Chapped lips are quite commonly seen in animals but not all species of animals are prone to have chapped lips. And hence, which animals can get chapped lips are not so accurately known, you may want to learn about whether dogs get chapped lips or not.
So, let’s not make any delay and learn the answers regarding this topic.
Do Dogs Get Chapped Lips?
Dogs can get chapped lips. And there is a broad range of reasons that causes dogs to have chapped/dry lips, including health conditions such as hyperkeratosis and dermatitis, dehydration, allergies, vitamin deficiencies, dry weather or low level of humidity, and jute-made toys like the tug toys.
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Any dog can develop chapped lips like us, humans. And when dogs get chapped lips, a good number of both natural issues and health issues can cause this crusty lips situation.
First comes the health issues, dermatitis and hyperkeratosis are conceivably the main health issues among all that certainly cause chapped lips to dogs.
Besides, deficiency of essential vitamins is another potential reason that makes dogs get chapped lips, especially the corners of their mouth get cracked if they lack vitamins.
Dehydration is the other cause that causes cracked and dry lips in dogs. Mainly in summer dogs are seen to get chapped lips due to getting dehydrated because of hot weather.
And among the natural reasons, dry weather/low humidity is one of the main culprits that cause dogs to get cracked lips. Allergies caused by pollens or any other object in the environment are the possible reasons behind the chapped lips of dogs as well.
Lastly, jute-made toys such as tug toys are also a plausible contributor behind dogs’ getting chapped lips.
Why Do Dogs Get Chapped Lips?
Following are the most probable reasons that make dogs develop chapped lips and the causes have been explained with proper rationales.
Dermatitis:
Dermatitis is an inflammatory skin condition that causes dogs to get chapped, dry lips due to an excessive accumulation of moisture around the dogs’ mouth and lips area.
Precisely to explain, when a dog has accumulated food particles and saliva excessively around the area of its mouth and lips, it creates a suitable habitat for bacteria and yeast to dwell in.
Therefore, a buildup of yeast and bacteria happens and causes too much moisture around the mouth and lips areas of a dog which causes the dog to suffer from dermatitis, and dermatitis causes chapped lips in dogs.
Dog breeds that have folded or wrinkled face lines are more susceptible to get dermatitis condition.
Hyperkeratosis:
Hyperkeratosis is another skin condition in which dogs generate a high amount of keratin and that extra keratin develops hard and crusty layers on the dogs’ lip area.
Generally, hyperkeratosis is seen to affect a dog’s par pads, nose, and ears but it can affect their lips too.
Vitamin Deficiency:
When a dog is not receiving sufficient vitamins from the food/drinks he is taking, he is seen to suffer from vitamin deficiency due to the scarcity of a few particular vitamins named folate, and riboflavin (B9 and B2).
And the lack of these particular vitamins causes dryness around the mouth/lips area of dogs.
Dehydration:
A dog needs to stay dehydrated, especially during hot and dry weather days. When a dog is not getting enough water to drink or not drinking enough water, it’s most likely to have dry skin.
As a result, its lips start to become chapped as the skin doesn’t have much water to rejuvenate.
Allergies:
When it’s season-changing times, dogs can get affected by allergies from pollens, dust, or any other sources. This means environmental allergies cause dogs to get dry chapped lips.
Dry Climate:
A dry climate or lack of humidity is another environmental reason that affects dogs with chapped lips. So if you live in a region that has a dry climate or low humidity level, your dog probably will get chapped lips.
What Can I Do About My Dog’s Dry Lips?
If your dog is affected by dry lips condition, as an owner you should take proper measures to cure his chapped lips and prevent further spread so that it doesn’t turn into an infection.
First, you should check the affected areas around your pooch’s lips and mouth and should clean the lips area with a vet-recommended cleanser. And apply a suitable soothing balm for only dogs.
Applying suitable soothing balm that is only for dogs will ease the cracking lips condition and will help to recover the lips soon.
