifestyle, the presence of inflammatory processes, dehydration, and high body temperature.

Signs of diseases and treatment

The most alarming symptom in the presence of a dry and hot nose along with hot ears is the animal's lethargy, apathy, constant drowsiness, fatigue, and loss of appetite.

Should listen pet's pulse. If there are diseases, it will be more frequent. In this case, deep breathing, sneezing, and possibly coughing are observed.

Depending on the disease that affects you, the following may appear:

• diarrhea,
• vomit,
• animal anxiety,
• hair loss,
• nasal discharge.

The cat does not respond to the owner's call; the pupils may be dilated. Most often, of the above, the pet exhibits two or three symptoms inherent in any one disease.

Another sign of an unhealthy condition can be the strange behavior of a cat when it strives to hide in a dark corner.

Examination of the mucous membrane and bladder

When examining the oral mucosa, the normal condition should be the pallor of the latter.

If the mucous membranes are inflamed or there are wounds on it, ulcers are a sign stomatitis. The presence of pathologies of the digestive system can be determined by palpation by feeling the pet’s belly. Soreness always indicates the presence of a disease.

Should be investigated bladder fullness to exclude pathologies of the genitourinary system. Take a close look at the animal's excrement for uncharacteristic consistency, impurities, and worms. And also examine the urine for blood, mucus, changes in color and odor.

Establishing diagnosis

When starting treatment for your pet, you should make sure that the diagnosis is correct.

The most common pathologies associated with increased temperature are inflammatory in nature. When stomatitis is diagnosed, treatment should begin immediately. It is recommended to treat the affected oral cavity with disinfectants. To do this, it is permissible to use a solution of baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, a weak solution of potassium permanganate, furatsilin.

You can moisturize with syringes. Wounds and ulcers are lubricated Lugol's solution with glycerin, methylene blue. In case of multiple lesions, the use of antibiotics is indicated - oxytetracycline, erythromycin. For general support and acceleration of healing - vitamins.

Nasal discharge

If a concomitant symptom is nasal discharge and a diagnosis of rhinitis is established, the first aid will be rinsing with warm water and removing dried crusts. Drug treatment is prescribed by a veterinarian.

Treatment of diseases of the digestive system

Treatment for diseases of the digestive system will depend on the specific pathology identified. The general purpose will be to use a course of antibiotics to avoid complications in the form of other infections, anti-inflammatory drugs.

Treatment aimed at eliminating symptoms: antiemetics, antispasmodics, painkillers, anti-diarrhea medications. Mandatory use of a gentle or starvation diet, depending on the illness.

The presence of accompanying symptoms in the form of difficulty urinating indicates the development of pathologies in the pet’s genitourinary system.

Blockage of the urinary tract

If the urinary tract is blocked, therapy will consist of the following components:

• antispasmodics – no-spa, atropine sulfate, papaverine;
• sedatives – rovatin, sodium bromide;
• analgesics – analgin, aspirin, paracetamol;
• disinfectants for the genitourinary system - biseptol, bearberry decoction;
• diet.

In severe cases - catheterization.

Urocystitis

An equally dangerous disease can be inflammation of the bladder - urocystitis. First aid is warmth and peace. At elevated temperatures, it is strictly forbidden to warm the cat’s groin and belly.

The next step in treatment is a diet in the form of vegetables, cereals, broths, and free access to drink.

Drugs used for urocystitis: antibiotics, sulfa drugs, analgesics, antispasmodics. In severe cases, rinse the bladder through catheterization.

Cat cold

Often a dry nose is explained by a common cold, but one should not discount the danger from such an illness.

A lethargic animal is a sponge that absorbs various side infections, so a cold must be treated.

1. You should immediately provide the cat with a calm, dry and warm place.
2. Give him a warm drink, maybe heated milk.
3. Warm compresses and heating pads only in the absence of fever.
4. To improve blood flow in the superficial skin vessels, you can apply a light massage of the animal’s entire body.
5. Treatment is symptomatic. If lacrimation is observed, it is permissible to use antiseptics; to wash the eyes - potassium permanganate or furatsilin.

