What temperature should a cat's nose be

If the cat's nose is dry or warm – this is no reason to panic. Such a condition is quite logical in cases where:

Why a cat's nose is hot.

The excellent health of the cat is characterized by a moist cool nose, good appetite and a cheerful state. If the cat has a hot nose, the owner begins to worry and raise the alarm. But do not panic, because the cause of hot to the touch of the nose may not be a cold or infectious diseases, and some factors that do not have a devastating effect on the body.

The cat's nose may be hot immediately after waking up, as well as some time after sleeping. Also, temperature changes on the lobe of the nose are noted in domestic cats after vigorous physical activity or stressful situations.

Changes in the surface condition of the cat's nose are also associated with the ambient air. For example, indoors, especially during the cold period when the heating is on, the air may be too dry, which leads to drying of all external mucous membranes, provoking a rise in temperature.

Hyperthermia lasting for 2-3 hours, accompanied by changes in the animal's condition (runny nose, shortness of breath, coughing, gastric contents eruption or diarrhea), implies a visit to the veterinarian, as this may indicate the beginning of a serious illness.

Signs of illness in cats

The reason why the cat has a hot nose can be a variety of diseases, accompanied by a number of characteristic symptoms. The cat should be alarmed if it has shortness of breath, excessive saliva, loose stools (profuse diarrhea with blood and mucus), excrement of the stomach contents, disturbance of the urinary tract, hair loss, apathy and lethargy.

Among the signs of pathological condition of the cat's body, in addition to a hot nose, there may also be refusal of food and water, coughing or mucous discharge from the nose.

The causes of a hot cat's nose, accompanied by the appearance of diarrhea, lie in the body's defensive reaction. Thus, when the digestive system is irritated by food, bacterial pathogens or toxic substances, an inflammatory process occurs, provoking a rise in body temperature.

The cause of the hot nose and diarrhea may be inflammation of the pancreas, thyroid pathology, hepatorenal disease or tumor processes.

If the cat's nose is dry and the animal's body is shaking, the cause of this condition may be colds, the upcoming childbirth process, or withdrawal after general anesthesia.

This condition is observed in cats with a lack of B vitamins in the body, as well as elements such as potassium, calcium and phosphorus.

A hot cat's nose, accompanied by heavy breathing, is usually associated with inflammation of the mucous membranes lining the nasal cavity. More often observed in colds of infectious nature .

But shortness of breath with an increase in body temperature also occurs with myocardial disorders, pleurisy, stress, overheating or hypothermia. Severe stress during a chest injury results in pain for the pet, and breathing becomes labored and the body temperature rises.

Determining a cat's condition by its nose

A sign of a pet's well-being and health is a wet, cool, sometimes slightly slippery nose. And, as a rule, most owners are aware of this. But there are some nuances. For example, a perfectly healthy pet may have an elevated nasal temperature and a dry nose. So what kind of nose should a cat have, and how can you tell what's wrong?

Some owners, after realizing that their pet has a hot and dry nose, think that she is sick. But dryness can be quite normal. To determine the cat's condition, it is advisable to pay attention to other symptoms. Only a combination of several signs can indicate the presence of health problems. The humidity of the nose may change several times during the day. And there is nothing wrong with this.

• During sleep, as well as within 30 minutes of waking up.
• If the pet is in a stuffy, hot room. If the pet is placed on the radiator or near a heater, the nose may also be hot.
• After an active game, physical activity.
• After a fright, strong stress.

It is an interesting fact that felines with a flattened snout always have a wet nose, as a rule. And this is due to the fact that it is easier for them to lick it.

But a dry nose can also indicate the presence of disease in the pet. An increased temperature in cats is a symptom of inflammation, poisoning, viral infection, the development of dermatological disease, the presence of a foreign body in the nasal passage. If your pet has a dry nose, you should not panic. But it is necessary to check whether she is feeling normal.

What temperature is considered normal?

If the pet is sick, in addition to a dry nose, there will be symptoms such as various nasal discharge and crusting, decreased appetite, lethargy, elevated body temperature. Let's consider what temperature in a cat is considered normal, and at what temperature you should contact the veterinary clinic.

If the owner has noticed that the pet has a dry nose and is not sure that this condition is due to natural causes, it is worth measuring the body temperature. This should be done rectally. To prevent the animal from tearing and biting, you need to take it by the scruff of the neck and press a little to a horizontal surface. The thermometer should be smeared with petroleum jelly before use. Then insert the thermometer into the rectum for a few minutes. You should know what the temperature should be in a cat that is healthy. These readings are from +38 to +39 degrees. If the figures are higher or lower, it makes sense to contact the veterinarian.

It should be remembered that the rectal method of measuring temperature is not always reliable. For example, if your pet has an ear infection the thermometer may show 3-4 divisions higher than reality.

