What kind of nose should a healthy cat have?

The cat's nose is normal

What we are accustomed to calling the nose is called the nasal planum among representatives of the cat family. A unique pattern stands out on the surface, like on people’s fingertips. This pattern is unique, like fingerprints or an iris pattern. Perhaps in the future nose prints will appear as an identifier in cat documents.

A healthy, awake cat's nose is slightly moist, cold, without defects in the skin and mucous membranes .
The nasal passages are clean, breathing is free. If it is hot, this is a reason to take a closer look at the animal.

What should a healthy cat's nose look like?

Many cat breeders know that an animal’s nose is a kind of indicator of health. Moreover, for a newborn kitten that has not yet opened its eyes, the nose is more important than for adult pets. With its help, babies adapt to new conditions, kittens get to their mother's nipples or to warm up. In addition, the sense of smell in representatives of the cat family is developed several times better than in humans.

Advice! If the cat has become inactive, refuses to take part in active games, shows anxiety or, on the contrary, looks depressed, it’s time to check the condition of the cat’s nose.

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Ideally, a cat should have a nose:

• a little damp;
• cold;
• smooth to the touch;
• clean.

There should be no dry crusts, scabs, or ulcers on the lobe. It should be remembered that the condition of the cat's nose can change throughout the day, since a variety of factors influence the temperature of the nose.

The color of the mirror and the shape of the nose will depend on age, breed, and anatomical features of the skull structure. The color of the earlobe largely matches the color of the fur on the muzzle and may be several shades darker. In older animals, the nose may be darker than in kittens. Pigment spots may appear on it, which is especially typical for representatives of tricolor breeds, as well as cats with color point color.

The color of a cat's nose can also change depending on the season of the year. So, in winter, some breeds of seals have darker fur, paw pads and nose . It becomes darker. This is a normal physiological phenomenon. In animals with light coat color in winter, the nose, on the contrary, becomes paler or several shades lighter.

The shape of the nose in cats is determined by the structure of the cranial bones and cartilage. It is worth noting that due to their anatomical features, cats with flattened faces (Persians) are most often diagnosed with respiratory problems, so owners should pay special attention to the condition of the olfactory organs.

What does a dry nose mean in a cat?

A cat's dry and hot nose can mean several things:

• about illness;
• on the use of medicines;
• that the cat woke up recently.

To maintain your pet's health, you need to be able to distinguish when your furry pet needs help and when it is healthy.

Signs of illness

A dry nose is far from the main symptom of the disease. However, there are many conditions where a dry, hot nose is an additional symptom. Watch the cat.

1. Assess how active your pet is. There are lazy cats that refuse to play even in perfect health. A thrifty owner can easily guess whether it’s time for his mustachioed roommate to go to the clinic.
2. Take a closer look at the bowls. Does the cat eat the usual amount of food, does it eat too much, does it willingly approach the bowl before feeding, does it drink more than usual.
3. How often does he use the tray and what is the output?
4. Is there any vomiting or diarrhea?
5. Does he sit on the tray too often, or does he make unsuccessful attempts to urinate?
6. The pet's coat should be smooth, shiny and clean, especially near natural openings: nose, ears, eyes and crotch area.
7. There should be no mucous or, especially, purulent discharge from the eyes and nose. Sneezing and especially coughing are a reason to visit a doctor.

In some diseases, the skin of the nasal planum is affected: foci of inflammation and ulcers appear. In the vast majority of cases, this indicates a viral disease - calicivirus. You can protect your pet with regular preventive vaccinations.

Pathologies after castration and sterilization

To perform an operation, anesthesia and preparation drugs are required. Among medications, those that reduce the secretion of glands play an important role. This is necessary so that mucus does not accumulate in the bronchi of patients.

Unfortunately, the drug affects all glands, including those that moisturize the nasal planum. Some drugs directly for anesthesia have a similar property.

It is because of the action of such drugs that the nose of cats after castration or sterilization becomes dry and hot within 24 hours. This is fine.

You don’t need to talk to the surgeon about a dry nose, but the owner’s assessment of the pet’s activity, the presence of natural bowel movements, the amount of water drunk and, not before the doctor’s permission, appetite is extremely important information. It must be provided to the veterinarian at a follow-up appointment.

When there is no reason to worry

In perfectly healthy cats that are deeply asleep, the nose becomes hot. The dry state persists even after waking up. If everything else is fine with your pet, then there is no need to worry.

A dry and hot nose without additional symptoms is not a reason to go to the clinic.

The nose can be hot and dry in healthy cats when the humidity in the apartment is too low. In such cases, people use moisturizer, but animals have to endure dryness.

An air humidifier will help a lot – not only for the cat, but also for the owners. It is better to choose analog: ultrasonic irritates some mammals.

Signs of an unhealthy nose

Animals cannot tell their owner that they feel bad. And only an attentive owner will pay attention to changes in the animal’s behavior. At the same time, a pet’s nose can tell a lot.

• A hot and dry nose is one of the very first signs of the disease. This is how the body signals an increase in the cat’s body temperature. On a hot surface, moisture evaporates intensely, and the nose becomes dry.
• Any nasal discharge that does not stop for a short period of time is a clear sign of the disease:
• Clear discharge coupled with sneezing may indicate allergic reactions or viral diseases.
• Purulent discharge is bacterial in nature.
• Bleeding can indicate both injuries to the nose itself and more serious injuries to the head.
• The presence of dried crusts, peeling, and scabby formations indicate various diseases, which only a specialist can diagnose.