A runny nose that appears can be treated by washing the nasal passages with a solution of novocaine with adrenaline, ethacridine, tannin, a solution of boric acid, and zinc sulfate. Nasal drops are prescribed in the form of a solution of methanol with fish oil. In parallel, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, and vitamins are used.

Cats get sick quite often and there can be many reasons for this: hypothermia, poor nutrition, violation of living conditions. If a cat has a wet nose, does this mean that she has health problems and what should be done in this case?

If a cat has a cold, wet nose, can this be considered normal? People often ask this question, since a cat’s cold nose is a common occurrence.

Experienced breeders are in a hurry to reassure people who have only recently acquired a pet. In fact, this is a variant of the norm. When an animal is healthy, its nose is cold and slightly damp. Many veterinarians advise paying attention to these signs when assessing the condition of your pet.

Why does a cat have a wet nose and how cold should it be? Heat exchange in the body of representatives of the cat family proceeds somewhat differently than in humans. If a cat is comfortable in the conditions in which he lives, his nose remains wet and cool due to the constant evaporation of moisture.

A slightly warm and dry nose in cats may indicate that the animal is hot and has been in a dry and warm room for a long time. This leads to disruption of heat exchange and the appearance of corresponding symptoms. In some cases, a dry and warm nose indicates that the animal is sick. In this case, other symptoms of the disease may be observed: increased body temperature, weakness, lack of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea.

Most often, it is because of a change in the temperature of the animal’s nose that the owner begins to suspect that something is wrong with his pet. In this case, it is better not to try to diagnose yourself, but to immediately consult a doctor. Only an experienced veterinarian can tell what happened. Often additional tests and studies are required to make a correct diagnosis.

A dry nose may indicate partial dehydration. Perhaps the animal just needs to be given more to drink or its diet adjusted. Quite often you have to deal with this if only dry food is on the cat’s menu. In this case, it is advisable to consult a veterinarian and switch your pet to a wet diet or even feed him homemade food.

A cat's wet nose does not need to be wiped with a cloth or napkin. In this case, it is better to consult a veterinarian. Most often, experts recommend not to interfere with the natural process of secreting moisture and mucus, as this is simply necessary to maintain the health of the animal.

The temperature of a pet's nose can change throughout the day. Immediately after waking up, this part of the body is usually warmer. This is easily explained from a scientific point of view. During sleep, the animal is at rest, the body temperature rises, the body becomes somewhat dehydrated, since the last intake of fluid was quite a long time ago. After 2-3 hours, the nose should become cooler and wetter.

If your cat has a wet, cold nose, this should not be a cause for concern. This state of affairs can only be alarming if there is too much mucous discharge, especially mixed with blood. A nose that is too wet and produces mucus may indicate the presence of:

Colds;

Fungal or bacterial infection;

Head injuries;

Tumors in the nasopharynx;

Allergies;

Pneumonia.

Other pathological conditions can also be suspected, including foreign objects entering the nasopharynx. Self-treatment of the animal in this case may not be effective and quite dangerous. The cat needs to be urgently shown to a specialist, and it is advisable to describe in detail exactly when the animal’s nose became cold, at what time of day the discharge appeared, how much mucus flowed out, and whether other suspicious symptoms were noticed.

In any case, there is no need to panic. Most often, the diseases are not so serious. If a decrease in nasal temperature is associated with a cold, it is usually accompanied by sneezing and coughing. A sick animal must be treated comprehensively. Good results can be achieved with a combination of medications and physiotherapy. Modern veterinary clinics offer many services aimed at improving the health of the animal. Competent veterinarians can also give a number of valuable advice regarding the living conditions of cats, feeding regimen and other important aspects. This will help raise your cat to be cheerful, playful and healthy.

A cat's nose that is too wet may indicate simple hypothermia. The breeder should review the living conditions of the animal and, possibly, adjust them so that the pet is always warm and comfortable.

The question of why a cat has a wet nose cannot be answered unequivocally. A wet nose indicates that the animal is healthy, but excessive mucus production may indicate the presence of certain diseases or that the animal is cold.