About what is the normal temperature in cats, it is clear. But it is worth bearing in mind that sometimes the temperature may be higher than normal, while the animal will feel fine. For example, the body temperature may rise slightly (up to +38.5 degrees) while eating. And during active play, running, the temperature may reach +39 degrees.

It is important to know that normal temperature readings for kittens are slightly higher than for adults.

Therefore, the body temperature of cats (normal or elevated) should be judged with the above factors in mind. It is better to measure the temperature with a mercury thermometer. Because it has a lower degree of error than electronic.

What does a dry cat's nose mean?

To keep your pet healthy, you need to be able to distinguish when your furry pet needs help and when it is healthy.

Signs of illness

A dry nose is far from being a major symptom of illness. However, there are many conditions where a hot dry nose serves as an additional symptom. Observe the cat.

1. Assess how active the cat is. Some cats are lazy and refuse to play even when they are in perfect health. A careful owner can easily tell if it's time for a mustachioed companion to go to the clinic.
2. Take a closer look at the bowls. Does your cat eat his normal food allowance, does he eat too much, does he walk willingly to his bowl before feeding and does he drink more than usual?
3. How often he is using the litter box and what he is getting out.
4. Is there vomiting or diarrhea.
5. Does he sit on the litter tray too often, no unsuccessful attempts to urinate.
6. The pet's coat should be smooth, shiny and clean, especially near the natural openings: nose, ears, eyes and crotch area.
7. There should be no mucous, much less purulent discharges from the eyes and nose. Sneezing and especially coughing is a reason to visit the doctor.

Some diseases affect the skin of the nasal mirror: there are foci of inflammation and ulcers. In the vast majority of cases, this indicates a viral disease, calicivirosis. Regular preventive vaccinations can keep your pet safe.

Abnormalities after castration and spaying

To perform the operation, anesthesia and preparations are required. Among the medications, those that reduce the secretion of glands play an important role. This is necessary so that mucus does not accumulate in the bronchi of patients.

Unfortunately, the drug acts on all glands, including the moistening nasal mirror. Some drugs directly for anesthesia have a similar property.

What to do if you find abnormalities

If you think there is something wrong with the cat, but you are not sure – take the temperature. There are veterinary thermometers with a flexible tip, but any other thermometer will do.

Put petroleum jelly, chloramphenicol or baby cream on the tip of thermometer and put it into anus for 2-3cm (1-1,5cm for kitten). If the thermometer has several beeps (this is often the case with children), you should assess the temperature after the first beep. The first beep measures the time to estimate rectal temperature, and the second beep allows you to estimate the temperature under the arm. The normal temperature in cats is 38-39 degrees.

1. If the thermometer showed, for example, 37.8, no need to worry, it is worth watching the animal and repeat the measurement after a few hours, making sure that the thermometer entered deep enough.
2. Excessively low temperatures, 37-37.5 degrees and below, should be seen by a veterinarian.
3. If the temperature rises even slightly above 39 degrees, you should go to the veterinarian.

The initial temperature measurement should be done at home, because a trip to the vet is stressful for the animals. Many cats respond to anxiety by raising their body temperature. A combination of implicit symptoms and a temperature that has risen due to transportation can mislead the veterinarian and cause the cat to be prescribed useless medication.

By comparing the temperature at the appointment with that obtained at home, the veterinarian will get very valuable information. For example, how the cat reacts to stressful situations, which symptoms relate to a visit to the vet, and which relate to an illness.

A dry cat nose is not the most accurate tool for diagnosing a pet's health. Much more information is provided by observing the animal's behavior and measuring the temperature at home. If the owner has noticed a deviation from normal behavior, the veterinarian has something to work with. Sometimes there is nothing wrong with the cat and the owner is just imagining things, but it is better to find out reliably than to let the beginning of the disease.

What can affect a cat's nasal temperature

Many owners believe that if a cat's nose is hot, it's sick. However, it's not that simple. Dryness can also be caused by natural causes, and you should look for other signs to more accurately determine your pet's condition. Only a combination of several symptoms can more or less accurately indicate a health problem in your pet. The degree of moisture in a mirror can vary several times a day even in a perfectly healthy cat.

• If she is asleep;
• for some time (about thirty minutes) after waking up;
• after serious physical activity, the temperature rises, which causes the mirror to become dry;
• don't be surprised if the cat's nose is dry and warm if she is in a hot and stuffy room;
• After undergoing severe stress.

Frequent dryness of the lobe of the nose is a normal situation for older animals. Cats are very fond of sitting on radiators or other heating devices – it is natural that their nose will be hot at this time.

This is interesting! Cats with a flattened muzzle shape have a wet nose more often than not. The explanation for this is very simple: they simply have the opportunity to lick it.

