Why is a kitten's nose dry and warm? Why is a kitten's nose dry? Cat food preferences and bad habits

Why do most cat owners often judge the condition of their pet by its nose? This is how they determine whether the pet is healthy. It is generally accepted that a warm and dry nose in a cat is a sign of fever or some other disease of the animal. In fact, this opinion is completely wrong. Why? Find out now.

[Hide]

Is a dry and warm nose a disease?

Ideally, a cat's nose is cool and moist, thanks to the protruding secretion of the mucous membrane and frequent licking. Note that it is a couple of degrees higher than in humans. Therefore, it may sometimes seem that your cat or kitten has a hot and dry nose. The ears are often the same.

The exception is sleep, since the nose is warm during rest or after. This does not indicate illness or poor health of the animal. Dry nostrils and hot ears should alert owners when their cat is lethargic. A reason to watch closely is if your pet doesn't play, has a weak appetite, and sleeps a lot. Also, a long-term dry nose can indicate fever and excessive dehydration of the animal.

Main reasons

Provoking factors include those that cat owners encounter almost every day. Not all reasons indicate poor health of the pet. And they can be divided into two categories: of a domestic nature and when an illness occurs.

Causes

If your cat has a warm and dry nose, it may mean that:

• she just woke up;
• she lay in the sun or near a heat source for a long time;
• the apartment is very hot and dry;
• the animal was stressed or suddenly frightened.

Manifestation of ailments

• the cat overeats or has a stomach full of fur;
• long sleep;
• loss of appetite;
• lethargy, apathy;
• hot ears;
• rapid pulse;
• deep breathing;
• the animal sneezes.

Also, if you notice that your kitten has a dry nose and warm ears, you should not immediately take him to the veterinarian. In kittens, heat exchange is not established as it should be and their temperature is higher than in adult cats. This is due to the fact that the body is protected from hypothermia. And the nose is dry and warm several times a day, regardless of active games and sleep.

In addition to the above signs, there are other manifestations that also indicate the development of the disease:

• change in the number of trips to the toilet;
• loose stools or blood in them;
• vomit;
• the animal is alarmed;
• sudden loss of fur;
• discharge from the nostrils.

If these symptoms are pronounced, you should not self-medicate and wait for the cat to feel better. In order not to worsen the situation and not lose your pet, an urgent visit to the veterinarian is necessary.

What and how to help your pet?

To understand the health status of a cat or kitten, you need to carefully observe the animal and check the nose for humidity and temperature throughout the day. If there are changes in behavior, your pet is inactive and has no appetite, this is a reason to make an appointment with the veterinarian.

In addition to changes in nasal humidity and temperature, you can observe hot ears in the animal, which may also indicate the presence of an illness. It would be a good idea to check your cat's temperature; as a rule, this is done rectally. The norm for an adult cat is 37-38 degrees. A temperature of 38 or higher indicates the occurrence of the disease.

If the suspicions are confirmed, it means that the body’s defenses have started, so there is no need to fight the temperature. If it is too high, the animal needs help, which consists of the following:

• There should always be cool water near the cat to drink;
• it is necessary to periodically wet the animal’s fur;
• Place an ice pack on your inner thighs and under your neck.

As for fever-reducing agents, it is not advisable to give them to a cat. In extreme cases, we call a veterinarian who will tell you what to do and how to help your pet.

If the animal behaves differently than usual, do not immediately panic. Don’t be too lazy to watch him in order to dismiss all doubts, because a timely identified problem will help keep your pet healthy and not cause the disease. All the best to you and your pets!

Video “The nose of dogs and cats as an indicator of health”

What should a cat's nose be like normally? This question, one way or another, is faced by everyone who has sheltered a mustachioed miracle in their home. If a cat has not only a warm, but also a dry nose, does this mean that she is unwell? Or is this not a status indicator at all? Here it is important to take into account the fact that the dry organ of a cat’s sense of smell by itself does not yet indicate a 100% disease, although in combination with a number of certain signs such an assumption can be made. So there is no need to panic, but you will have to understand the intricacies - the first and important rule, by the way.

A slightly cold and slightly slippery nose is a normal condition for a healthy pet. He often licks it, and the nose itself is covered with a specific secretion that protects it from environmental influences. For the cat family, the nose is a compass and barometer. With its help, they catch odors, determine the direction of the air, the position of things, and simply navigate in space. And constant humidity is required for its normal functioning and sensitivity.

