Cat is typically known for having cool,
wet nose but some can be the opposite. A change in your feline’s nose could
indicate health implications.
Cat rely heavily on their nose as
the first line of defense against illness. In addition, their sense of smell is
much stronger than humans’. Therefore, it’s important to make sure your cat
nose is in good shape.
Although you’re not likely to be
touching your cat nose too much, you may have noticed at some point
what it’s like. You might expect it to be cool and moist but if it’s warm or
dry, what does that mean?
For one, good for you for paying attention
to your furball’s various physical attributes. A warm, dry nose isn’t
necessarily an indication of a problem. If it’s always been that way from what
you know, it may just be a unique attribute of your cat. A drop in
humidity could also be the cause.
What’s more important to pay attention
to is consistency. If there a sudden change in how your cat nose look
or feel, along with other behaviour change, that a sign you should check
something out. You can take her temperature to check for fever, or skin
elasticity to check for dehydration. Those two things sometimes go hand in hand.
Also, pay attention to any other
abnormal symptoms that pop up along with the sudden change in nasal moisture.
The only way to know for certain is to talk with your veterinarian.
While a dry nose isn’t an
obvious indication of illness, a nose that’s wetter than normal is
more likely to be. Again, though, no need for immediate alarm. Just like
humans, cats get upper respiratory infections, and they sneeze and
get runny noses. No matter whether you have an outdoor or indoor cat,
he’ll probably be exposed to the virus or bacteria that causes feline upper
respiratory infections. It’s like the cat’s common cold.
Symptoms
are what you’d expect - red eyes and a runny nose. When your cat is
having one of these, which he almost assuredly will in his lifetime, just keep
an eye on him and take him to the vet if things get too much worse.
Upper respiratory infections will pass
with time but chronic nasal discharge is a greater sign of concern. This could
indicate middle ear disease, a foreign body in the nasal cavity, dental disease
or even cancer. Take your cat to the vet, where he or she can run a number of
tests for these conditions, such as a rhinoscopy or biopsy of the nasal cavity,
or take a culture of the discharge for fungus or bacteria. The vet may also
analyse what the nasal discharge looks like. It could be thick, like mucous
humans have, or watery. If there’s blood in the discharge, that is a sign of a
potential blood disorder. Your vet will help come up with the right treatment
plan, if any is needed. Additionally, if your cat takes injectable fluids for
any reason, be careful - a sign of fluid overload is an overly wet nose.
This could cause great harm to your cat’s lungs if left unchecked. Contact your
vet immediately if you think this is a possibility. The most important thing to
remember is that no two cats’ noses are alike. Besides moisture, cat noses vary
in colour, depending on the colour of their coats. And some cats get
freckles on their noses. This is more particular to orange tabby cats. So
it’s good to notice any sudden changes in your cat’s nose but it’s not
necessarily a prime indicator of a problem. Pay attention to any other changes
in behaviour that occur in conjunction with it.