But the presence of spots does not always indicate a disease; most likely it is pigmentation, especially in spotted or dark animals. It can be present at birth or appear with age. But black spots on the nose can be a sign of lichen, and even a symptom of cancer. In any case, anything that is suspicious should be shown to a veterinarian to avoid serious problems.

Photo gallery: cat noses with signs of ill health

Purulent nasal discharge is a sign of a bacterial infection

Clear nasal discharge may be a sign of an allergy or viral infection

Crusts on the nose may indicate a fungal infection Black spots on the nose may appear due to lichen infection

Nosebleeds can occur due to damage to the nasal passages, but can also be a sign of a head injury

Cat nose device

A cat's nose, like a human's, consists of two nasal canals separated by cartilage. When a cat inhales air, it enters special nasal chambers. There he passes through winding channels, lingering in them for some time. During this retention of air in these channels, odors are recognized.

The cells responsible for recognition are bottle-shaped and end in several sensory hairs. And the hairs are covered with mucus, in which all odorous substances dissolve. These analyzer cells are directly connected to the part of the cat's brain responsible for smell.

In addition to the analytical function, the nasal sinuses also perform a kind of filter and air conditioning function. The air passing through them is heated and cleaned of dust and bacteria.

To sniff unfamiliar objects, cats use a specific organ called the Jacobson tube. This tube can simultaneously identify not only smell, but also taste. This organ is located above the upper palate. The cat uses it when it inhales air through its mouth.

This lifts the upper lip and exposes the incisors. Perhaps you could observe this in your pet and remember this rather funny grimace, vaguely reminiscent of a grin.

Although a cat's sense of smell does not reach that of a dog's, it is definitely many times better than a human's. Therefore, your pets can react quite painfully to many odors. Which, by the way, you won’t even feel.

Therefore, you should not wash your cat's bowl with dishwashing detergent. Because what is a barely perceptible pleasant smell for us is something akin to a gas attack for cats. And even if you use detergent, try to rinse out any remaining detergent from the bowl as thoroughly as possible.

Agree, it will be unpleasant for you if someone pours a bottle of perfume into your food. So the cat is unpleasant to the extra odors present in its food and completely suppressing its appetite.

Also, the nose is a kind of indicator of health. Have you heard the expression “a wet nose is a healthy dog”? This also applies to cats. In a healthy animal, the nose should be cool and moist. Humidity is provided with the help of a special secretion and during licking.

In addition, maintaining body temperature at an optimal level also occurs through the nose and oral cavity. After all, cats only sweat the pads on their paws, and this is too little for full heat exchange.

If your cat has a dry and hot nose

This is what a problematic dry nose looks like

If this organ of the animal remains dry and hot for more than 2 hours, then this is a reason to worry about its health. The cat needs to be examined and if it is sick, other symptoms will also appear. A sign of health is a cold nose. However, you shouldn’t relax here either, since a too cold nose along with the appearance of symptoms of the disease is a cause for concern. And it will be useful to measure the cat's temperature, which under normal circumstances should be around 38-39 °C.

Diagnosis of the condition

Owners often diagnose their pet's condition by the temperature and humidity of the nasal planum. Normally, a cat's nose is cool and moist. A dry and warm nose may not always indicate a pet's temperature. A reliable result can be obtained by measuring rectal temperature.

A pet’s warm nose is noted after sleep – this is the body’s reaction to a state of rest. After the cat wakes up, within half an hour the nose becomes cool and moist. Alternating heating and cooling of the nasal planum is observed with increased activity of the animal.

The combination of a dry and hot nose with loss of appetite and apathetic behavior should cause anxiety in the owner of the pussy. In this case, it is worth contacting a veterinarian so as not to miss the initial stage of the disease.

Nasal discharge in a cat

If your pet has nasal discharge, swelling, or is having trouble breathing, it's time to call your veterinarian. These signs indicate the presence of a foreign body inside, infection or even a tumor. If discharge appears from only one nostril, then it may be a foreign body stuck inside. Other signs of these illnesses include sneezing, nose picking, or bleeding. Nasal polyps or tumors often coincide with bloody discharge or mucus from the inside, the cat's breathing becomes noisy, and a bulge or bump may appear on one side of the face.

Check your cat's nose often

Examination of an animal’s olfactory organ is an obligatory part of home life. Knowing the appearance and shape of a cat's nose when it is healthy makes it easier to determine when disease appears. Examine and look for unusual signs, such as nasal discharge, especially if it changes from clear to mucous or bloody, and watch for excessive dryness, crusting, or loss of pigmentation.

Healthy cat nose

Watch your breath

It is also important to monitor how the animal breathes. A healthy cat should breathe through its nose. If the nostrils flare more than usual, your pet may have trouble breathing. It is worth noting that while waiting for the veterinarian, it will not be a bad idea to use vitamin E. You can open the capsule and drop it into the cat’s nose.

It must be remembered that a cat’s nose that is too dry or wet can be a symptom of serious illnesses that cannot be cured on your own. Therefore, at the first suspicion of a disease, the cat should be shown to a veterinarian.

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