Expert: Dr. Louis N. Gotthelf - 12/4/2011

Question
Is it possible for my dog to have a head or sinus cold.  My 3 year old chocolate lab has been licking his nose alot lately, acts kind of tired sometimes and sometimes throws up alot of clear fluid.  I noticed when I take him for a walk that his nose drips.

Answer
It is possible for a dog to have a sinus problem, but that usually shows up with a restriction of air flow through the nostrils. The roots of the teeth live in the nasal passage of dogs, so check the teeth and see if there might be a bad tooth causing this. If the dog is licking his nose a lot, also check the eyes.  If the eyes are watery, then the tears flow through a tube into the front of the nose and can leak out of the nose.  Your vet can do a good exam and see if there is a reason for this.