Then, you have to regularly wash your pooch’s food and water bowl for preventing further spread and encourage them to drink more water and foods enriched with folate and riboflavin.
Check the humidity level as well and pay attention to learn if the dryness of lips is caused by allergies or not.
Lastly, if you see the condition is getting worse your dog is not recovering at all, immediately rush to a vet and treat your dog with the vet-recommended antibiotic, cleaners, ointment.
How To Heal Chapped Lips On Dogs?
Since chapped lips can cause severe lip irritation if the lips are not healed or treated on time.
Therefore, 5 effective remedies have been listed and explained.
Hydrogen Peroxide Solution:
The hydrogen peroxide solution is a good remedy to heal the chapped lips of dogs.
Prepare a solution of water (5 parts) and hydrogen peroxide (1part). Then soak a clean washcloth and apply the solution to the dog’s lips area, after that dry the dog’s lips with another washcloth.
Then apply an antibiotic steroid cream on the chapped areas of your dog.
Keep using hydrogen peroxide solution and steroid cream once a day till your dog’s chapped lips are cured.
Include Oil in your Dog’s Food:
Oil has fatty acids in it, therefore, adding 1 tablespoon of oil to your dog’s food will help to heal your dog’s skin by moisturizing the dry lips area of your dog.
You can use fish oil, flaxseed oil, krill oil, or coconut oil.
Encourage Your Dog To Drink Water:
Encourage your dog to drink enough water is the simplest way of healing his dry flaky chapped lips. Because water will rejuvenate his skin by keeping him hydrated.
Especially if you live in hot/dry weather, making your dog drink water will internally heal his skin, as well as his chapped lips, will be gone.
Soothing Dog Balm:
Applying soothing balms that are made for use only on dogs to your furry friend’s lips will calm his chapped lips condition and will make sure his fast recovery.
Wrinkle balm, nozzle nectar, and skin soother are the three most commonly used balms for dogs to heal their chapped lips. These balms have an anti-inflammatory formula and all-natural ingredients.
Visit A Vet:
Visiting a vet is the first and last solution. No matter what way you follow first consult a vet and then use.
And if the ways are not working then just follow the vet recommended treatment such as cleanser, antibiotics, something balm, etc. to heal your dog’s stubborn chapped lips.
Can I Put Vaseline On My Dog’s Lips?
You can’t apply Vaseline to your dog’s lips because your dog will end up consuming the Vaseline and it can incite diarrhea and vomiting.
Although white Vaseline is assumed as non-toxic, still, ASPCA recommends not to use Vaseline on dog’s chapped lips.
Can I Put Coconut Oil On My Dog’s Lips?
You can apply coconut oil to your dog’s lips. Because coconut oil has been accepted by holistic and naturopathic vets as an effective moisturizer that has the qualities to cure a canine’s chapped lips condition.
Can Dogs Get Sore Lips?
Dogs can get sore lips and it is a very painful oral condition of dogs that are known as canine herpesvirus (CHV). It happens when a dog interacts with another dog with CHV. This means CHV is an infectious virus and it spreads from dog to dog.
How Do Dogs Get The Oral Papilloma Virus?
Oral papillomavirus is a transmissible virus that spreads from dog to dog. When a dog directly comes in a contact with another oral papilloma infected dog, the infection got spread from the infected dog’s mouth and that is how dogs get the oral papillomavirus.
What Causes Lip Fold Dermatitis In Dogs?
Lip fold dermatitis in dogs is caused by excess moisture around the lips and mouth area of dogs.
When food particles and saliva are trapped in the folds of a dog’s lips area, it builds up an environment for bacteria and yeast to dwell in which causes excessive moisture and a dog is caused by li fold dermatitis.
Final Thoughts:
Dogs are susceptible to get affected with chapped lips, and it can be caused by both skin/health issues and environmental issues. Lip fold dermatitis and hyperkeratosis are the main possible reasons. Besides, dehydration, allergies lack of vitamins, hot and dry climate are the other feasible causes.