I was having some trouble coming up with something to write about this week. I looked over all my usual notes, I checked out the websites, I even spoke with a couple of dog owners to see if I could get a feel for something. I asked my ever lovely and beautiful wife, and even she was drawing a blank. So I asked her; isn't there anything you have always wondered about dogs? Is there anything you don't know about them but would like to know? She came back with a question I didn't see coming. She asked me; why is a dogs nose cold and wet? I sat and thought for a moment... nothing came to me, I asked a few other people and all I got were the blank stares. I was stumped. So I did some research, looked in books, looked online, asked an expert or two and this is the answer I got.... No one really knows. I mean what a let down. How can no one really know, in today's world, with all the technology, I can't get the simple question like, why is a dogs nose cold and wet, answered. So I dug deep, and I found a few things the I thought could be the answer, and somethings that I just thought were ridiculous. I shall relay what I found to you.
A dogs nose is cold and wet because it is a way for the dog to stay cool. Dogs do not have sweat glands so they pant to cool off, their paws are one of the few places on a dog that is porous enough to help them keep cool as well. Some think that a wet cold nose is another way for dogs to stay cool. The nose is wet, the moisture is wicked away into the air thus keeping the nose cool and the dog it belongs to cool and happy enough to use that slimy cold nose on you.
A dogs nose is cold and wet because it is a way to enhance the olfactory senses. As we all know dogs have great sniffers, if the dogs nose is wet scents stick to the surface of the dogs nose and are enhanced due to the moisture.
A dogs nose is wet because they are constantly licking it because they have long tongues. I can't believe this is a serious theory, but it is out there, its all over the web... and we all know if it came from the web it must be true.
A dogs nose is cold and wet because it is a good indicator of whether your dog is sick or healthy, cold and wet = healthy, warm and dry = sick. I don't know about this one. My dogs sleep... a lot... and when they wake up their noses are usually warm and dry, but before to long they are cold and wet, I am not sure if this is a good indicator of a dogs health. I myself will stick with the tried and true method. If your dog is lethargic and not playful, something is wrong and its time for a visit to the vet.
Oh I love this one. A dogs nose is wet because they put their nose in the water to drink.... What?!?!?! Ok. it gave me a chuckle, but the person I got this from is convinced this is the reason. I tried to explain the nose doesn't actually go into the water when a dog drinks, but she would have none of that silly talk. Nose in water when drinking is why the nose is cold and wet. Who am I to argue, seriously, no one else seems to know.
This one is my favorite, a dogs nose is cold and wet because it helps the dog know when it's butt is clean, so they know when to stop licking it. I read this and thought, it cant be serious, its a joke right. Wrong. Apparently if a dogs nose is not cold and wet they will never know when to stop licking their butt. I am still laughing about this one, even as I type.
So we have covered a lot in this article, everything from a dogs body temp regulation to butt licking. Thank you for reading, and if you know why a dogs nose is cold and wet... Please comment and let us know! As always, remember to keep your furry family members healthy and happy.
Nick C
DoggieDiaries4u@gmail.com
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