A cat has a warm nose - a normal variant

There are a number of reasons why the nose is dry and at the same time hot, but the animal is healthy and feels great. So why does a cat have a warm nose? And when is it a variant of the norm?

If a cat has been sleeping for a long time and has just woken up, his nose will be quite warm. Many breeders have encountered this more than once. The reason for this phenomenon is quite simple: in a dream, an animal cannot constantly lick its lips. After a certain time, everything will return to normal, you just have to wait. This means there is no need to worry. If the cat ran around tirelessly, like crazy, jumped, ran, played, or spent a lot of time in the sun in the summer or near a heat source, such as a radiator, in the winter, the nose could also become dry. We'll have to wait until we're at rest and only then draw conclusions. When the room, on the contrary, is quite cold, the cat is also not eager to lick itself. And her nose will remain dry, but not warm. This is also normal and should not be a cause for concern. Variants of the norm that provoke dryness of the nasal organ include dry air in the room, a state of stress or nervous tension. Then the pet’s condition requires observation. If after some time the balance is not restored, take the necessary measures.

How to measure temperature

But if a cat has hot ears and a warm and dry nose, then it is urgent to measure its body temperature. It's not at all difficult to do this. My cat's nose is warm - what should I do? .
In adult animals, normal values ​​range from 38 to 39 degrees, in kittens – a degree and a half higher. In hairless breeds and pregnant individuals, you can add another half a degree to the norm. Everything above requires immediate adjustment.

There are three ways to measure temperature: ear, rectal and non-contact. Thermometers are used both mercury and electronic. The rectal method requires special skills from the person measuring. If only because the animal will have to be securely fixed, and then a thermometer lubricated with Vaseline will be inserted into the anus. It takes time to get results. Not every cat will allow such manipulations to be carried out on itself. Although, as practice shows, only healthy individuals fight. The sick animal seems to understand that they are trying to help him, and therefore tries not to disturb the owner.

An ear thermometer is applied to the inside of the ear while also holding the pet. But with a contactless device everything is much simpler. It is enough just to bring it to the animal and hold it close to the body for several minutes. Of course, with this method, a small error is likely, but you can turn a blind eye to it, given the simplicity and ease of measurement.

When a dry nose becomes a sign of illness

If, along with the temperature, accompanying signs of illness appear, such as swelling or redness of the eyes, rapid heartbeat, unsteady gait, unnaturally long sleep, apathy, difficulty breathing, skin rashes, inactivity, refusal to contact, diarrhea or foaming at the mouth, or no appetite are signs that directly indicate the onset of the disease. In this case, you should immediately contact a veterinarian and not self-medicate.

It is possible that your pet:

• bacterial or viral infection;
• cold;
• indigestion;
• poisoning;
• dehydration;
• nasal injuries;
• inflammatory processes;

How to help your beloved pet?

How to alleviate the condition of the animal at home? Firstly, under no circumstances should it be treated with human methods: regular paracetamol or any pharmaceutical antipyretic from the nearest pharmacy is contraindicated for tailed animals. Because they are not adapted for animals and can lead to the most unpredictable consequences, even death. You should not try to lubricate your nose with ointments or simply wet it. It is important to give the cat slightly cool water, spray it with a spray bottle from time to time, or wipe it with a damp cloth. To temporarily reduce fever, you can apply an ice pack to your stomach. Only a veterinarian can determine the cause of the fever. Accordingly, only he can prescribe the necessary medications and treatment. So there is no need to put off going to the veterinary clinic.

Now many people understand: a cat’s nose is warm and dry - this does not mean that she has a fever. Otherwise, the problem must be resolved immediately.

Share on social networks

What's in the article:

For owners who care about the health of their furry pet, it is important to learn to recognize in time the slightest signs of a cat’s ill health - after all, the animal cannot complain and talk about its problems..

One of the “indicators” is the cat’s nose – its temperature and humidity are important. A hot and dry nose in a cat is not always a direct symptom of any disease, but it is definitely a reason to worry and take a closer look at the animal: how is the cat behaving, is there anything else atypical?

Why might cats have a dry and hot tip of their nose?

