Your dog’s nose, when it’s in a healthy condition, is always damp. Seeing your dog’s nose getting filled with sweat-like drops is perfectly natural. A discharge, on the other hand, is totally different.
Nasal discharges are clearly visible. They’re usually in watery or mucropurulent form. And when your dog has a nasal discharge, it means something has gone awfully wrong concerning you dog’s condition and health.
Causes Of Nasal Discharge
There are a variety of reasons and causes of nasal discharge. They can be categorized in 2 types – local and general causes.
If the cause of the nasal discharge is a local one, chances are it’s due to a very small foreign body or particle like grass seed, dust, breathing highly-polluted air, and the like. On the other hand, if the cause of the nasal discharge is a general one, it is usually associated with an illness (distemper being a good example).
What To Do
The first step you should take is to check your pet’s body temperature. If, fortunately, your dog’s temperature is normal and he is as cheerful and playful as he is, most likely the cause of the nasal discharge is local.
However, there are dogs that are a little depressed and hang their heads even if he has no illness whatsoever. If you think that describes your dog, it may be due to headache and giving him a five-grain aspirin tablet should provide great relief.
On the other hand, if your dog has a slightly higher temperature than normal…say 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit, if his eyes are inflamed or reddened, and he’s reluctant to feed, your dog’s nasal discharge may be due to viral or bacterial infection.
During such cases, be very observant. If the discharge persists for more than a couple of hours, your pet should be taken to a veterinary surgeon right away. Be careful not to wipe or remove the discharge. Your vet should examine your dog first before anything else.
Removing The Nasal Discharge
Once the cause of the nasal has been diagnosed and an approach to treat the condition has been determined, you can make your pet more comfortable and presentable by constantly removing the discharge (like every 2-3 hours).
When removing the discharge, the nostrils must be cleaned with a sterilized cotton wool using hot water and a mild antiseptic. When cleaning your dog’s nostrils, it’s very important to be careful and gentle. Replace each piece of cotton wool and finish it with a dry cotton wool.
Oh, one more thing, don’t forget to burn every piece of cotton wool after use.