Owners of purrs should remember one more rule: even a cold and wet nose is not a hundred percent guarantee that your pet is completely healthy. Source: Flickr (Kim_s_Pics)

What a cat's nose can tell you about

A dry mirror may indeed be a sign of elevated body temperature, which is often a signal that you are not feeling well. However, we should not forget that a cat's normal temperature is two degrees higher than a human's. So the lobe may seem hot to you, even if the pet is perfectly healthy. If you have any suspicions, it is better to measure the temperature with a thermometer by inserting it into the animal's anus (normal temperature is 38-39 degrees). If you do not have a thermometer, you should touch the ears: if the cat has a fever, they will be hot.

An elevated body temperature can be an indication of poisoning, various infections, colds, and inflammation. Often the cause of dryness and fever is dermatological diseases of the pet. Dryness can be caused by, among other things, getting a foreign body in the nasal passages.

A dry cat's nose can be the result of a variety of causes, including malnutrition, overeating, a stomach clogged with hair, and a mild cold.

You're better off watching your pet's behavior closely and responding to any additional symptoms in a timely manner. If the mirror is dry and hot, but the cat refuses to eat, is sedentary and meows pitifully, then it's time to see the veterinarian.

This list is not complete. If you notice any abnormalities, you should seek help from a specialist.

A cat's nose can tell you a lot more about its owner. If it is too cold and wet, it can be a sign of various ailments. A cold cat's nose can be a consequence of these illnesses:

The owner should also observe the color of his pet's nose. It indicates the workings of his circulatory system. A bluish-colored mirror indicates a serious pathology of the heart or a lack of oxygen of various etiologies.

A red lobe is a sign of rhinitis, infectious disease or mechanical irritation of the upper respiratory tract. You should also pay attention to the nasal discharge: too wet cat's nose can be a sign of a cold or various infectious diseases.

How should I clean my cat's nose?

Brushing is not one of the procedures an owner must perform to ensure his or her pet is completely safe from disease. Cats are quite good at this procedure on their own. These animals are by nature incredibly clean, so if there is dirt, after a couple or three washings the cat will calmly remove the accumulated dust or dirt.

If the dirt is still serious, and you see that the animal can't cope, you can try to help. Do not use cotton swabs in this case, which will only make things worse and may even cause inflammation of the nasal passage. For cleaning, ordinary cotton disks soaked in warm water will do. Dirt should be removed gently, as if pulling it out from the inside.

The nose of a healthy cat is not only moist but also clean. At the slightest contamination, the pet always washes with his tongue or helps himself by wetting his paw. When weak and generally ill, cats often forget about cleanliness, and therefore a dirty nose can tell the owner about the animal's health problems.

Inspecting your pet's nose can prevent the onset of many serious and unpleasant diseases, which is why you should periodically feel the nose and make sure that your pet is feeling well.

Video on the subject

Why is my cat's nose warm when he's sleeping, but cold and wet when he's awake?

If a cat is asleep or recently awake, its nose will be warm and dry. This is a normal body reaction to the animal's inactive state. Half an hour after waking up, you should check the cat's nose again – it may be wet. A dry cat nose in itself is not a sign of illness. The nose in cats in general is not a reliable indicator of the animal's body temperature.
Why does a cat have a hot dry nose?

A person thinks that a cat's nose is dry and hot because the cat's body temperature is 2 degrees higher than the human body temperature. This difference is well felt. During active games the heat from the body evaporates (this process is well known to athletes – during training they sweat a lot and warm up). Therefore, when a cat is awake and has played, its nose may feel "wet" and hot, and after another 10 minutes it may feel "cold" and wet. But this does not mean that these changes signal disease. The nose merely transmits mild, normal fluctuations in the animal's body temperature, which depend on his physical activity.
What should you do if your cat's nose is dry and hot even when awake?

Observe the animal: whether its behavior and appetite have changed, whether the cat requires more attention than usual, whether it has lost interest in toys. If the pet sleeps too much, loses its appetite and does not play, it is time to think seriously about its health. A dry nose in this case is only proof that the pet is sick.

In general, a dry nose in awake condition can be in cats even due to minor abnormalities in the body – due to overeating, malnutrition, a clogged stomach, a slight cold (everyone is familiar with cat sneezing) . Usually such minor ailments go away on their own within a few days or even hours.
If the cat has a dry but cold nose?

Evaporating mucous film from the nose can indicate a cold, but only if additional symptoms are observed:
Hot ears.
Weakness and loss of appetite.
Sneezing (sniffling) .
High fever .

What a cat's nose should be like.

Wet and cold.
A healthy cat's nose should be moist. This is the result of mucus secretion from the mucous membranes of the nose, resulting in activation of the cat's olfactory cells. A cat with a dry nose that looks lethargic almost certainly has an elevated temperature (a cat's normal body temperature is 38 – 38.5°C), in which case you should immediately contact your veterinarian.

