Why does my dog lick its nose?

If your dog has been licking its nose a lot, you might be wondering why and what you can do about it. This post will show you a number of possible causes and what you can do to get your dog to stop doing it.

So, why does my dog lick its nose? Possible reasons why your dog licks its nose are that it is thirsty, it has something stuck on its nose, it has an illness, allergies or nausea.

Since there are a number of possible reasons why your dog has been licking its nose, it would help to consider what would make each of them more likely. Once you have a good idea of the main cause, it should become a lot easier to get it to stop doing it.

Why your dog keeps licking its nose

Below are a number of possible reasons why your dog has been licking its nose and what would make each of them more likely.

Thirst

The reason why it has been licking its nose could be that it is thirsty. This would be more likely if it does it more when it has not got access to water and if it drinks water as soon as it gets access to it. In this case, it would help to ensure that your dog has access to water whenever it might want some.

Illness

It could be the case that it has an illness and it has been licking its nose as a way of soothing a sickly taste it has on its tongue and in its mouth. This would be more likely if it has started licking its nose a lot suddenly and if it has been showing other signs of being ill. In this case, the best option would be to get help from a vet.

It has something stuck there

It could also be the case that it has something stuck on its nose. This would be more likely if it has started licking its nose after doing something such as rubbing its face in the grass or licking ice cream.

Allergies or an allergic reaction

It might be the case that it has been doing it due to allergies. This would be more likely if it has started doing it since putting its nose on something that it should not have such as certain plants or weeds.

Nausea

Nausea might also be what has been causing your dog to lick its nose a lot. It could be the case that the nausea has been making it drool a lot and it has been licking its nose and lips to deal with it. This would be more likely if it has started behaving unusually in other ways and if it has also started swallowing a lot. In this case, it would help to take it to a vet.

Things to consider

Below are some things to consider when figuring out the main reason why your dog has been doing it.

What else happened when it first started doing it

If your dog has not always licked its nose as much as it has been, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it.

If it started doing it suddenly, it would make it more likely to be due to things such as thirst, nausea or an allergic reaction.

Whereas, if it has not been doing it excessively and it has always licked its nose like it has been, it would be more likely to be due to things such as having something stuck on its nose.

What is different when your dog licks its nose

If it has been licking its nose more at a certain time, it would also help to consider what is different when it does lick its nose. For example, if it seems to only do it when it does not have access to water, it could be the case that it has been doing it due to being thirsty.

What to do about your dog licking its nose

Ensure that it has enough access to water

As mentioned above, it could be the case that is has been doing it due to being thirsty. It would help to ensure that your dog has access to water whenever it might want some.

Watch where it puts its nose

It might be the case that it has been licking its nose due to an allergic reaction to putting its nose on something that it shouldn’t be. It would help to watch where it puts its nose and to try to prevent it putting its nose into things that it shouldn’t.

Take it to a vet

If your dog has been licking its nose excessively or it has been showing other signs of being ill. The best option would be to take it to a vet. By doing so, you should be able to get expert advice tailored to your particular dog and to rule out illness as a cause.