Dryness of the tip of the nose is a completely natural condition for this part of the cat’s body. If dog noses in a healthy state are usually wet, then for cats everything is a little different - dryness itself is normal. If the animal is in a hot room (or in a hot climate outside), or if the cat is sleeping or has just woken up, then this state of the nose should not be surprising at all.

Don’t forget that a cat’s body temperature is higher than a human’s, and if some part of the cat’s body seems hot to the touch, then perhaps the problem is in your cool hands, and the animal is quite healthy.

The only thing that should be alarming is that a cat’s hot nose maintains an elevated temperature for a long time - more than several hours, and is accompanied by lethargy, timidity, and atypical behavior. Then the owners need to understand why this is happening - after all, these are symptoms of elevated temperature.

A cat can have a fever for various reasons, for example:

• Infection. There are many of them, including colds (just like in humans), you don’t need to do anything on your own with the animal until the diagnosis is clarified - but you need to get to a veterinarian as soon as possible.
• Inflammation in the oral cavity, sore teeth and gums. They can give a temperature to a cat - just like a person.
• Helminths. Severe, advanced helminthiasis can cause an increase in temperature.

Hot ears in addition to the nose: what could this mean?

Cats' ears are a part of the body that quickly heats up. This happens because there is no thick fur on the ears, and they are penetrated by a network of thin and thicker blood vessels - and as you know, it is the proximity of blood to the skin that creates the feeling of warmth of a living being.

They can be hot, for example, when the cat was sleeping on its side - like people, animals also “track” their ears, and this phenomenon is absolutely normal.

However, if a cat’s nose and ears are hot at the same time, Koshechka.ru advises to take a closer look - are there any signs of inflammation in the ears? Infection with ear mites, for example, manifests itself as follows: the ears are constantly hot, their inner side and the visible part of the ear canal turn red, dark spots, “dirt,” are visible closer to the ear canal. And in this case, the ears are very itchy, and the cat, of course, scratches them incessantly!

What to do if you notice a hot and dry nose and/or ears on your cat?

Be sure to observe the animal if you notice that your cat has a hot nose and ears (for no obvious reason, such as the heat in the room). Owners should be wary of:

• If the cat's nose is hot for a long time - that is, more than several hours.
• If there is any discharge from the nose (after all, pets also have snot and tears that flow into the nasopharynx).
• Refusal to eat, poor appetite or food whims unusual for a particular animal.
• Changes in bowel movements (both diarrhea and constipation).
• Lethargy, the cat’s desire to hide in a dark place and photophobia, excessive drowsiness (although cats sleep a lot, it is still not normal if a cat sleeps and hides for more than 18 hours in a row). Also, fearfulness that is atypical for a given animal should be alarming (for example, if a cat shy away from people well known to it, ordinary sounds, etc.).
• Sneezing, coughing, wheezing and other unnatural sounds.

What should owners do if the whole complex of symptoms, or some of them, is observed?

Even if there are none of the above symptoms, but the cat’s nose has been hot for a long time, then you need to measure the temperature. There is only one correct way - rectal: you need to insert the head of the thermometer into the anus of the animal. The normal temperature of a cat’s body is 38-39 degrees. If it is exceeded, it means the animal is sick.

Diagnosing, let alone prescribing treatment on your own is highly not recommended - the likelihood of an error is very high, so a feverish animal should be shown to a veterinarian, and this should be done as quickly as possible. Under no circumstances should you give your cat human antipyretics - since it is almost impossible to calculate the dosage of the drug in terms of the cat’s tiny, compared to human, body weight; an overdose will most likely occur! It would be right to quickly find out the root cause of the temperature and begin the treatment prescribed by the veterinarian.

This article has been checked and approved by a veterinarian. Knyazeva Anna Vladimirovna, veterinarian in private practice, Moscow. .

Any ailment in a small kitten should not be ignored. The condition of the nose can tell a lot about the health of your furry baby.

A kitten's dry nose is normal

Normally, a cat's sense of smell is cold and wet. Why is he like this? The animal itself often licks itself, moistening its nose; the mucous membrane of the olfactory organ also releases moisture. In nature, this helps cats hunt - a wet nose better captures the direction of the wind and the smells it brings, including the smell of possible prey.

But still, sometimes a kitten’s nose can become dry, and this does not indicate any disease. If the baby is sleeping or has just woken up, has been running and playing a lot, his nose may become warm and dry for a while. Heat and lack of fresh air in the room can also provoke dryness. If a small purr is perched on a hot radiator or lounging in the sun, the olfactory organ will quite naturally heat up along with the pet itself. After some time, the nose will return to its normal damp-cool state. In such cases, the owner has no reason to worry.

