You can tell if your pet is sick by checking their nose for dryness.
Answer: False
If only there were such a quick and easy way to tell if your pet is sick! But, unfortunately, your fluffy friend’s nose moisture (or lack thereof) is not related to their overall health.
In fact, most sick pets have perfectly normal, moist noses. The reverse is true, too: many healthy pets can temporarily sport dry noses thanks to hot weather, windy conditions or even extra-long naps. A constantly dry nose is a different matter and does usually indicate a localized problem with the nose itself, but even so, these types of nose conditions rarely make pets feel sick.
That’s why it’s best to use other measures of health, like appetite and energy level, to decide if your pet is feeling poorly. More importantly, remember to trust your gut—if you’re worried enough to go feeling your pet’s nose, then odds are that your best bud could use a visit to the veterinarian.
Still not sure if your pet needs to be seen? Get help with 24/7 Live Chat through the myVCA app, where our licensed veterinary professionals are ready to answer all your pet questions anytime, day or night.