It can be both warm and cold. when the cat sleeps in warmth its nose becomes warm. the main thing is that there is no discharge from the nose.

Wet and cold.
A healthy cat's nose should be moist. This is the result of mucus secretion from the nasal mucous membranes, which activates the cat's olfactory cells. if the cat doesn't look good it should be taken to the vet!

A HEALTHY cat's nose can be either wet, dry or warm! When the cat is sleeping or resting its nose will be warm and dry, if it is running or jumping it will be wet and cold, and it's okay if there is no nasal discharge.

What should be the nose of a healthy cat?

A perfectly healthy cat's nose should be slightly moist, cool, smooth and slightly slippery to the touch. It should also be clean, without any peeling or crusts.
Keep in mind that the condition of the nose changes several times during the day. Some cat owners believe that if the nose has become dry, the pet is sick. This is not entirely true, because natural factors must also be taken into account. Dryness of the nose in healthy cats is observed in the following cases:

• After active physical activity;
• If the cat stays for a long time in a hot and stuffy room;
• In a highly stressful situation;
• in a state of sleep and afterwards for half an hour;
• If the cat or cat is not old enough.

The norms of a cat's body temperature and how to measure it?

A dry nose may also suggest the presence of a high temperature in an animal. If a temperature is suspected, it should be measured with a mercury thermometer. To do this, you must insert a thermometer into the anus of the animal. Temperature readings of a healthy cat are considered normal from +38 to +39 degrees.

These readings are considered normal for all breeds, except for sphynxes. Representatives of this breed have a slightly higher body temperature as normal than other breeds.
In the absence of a thermometer, you can touch the ears of the animal. If there is an increased temperature, they will be hot. If the readings are above or below normal, a visit to the veterinarian is necessary. It should be remembered that kittens have a slightly higher body temperature than an adult cat.

Treatment

Even an experienced breeder will not be able to diagnose a dangerous disease just because a cat's nose has become hot and dry. It is easy to misdiagnose even by the combination of external signs.

The main thing that the owner of an ill pet should do before going to the vet is to take his pet's temperature. At home, her index will be more accurate than in the clinic, where the cat is usually under additional stress, exacerbating the patient's condition.

What you can deal with on your own

If nothing serious has happened, the owner can also bring things back to normal himself – there are many such situations, let's describe only the most common ones.

Nose contamination

If you forget to clean your pet's nose regularly, severe dirt will make it harder for him to breathe and interfere with the production of physiological lubrication. This will result in impaired thermoregulation and the nose will become hot. The dirty nose should be cleaned carefully from the outside and inside so as not to damage the sensitive tissues. In 15-20 minutes all his parameters will be normalized.

Clean the cat's nose well – and it will feel better at once

Sunburn

All cats like warmth and will doze off in the sun. But prolonged exposure to the scorching rays of the sun is definitely not good for them. Burns occur more often than you might think, especially in animals with delicate pink noses.

In a cat that has received a sunburn, the nasal lobe becomes red, hot and painful. After a while, the skin on it will be calloused, rough and dry. Immediately apply an anti-inflammatory, moisturizing, and anti-inflammatory remedy, such as Panthenol. Apply the medication carefully so that it does not get into the nostrils, and repeat the procedure more often as the remedy is absorbed.

What to do if the kitten's nose is dry

Kitten's body, like that of any small child, is characterized by increased metabolism. His nose reacts to all kinds of changes much more quickly than an adult animal. And the thermoregulation system is still unstable and imperfect at an early age.

Your furry baby's nose can become hot, cool, dry, and wet many times during the course of a day. It depends on a very large number of factors: whether the kitty was sleeping or actively playing, whether it ate long ago and how nourished it is, and even on what kind of mood it is in.

These changes in general are completely natural and should not alarm the owner, if they are not accompanied by other disturbing signs: the behavior and activity of the baby does not change, its appetite does not deteriorate.

Newborn kittens often have dry snouts when they have a negligent mother who does not lick them too carefully. On their own, babies are not yet able to do this. In this case, you need to come to their aid and at least two or three times a day to wipe their faces with warm boiled water.

These babies' noses get hot whenever they suckle milk – they have to work hard for that and blood rushes to their muzzles. You have to make sure that kittens can breathe freely and that their nostrils are not blocked. Otherwise they will not be able to feed properly. You can clean the nostrils with the smallest syringe with a rubber tip.

The condition of the nasal mirror – both in an adult pet and in a baby – can tell a careful owner a lot. But kittens have more risks, especially if they are not vaccinated: childhood diseases develop very quickly. In addition, a hot and dry nose can signal a worm infestation or poisoning. In such cases, you need to seek veterinary help immediately.