A kitten's dry nose is a sign of illness

In some cases, a dry and hot nose is one of the important symptoms that allows you to suspect a particular disease in a kitten. And here the owner, first of all, needs to assess the general condition of the baby. If the kitten has become lethargic, refuses to eat, does not want to play, lies down and does not get up, then in combination with these signs, a dry nose looks like a very alarming symptom. Especially if its color has changed, it has become red, too pale or bluish.

Redness of the nose may indicate some kind of infection in the body, rhinitis in a kitten, or some kind of mechanical damage to the olfactory organ. If the nose turns white, this is a sign of a problem with the circulatory system. When blue, you can suspect problems with the respiratory system, in particular, an inflammatory process; a cat’s nose also turns blue from a lack of oxygen and in heart failure. And if a dry nose acquires a yellowish tint, there may be a problem with the liver.

Dry nose in a kitten - associated symptoms of diseases

Watch the kitten carefully. There are a number of signs that, coupled with a dry nose, will indicate the development of the disease:

The kitten has become apathetic, sad, lethargic or overly anxious;

The animal has loose stools, feels sick and vomits;

There is frequent urination (or vice versa, too infrequent);

The kitten breathes frequently and heavily, breathing is depressed and shallow;

The pet's fur is in poor condition, it is matted, unkempt, and falls out.

It is also necessary to examine the nose for discharge. Normally they are sparse and transparent. Yellowish, green, foaming indicate illness.

Nasal discharge that turns into crusts indicates the presence of a viral disease. In this case, their companions are purulent discharge from the eyes, refusal of food and general weakness of the animal. If such symptoms are present, it is necessary to contact a veterinarian as soon as possible, since we are talking about such dangerous, acute diseases as feline distemper (panleukopenia), rhinotracheitis or calcivirosis.

If, along with a dry nose, small wounds, cracks, and sores with crusts are observed on the kitten’s skin, this may be a sign of diabetes mellitus or dermatitis. And with frequent urination, which is accompanied by a plaintive meow, cystitis or other genitourinary diseases can be suspected.

A kitten has a dry nose - what to do

If your little pet's nose becomes hot and dry, take the baby's temperature. It is higher in cats than in humans. For small kittens, a temperature of 38.5 to 39.5 degrees is considered normal. It is measured rectally with a regular thermometer. When body temperature rises to 40 degrees or higher, an infectious or viral disease can be suspected. At the same time, the kitten may have hot ears, and the baby begins to shiver. In this case, a visit to the doctor should be immediate. It is strictly forbidden to give animals any antipyretic medication without consulting a veterinarian. You can alleviate a kitten's condition at high temperatures by moisturizing its fur, and the animal must also have access to fresh water. But these are only temporary measures! The doctor will prescribe the actual treatment.

In addition, a dry nose and increased temperature are noted if the kitten is overheated. An animal, like a person, can get sunstroke or heatstroke. Along with general lethargy, the baby’s heartbeat and breathing become more frequent. If the problem is heat and overheating, you need to take the kitten to a cool place, give it a drink or at least wet its nose with water. Wetting the pet's paws and ears with cold water will also improve the condition of the pet.

The kitten's nose may become dry and hot due to severe diarrhea and vomiting. The reason for this is dehydration. It is necessary to restore the water balance. But often in this condition the pet refuses or simply cannot drink. Here you also cannot do without professional veterinary help. The doctor will prescribe injections or drips for the kitten.

A kitten’s dry nose can also tell you about problems with the intestines or stomach. Sometimes hair accumulates there and is not removed naturally. This problem most often occurs in animals with thick and fluffy fur coats. Malt paste helps get rid of hairballs and prevent their formation. There are also special foods aimed at combating this problem. Grass for cats also works well, which can be grown in a pot and offered to the kitten.

Also, a dry cat's nose can occur against the background of a stressful situation: severe fright, moving by car, loud children playing. Everything is simple here: you need to calm the animal, offer it water, and the condition of the nose will quickly return to normal.

So, a kitten’s dry nose itself may well be a variant of the norm. But if it is accompanied by other symptoms, the owner will need to be attentive and quickly contact a veterinarian.