The Dog Nose

Sage Canine Advice, by Sage Riverdog – April 1, 2012

Guess which nose is mine?

 

In this height of allergy season,  I figured it would be a good time to talk about my nose and the noses of all dogs.  My nose can be wet or dry.  A dry nose doesn’t mean I’m sick, unless there’s yucky stuff coming out of it, too.  
My nose has two primary uses: to keep me cool and to help me smell.  I can only sweat through my paws, so I pant to help keep me cool.  I also drink lots of water.
I sneeze a lot – not as much as some dogs who sneeze when they get excited.  I sneeze to clear my nose, and if I smell something I don’t like.  Although I never have,  I can get a cold and respiratory infection and if that were to happen I’d need to go to the vet.
It’s important that my nose be taken care of. I have a black nose and it can get sunburned. Dogs with lighter-colored noses can get sunburned pretty easy. It’s a good idea to keep lighter-colored dogs out of the sun or to put sunscreen on their noses, but they will most likely lick it off.
I use a metal bowl for my food and water. I have a canvas bowl for when I go hiking. It’s a good idea for all dogs to use metal or glass or ceramic bowls. Plastic isn’t a good idea since plastic can cause contact sensitivity in dogs and actually cause the nose to change color. 
Just like people, dogs can be allergic to pollens, foods, drugs, mites, spores, and chemicals. They can even be allergic to human dander (our shed skin). A dog's allergy symptoms don't stop at a runny nose; they can also include sneezing, coughing, itchiness, nose bleeds.
Fortunately I don’t have allergies and can enjoy spring to its fullest. I'm heading out to do some rolling right now –  Oh yeah!

About Sage – Sage is an 8-year-old black Labrador retriever who lives with River District Executive Director Edna Chirico and Edna’s husband, John Huber. Sage earned a Canine Good Citizen award, which allows her to visit nursing homes, hospitals and schools. Sage loves to run, fetch, swim, ride in boats, travel in the car and play with just about anyone, especially children.