home Audience 2 What kind of cat's nose should it be: wet or dry? Why a cat has a wet nose: reasons why a cat has a wet and cold nose

What kind of cat's nose should it be: wet or dry? Why a cat has a wet nose: reasons why a cat has a wet and cold nose

Cat owners determine the health status of their mustachioed pet by its nose. This is partly correct. But a dry nose in cats is not always a sign of illness. When should you worry, and when should you just wait until the nose becomes wet without outside help, and why in cats the olfactory organ can be dry, let's look at it.

Nose - organ features

The cat's nose is an incredibly complex and reliable tool for exploring the world around us. Newborn kittens, still completely blind and deaf, can rely only on their sense of smell, searching for their mother’s nipples, their brothers and their home by smell.

At a superficial glance, the structure of the cat's olfactory organ can be described as two nasal passages, separated by cartilage (almost like in humans) and leading into recesses, also called ethmoid conchae.

Did you know? If necessary, the cat can store the scent in the maze to identify the scent that interests her.

If a cat's nose is dirty, its sense of smell is reduced. Therefore, owners must ensure that the nasal passages are not clogged with secretions or debris.

A cat has more olfactory endings than a human. That's why her sense of smell is 15 times stronger than ours. Having smelled the smell of an irritant (chemicals, perfumes, spices, vinegar, citrus fruits), the animal begins to sneeze vigorously, rubs and hides its nose. Moreover, if the smell is barely noticeable to us, then the cat suffers from such aromas. Therefore, you should not scent yourself near your cat or wash your pet’s dishes with cleaning products.

In addition to its olfactory role, a cat's nose also performs other tasks. First of all, animals breathe through their nose. The mucous membranes warm up the inhaled air, and inside it undergoes primary purification from viruses, bacteria and other pathogenic particles.

If a cat has a hot nose, then its thermoregulation function is impaired. Therefore, it is important to control the temperature of your nose. The skin of this organ is highly sensitive to temperature changes, so they can determine the degree of heating of food without even touching it.

The shape of the nose depends on the structure of the cranial bones. The most complete noses are found in breeds with natural proportions.

Important! Cats with flat faces are prone to various respiratory problems because their nasal cartilage and bones are constricted.

The color of the nose is determined by the color of the cat and often matches the shade of fur on the face, only a couple of shades darker. This is why tricolor cats may have pigment spots on their nose. But if the nose of your adult, but not yet old pet has changed color, then this is a reason to visit the veterinarian.

As cats age, their noses may turn black. There is nothing wrong with this - with age, the coat, eyes and paw pads can change color.

Why do cats have wet noses?

Nasal mucus is a significant feature of this olfactory instrument. A healthy pet has a wet and cool nose, because the nasal pelvis (leathery tip) contains many special glands that secrete fluid. This phlegm coats the sensitive parts of the earlobe in a thin layer, making the nose moist.

The dominant part of sputum on a cat's lobe is water. With natural evaporation, the surface temperature decreases, causing the lobe to become cool. This layer allows you to distinguish different odors.

When the animal’s body warms up (high temperature, active movements), nasal mucus allows the animal to cool down faster. Thus, nature took care of the health of cats.

Causes of dry nose in cats

By and large, the degree of moisture in the nose directly depends on the animal’s well-being. For example, a warm nose may indicate an increase in temperature. However, there are other reasons for a cat's warm nose.

Normal dry nose occurs in the following situations:

during sleep;
upon awakening (first half hour);
during active games;
in a room that is too hot;
with a sharp fright;
with prolonged exposure to the sun;
when overeating;
after childbirth;
while maintaining a sedentary lifestyle.

Important! Moreover, if the pet is active and eats with appetite, there is no need to worry.

At the same time, the following signs accompanying dryness indicate that you need to contact a veterinarian:

the animal is lethargic, apathetic, and feels unwell;
nose is hot;
the organ of smell is cold and pale;
the lobe has changed color (became blue - a sign of poisoning or loss of strength; red, white, became yellow - a symptom of liver failure; turned pale - heart problems);
rapid or slow breathing (normal - 16-33 breaths per minute) or increased heart rate (normal - 100-120 beats per minute);
the pet sneezes.

