My French Bulldog’s Nose Is Dry: If your French Bulldog has a wet, cold nose, it will usually mean they are in good health. While a dry nose can sometimes signify something severe, most of the time, it’s just a natural response to the environment or characteristic of your French Bulldog becoming older and is age-related. Your Frenchie’s wet nose is one of the reasons dogs have such a fantastic sense of smell.
Your French Bulldog’s nose is 10,000 to 100,000 stronger than your sense of smell. Their wet nose allows them to draw in microscopic particles to be studied by your Frenchie’s olfactory receptors.
If your little Frenchie has a dry nose, should you be worried? Your Frenchie’s nose has a thin coating of mucus on their nose that retains and collects scents. When your French Bulldog licks their nose, this adds a sense of taste to its sensory feedback.
Reasons For Your Frenchie To Have a Dry Nose
| Too close to a heat source | Sunburn |
| Allergic | Brachycephalic |
| Sleeping | Not drinking enough water |
| Old Age | Hyperkeratosis |
Frenchie is too close to a heat source.
Your French Bulldog will tend to sleep closer to vents and heating ducts throughout winter. They will find a nice comfortable spot where the warm air can blow on their faces.
That said, getting up close to heaters can dry your Frenchie’s nose. If they do this often, they may even end up with a cracked nose.
Make sure you keep an eye on your Frenchie’s nose to ensure that it has gone back to its moist condition.
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Sunburn And Dry Nose In Dogs
Like yourself, your French Bulldog is also vulnerable to sunburn and other risks and conditions associated with exposure to sunlight.
Taking safety precautions can reduce your Frenchies’ risk of developing severe sun-related health issues.
Symptoms of Sunburn
Side effects of sunburn are typically severe, occurring around 1 hour of exposure to the sun and peaking around four days. The most prominent indication is reddened skin, which can be uncomfortable.
In extreme cases, inflammation and blisters can be seen.
The most frequently affected areas are the nose, ears, and the skin around the face. Other signs can include fatigue, fainting, and shock in some very serious cases because of heat exhaustion.
| Blistering |
| Reddened areas of skin |
| Vocalization of pain in movement |
Treatment Sunburn Nose and Ears
If your Frenchie has experienced serious sunburn and heatstroke, supportive treatment with iv fluids could be necessary to stabilize them and avoid or remedy the dehydration. Your vet can apply an ice pack to your Frenchie’s skin to reduce discomfort and chill the skin to reduce additional skin damage.
In cases where your Frenchie’s nose is dry and even peeling, you will need a cortisone ointment to minimize inflammatory response.
Your vet can recommend antibacterial and antifungal agents such as silver sulfadiazine to avoid infection. Antimicrobial treatment may be required if a subsequent infection occurs.
Preventing Sunburn and Your Frenchie’s Nose Drying Out
To avoid sunburn to your Frenchie’s nose and other body parts, the following steps can be taken:
| Apply an SPF 30, waterproof, dog-safe sunscreen to your Frenchies’ skin. Concentrating on areas of enhanced exposure such as their nose, areas of hair loss or scarring, and abdomen if your Frenchie likes lying on their back. |
| Try avoiding the sun when it is at its strongest during the day. If possible, keep your Frenchie indoors throughout midday or make sure that they have plenty of shade in their play area. |
| When sun exposure is inevitable, provide your French Bulldog with sun protection, such as a dog shirt, hat, or coat, especially if outdoor exercise occurs over a long duration. |
French Bulldog is Allergic And Dry Nose
Again like yourself, your Frenchie may develop allergies to all kinds of items, from particular food types, dishes, toys, and household cleaning products.
Another key cause of the dry nose in your Frenchie is plastic, such as plastic on food and plastic water bowls. Almost half of the dogs have some allergic response to plastics.
If you are dealing with your Frenchie having a dry nose and your dog is exposed to a plastic item, try to remove the plastics from your French Bulldog’s living area.
Your Frenchie should be eating from stainless steel or ceramic dishes. This will help remove possible allergy issues and is simple to clean.
Sleeping
Owners have been concerned that their Frenchie’s nasal membrane and nose will dry when they wake up from their nap. But having a dry nose after they wake up is very normal.
Your Frenchie will stop licking their nose while they sleep. This prevents the normal continuous flow of moisture onto the nose your Frenchie would normally be applying.
Within 10 minutes of your French Bulldog waking up, its nose should be completely back to its normal moist self.
Not Drinking Enough Water And Dry Nose In Dogs
When your Frenchie does not drink enough water, it will become dehydrated. This can be a real problem since their dry nose will crack.
Other parts of the body like the kidneys and other systems may be damaged and closed down, causing your Frenchie to go into shock.
You must always provide a fresh, clean water supply for your French Bulldog. Chronic dry nose, or nose with scarring or lesions, should be taken to your veterinarian to treat.
Old Age And Dry Nose In Dogs
Older dogs will most likely have a drier nose. This comes with age, like greying hair and facial wrinkles. It is nothing to stress about, but you could always put some dog-safe ointment on their nose to help maintain its moister.
French Bulldogs are a Brachycephalic Breed
Dogs with short snouts, such as French Bulldogs and Pugs, also have trouble licking their nose. You will need to use a moisturizer to help keep it moist.
Hyperkeratosis And Dry Nose In Dogs
The skin on the exterior of your Frenchie’s nose produces specific protein keratin; occasionally, the keratin will develop too fast, leaving your French Bulldogs nose dry and crusty.
If left unchecked, it can damage your Frenchie’s sense of smell and cause significant suffering. Sores and significant crusty growth will develop on your French Bulldogs nose in much more serious situations.
Almost all dogs could have nasal Hyperkeratosis at some stage in their life. Check for damaged or cracked, rough skin on your Frenchies nose.
Extreme cases could develop into a horny cracked growth; such growth would be hard to the touch and could grow up to half an inch out of your French Bulldogs nose.
If you think you’ve identified Hyperkeratosis on your Frenchies nose, you’ll want to know the root problem since it is often a sign of a more severe health problem, including:
| Genetic | Canine distemper |
| Zinc Deficiency | Pemphigus foliaceus |
| Leishmaniasis |
Can It Be Treated
Moisturizing your Frenchie’s dry skin can be an effective therapy, but for their nose, it is recommended to be using a natural moisturizer such as CBD-based shea butter for dogs.
Bear in mind that once this disease progresses and doesn’t seem to go away, it will mean you’re going to have to manage it for life.
How do you fix a dry French bulldog nose?
Whatever is causing your Frenchie’s dry nose, you can assist them by constantly using a dog-friendly moisturizer until their nose looks a lot better.
Olive oil
All you need is a small amount of olive oil, ensuring you rub it softly into your Frenchie’s nose until it has been completely absorbed.
Coconut oil
Coconut oil is among the best dog-friendly and organic moisturizers you can use. It can return moisture to the dry, damaged nose of your Frenchie. Just use coconut oil which is 100 % natural. Make sure to select cold-pressed, organic, and unprocessed.