Crusty Noses * Baggy Bulldogs

A Dog’s nose is supposed to be smooth and moist, not dry and crusty. A crusty Dog nose can quickly go from bad to worse, drying out even more and forming crusty scabs that flake off and bleed.
It is a commonly cited fact that if your dog’s nose is points to sickness or allergies. But a dry nose does not always mean your Dog is sick.

Despite a long standing myth, a Dog’s nose does not need to be wet and cold in order for the Dog to be considered healthy. The key element to take note of is that if the skin on the nose is dry without any other signs or symptoms, this is nothing to be concerned about. In a lot of cases it can occur when for example Dogs lick their own noses frequently, from weather and temperature changes or from rubbing their nose in blankets.

A dry Dog nose is uncomfortable for your Dog and it interferes with their ability to smell properly. A Dogs’ strongest sense is their sense of smell, in fact Dogs use their noses to analyze and understand the world around them. When Dogs can not smell as well this can cause them to become agitated or nervous. Even with Bulldogs who are not known for their sniffing abilities the sense of smell is still crucial.

Possible Causes for a Dry Nose

► Weather, extreme heat or cold can contribute to a dry dog nose. Exposure to the sun can cause your dog’s nose to become sunburned

► Allergies to food, plastic water dishes or toys, household cleaning products, and pretty much anything else your dog develops sensitivity to.

► Dehydration

► Excessively licking their noses

►Underlying medical issues such as allergies, infections or skin disorders

Treatment

The nose of a dog is very sensitive this means you should never use human, chemical or perfumed products as a treatment.
The following products got several high recommendations by our Baggy Bulldog community members: Coconut Oil, Vaseline, Snout Soother, Argan Oil and Dog Nose Butter.

Applying ointment to your Dog’s nose can be a real challenge. Again the Dog’s nose is very sensitive and products like Coconut Oil are just too tasty to not lick off their nose. Here is the golden tip: After dinner and a short pause/nap, clean the Dog’s face and get ready to walk your Dog, put on your shoes and coat, put on the dog collar and leash. Right before you go outside, you apply the ointment to the nose and immediately go for a walk. This will give your Dog the distraction it needs to not lick or rub the ointment of and enough time for the ointment to absorb.

When the Dog’s nose is really dry try to apply it 3 to 4 times in a day with one application in the morning and the other at night. Once your dog is healed, you can make it a habit and apply ointment at least once a day to prevent nose dryness.

Scaling and crusts may be tempting to pick but this may not be a good idea. Dry crusts that are still stuck on may detach and cause bleeding and discomfort to your dog. It is however good practice to try and clean off your dog’s nose before applying ointment. This will help to remove any food debris that may be stuck on the crusts. Here is how to clean a crusty dog nose with warm water.

► Wet a soft wash cloth with clean warm (not hot) water
► Carefully wipe the nose without dislodging pieces of crust that are not ready to shed
► Apply ointment after every wash

Note that it is best to allow the crust to fall off by itself. Rubbing too hard will leave the skin raw and exposed risking the development of secondary infections.

Hope this blog helped you and your Dog. If you have any questions or know other good dry nose remedies, please leave a comment.