Possible accompanying symptoms when feeling unwell

Be that as it may, a dry and at the same time warm nose can be a sign of a disease that is important not to miss. Therefore, you should not postpone a trip to the veterinarian if other signs are still present:

dryness is accompanied by the fact that the pet’s ears become hot;
the animal lost its appetite, lethargy and apathy appeared. In this case, the pet does not react to familiar stimuli, and the temperature has risen to 38.5 °C;
purulent or mucous discharge from the nose. Typically, such symptoms are accompanied by viral diseases;
In addition to dryness, the cat exhibits distress and vomiting. Thus, the spout indicates dehydration of the body;
eyes water, throat dries. A virus may develop or an allergy may occur. Although it may simply be a matter of dry air;
the cat stopped drinking, her fur became dull and unkempt. This indicates a malfunction of the mucous membranes and dehydration of the body;
the pet does not make contact, does not eat and sleeps little. This behavior indicates stress;
increased hyperactivity, the mustachioed pet has become irritable and eats a lot. These signs may indicate neurosis. If the temperature rises to 39.5 °C, you should immediately contact a veterinarian.

Did you know? Nature has arranged it in such a way that cats with congenital anomalies of the nose or respiratory system die. And the reasons for this are not infections or a virus at all, but ordinary hunger. An animal deprived of its sense of smell is simply unable to track and catch prey.

What should the owner do?

What should the owner do if he suspects his pet is unwell, but it is impossible to immediately take the mustachioed animal to the clinic? First of all, do not panic and observe the condition of your pet.

First aid at home

Of course, it is better to call the veterinarian and tell him about the situation. If the doctor does not see anything critical in the animal’s condition, several recommendations can be followed.

If you suspect your cat is not feeling well, you should measure its temperature. The norm for a mustachioed pet is 37-38 °C. And don’t panic; it’s better to observe the animal’s behavior throughout the day. Since the vital functions of the body are ensured by many systems, if one of them fails, the entire body suffers.

At the same time, if nasal dryness occurs due to physiological factors, treatment will not be needed. The main thing is that the pet always has access to water.

If the room is too dry and hot, you should ventilate it more often and do wet cleaning.

Diagnostics

If the temperature rises to 39.5 °C, go to the doctor immediately. In this case, you cannot treat alone, much less give the animal antipyretic drugs intended for humans. It is quite easy for a layman to make a mistake with the dosage, but exceeding the dose, on the contrary, will harm the pet.

Important! It is almost impossible to make a diagnosis on your own, since most of the symptoms are similar.

An animal, suffering from pain, may meow pitifully, but it is not able to say what is bothering it. Only an experienced veterinarian can guess what the cause of the disease is and carry out the necessary studies and tests. That is why it is necessary to consult a doctor to prescribe adequate treatment.

As you can see, there are many reasons why a cat’s nose dries out and becomes warm. And this is not always a sign of disease. If the pet feels great and its behavior does not cause suspicion, then you can simply wait a while and the nose will become wet and cool again. However, any accompanying sign of an abnormality in the animal’s behavior is a clear reason to visit the veterinary clinic.

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.

A cat's nose is one of the most sensitive organs, capable of recognizing the most subtle odors, but this is not its only function. The bare tip of the nose is a “mirror” of the state of your pet’s body. It is usually wet and cold. Its natural hydration occurs due to the mucus produced by the glands, which contributes to the most acute sense of smell.

If there is insufficient secretion of this secretion, the surface of the nose dries out on top, wounds or microcracks may form, which is painful for the animal. Do not confuse a moderately wet cat's nose with a painful condition. Signs to look out for include snot and sometimes purulent or bloody discharge from the sinuses. In this case, you need to contact a veterinarian. A dry and hot nose in a pet may indicate the presence of illness or a recent awakening from sleep. Indeed, during the period of 10-15 minutes after the animal wakes up, the glands do not work as actively as during the period of wakefulness. A warm nose and ears can be the result of various events:

high ambient temperature, due to which the mucus evaporates very quickly;
very dry air also contributes to accelerated drying of moisture in the nose;
increased body temperature in an animal during illness;
nervous stress in a pet provokes a reduction in mucus secretion;
inflammatory processes, injuries, infections.

Situations often occur when a cat sticks out its tongue, what does this mean? There are many reasons for this behavior:

During sleep, the muscles of the tongue relax and it becomes longer.
High room temperature.
Specific or abnormal bite in an animal.
Stressful situation, change of place of residence, car trip, etc.

A cat's tongue sticking out may indicate a number of diseases:

poisoning;
disturbances in the functioning of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems;
inflammatory processes of the mucous membranes of the oral cavity.

