Why does my cat have a dry nose?

If the cat you live with has a dry nose, nothing is wrong. Just as it is fine if it is wet, both situations are normal, but it can be a symptom that something is wrong. We will usually see more symptoms than a dry nose and there can be several causes.

Causes of dry nose in cats.

Insufficient hydration: If a cat is not drinking enough water, has kidney disease, vomiting or diarrhoea, they may be dehydrated and this can lead to a dry nose. If we rule out diseases at your vet what we have to do is to increase their water intake, either with wet food or helping them to drink more water, make sure they always have access to fresh, clean water, and offer it in different formats, feeders of different sizes, materials and depth, water fountains and there are even kittens that prefer to drink from the tap. Dry environment: If the air in your home is dry due to climate or heating, this can affect the humidity in your cat's nose. We can try using a humidifier to increase the humidity in the environment. Exposure to sun or heat: A cat's nose can also dry out due to prolonged exposure to the sun or high temperatures. Avoid exposing your cat to the sun or heat.as de más calor y asegúrate de que tenga sombra y agua siempre disponible.

Disease: In some cases, dryness in a cat's nose can be a sign of disease. If you notice other symptoms or changes in your cat's behaviour, it is important to take your cat to the vet for a check-up. Fever: In a warm, dry environment it is normal for the nose to be hot and dry, but it can also be a symptom of fever as we have always been told. A hot nose does not mean a fever, but if there is a fever, the nose will certainly be hotter and drier than normal. To know if he has a fever the best thing to do is to take his temperature, if you can't at home and you suspect a fever, take him to the vet and have it taken there, bear in mind that the normal temperature of a cat is 38-39ºC is a little higher than ours, and in kittens up to 39,5ºC.

Other reasons why a cat's nose may become dry.

Another reason that has been linked to a dry nose in a kitten is dehydration, and as with fever it is not unequivocal, the cat can have a dry nose and be well hydrated or not, although if it is dehydrated it will have a dry nose. The best way to see hydration in dogs and cats is to make a fold with the skin of his back and check that it quickly smoothes out, if the skin does not return to its place or takes a long time it is a symptom of dehydration and it is an emergency, you can also see the eyes more sunken, eye-lashes and changes in the fur.

Other symptoms that may appear in a cat's nose.

Nose that changes colour or spots appear, like moles, can be normal with age, especially in red-haired cats, but also a symptom of something more serious, if this symptom is associated with something more strange like bulging of the skin or appearance of wounds, ask your veterinary clinic for a consultation as soon as possible. Secretions, such as runny nose, "ooze" or blood, may come out of the nose of our companions. If you observe this, go to your vet as soon as possible, it may be related to infections of the respiratory system or problems in the mouth. Cracks, flaking or loose skin, this is not common in cats, so if you notice something like this in your companion's nose, consult your vet. Wounds, in kittens that interact with other cats we can observe some scratches occasionally, but sometimes they do them themselves because they have discomfort or discomfort, we must be very careful if we see a small wound on the face, look for the origin and that it does not get infected. If they are animals with access to the outdoors and have a wound of this type, leukaemia and immunodeficiency tests should be carried out, as if they have had such close contact with unknown cats, the risk of infection is high. You know that everything we have been told about cats' noses is not 100% true, but we can obtain some valuable information for our companions.

Written by: María González. Veterinaria y fundadora de www.refugiolavidacolorframbuesa.org