What should you do if your pet begins to behave strangely, its nose becomes drier and warmer? Don't panic right away. First of all, you need to exclude all the factors affecting the condition of the nose described above. If the manipulations performed are not successful, you should immediately contact a veterinarian for diagnosis.

Due attention should be paid to caring for the cat's nasal cavity, especially for flat-faced breeds. Due to their physiology, these procedures are quite difficult for them to carry out efficiently, much less independently. It is recommended to periodically monitor the condition of the nasal openings and remove crusts, if any.

Animals are deprived of the ability to talk, so conscientious owners can only carefully look at their behavior and condition; this is the only opportunity to suspect a disease in time and provide help to their pet.

Every cat owner knows that a cat's nose is one of the main indicators of a pet's health. When the sensitive organ is slightly moist and cool, this means that the pet is feeling well. If the nose becomes dry, the animal is hot; when it is also hot, there is a high probability of increased body temperature, especially if the purr becomes lethargic and loses its appetite. But you should start worrying when your nose remains hot and dry for a long time. After all, often after sleep the animal may experience the same symptoms, but they soon pass. Excess phlegm indicates unwanted secretions due to injury or respiratory tract infection.

Structure of a cat's nose

A cat's nose is an unusually reliable and delicate device that allows the animal to create an accurate picture of the surrounding world. This tool is unique in its ability to provide complete information not only about visible creatures and objects, but also about objects hidden from the keen vision of a cat.

The part of a cat’s nose that is accessible to the eye is structured similarly to our organ and also has two passages separated by a cartilaginous septum. But the internal structure is much more complex and is a real labyrinth of porous shells lined with olfactory epithelium. Thanks to this structure, odors linger in the nasal cavity for a long time and are even sorted into individual aromas. The cat identifies them one by one, creating for itself a picture of the world as a whole or of a single object that particularly interests the furry explorer.

In order for the smell to get inside the nose, its molecules must be captured. It is for this purpose that special glands located on the surface of the sensitive instrument are used. They secrete mucus to which odor molecules “stick.” In addition, this substance does not allow the delicate surface to dry out and crack.

In addition to the olfactory organ, this amazing organ also performs many other functions:

warms cold air before entering the respiratory tract;
helps the animal cool its body in hot weather;
cleans the inhaled air of dust, bacteria and viruses;
serves as a thermometer that allows you to determine the temperature of objects from a distance;
works as an indicator of ambient temperature, turning pale when it gets colder;
when hunting, it helps to determine the direction of the wind in order to get close to the prey (mouse or bird) from the leeward side and remain unnoticed for as long as possible.

Care of the olfactory organ

A good owner should always be attentive to his pet, observing his mood, appetite and appearance. In particular, you should definitely pay attention to the condition of your nose. Usually, clean animals take care of their sensitive “tool” on their own, cleaning it from dust and stuck debris, but sometimes the owner’s help is required.

It is often difficult for a cat to remove contaminants that have entered the nasal passage, so try to help her with this by using a soft cloth or a cotton swab with a limiter moistened with boiled water. Remember not to penetrate deep into the nasal passage or use scented wipes.

If, when examining the nose, you notice damage, under no circumstances treat it with iodine, brilliant green or other special compounds, otherwise you will further injure this sensitive organ.

When to worry

In a healthy animal, the nose is always cool, moist, slightly slippery and has a soft pink tint (unless the breed standard requires a dark color). Any deviations should be a cause for concern.

If crusts or peeling form on the surface of the earlobe, excessive discharge from the nasal passages, or swelling of the nose, you should immediately visit a veterinarian. Such symptoms may mean an allergic reaction, a foreign object entering the nasal passages, tumors in the nasal cavity, and other extremely unpleasant diseases, such as viral rhinitis or sinusitis. In all these cases, you cannot do without the help of a doctor, since only a specialist will be able to make the correct diagnosis, prescribe a course of treatment, or, if necessary, perform surgery.

The color of the nose can also tell an attentive owner a lot. For example, its bluish tint may be a symptom of problems with the cardiovascular system or disorders in the respiratory system (lack of oxygen). A pet's yellowish nose signals liver disease, and a bright red nose warns of high blood pressure or temperature. A nose that is too pale and cold indicates hypothermia, intoxication of the body due to poisoning, the animal’s state of shock, or severe stress.

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 a pity 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 may 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.