Signs and Symptoms Your Dog Could be Experiencing an Illness
It is no question that our pet dogs bring a certain light to our lives. It is only natural for pet owners to do everything they can to keep their beloved canines happy. This includes paying close attention to their physical health. Like human beings, dogs may experience illnesses brought by infection or other underlying health concerns. But unlike human beings, they can’t be vocal about their pain and discomfort. So being able to come up with a proper diagnosis requires professional help.
No matter how old your dog is, you will always play an important part in helping them combat illness. As stated above, the dog may never be able to verbally describe their symptoms to you, but they can exhibit signs of illnesses in more ways than one. When you make yourself aware of the abnormal signs and symptoms of a serious disease, you reduce your pet’s risk of being affected by them.
Here are the general red flags that should be enough to prompt a quick call or visit to your pet’s veterinarian. Once you notice something abnormal about your pet’s behavior, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your vet immediately.
Lethargy and Lack of Appetite
These symptoms may sound vague, but lethargy and lack of appetite could be signs of a serious health concern if not attended to immediately. Animals lose their appetites for a variety of reasons including pain, stress, and fever. Should your dog lose their appetite for more than 24 hours, take them to the vet immediately.
Lethargy is another symptom that could be brought about by a lot of other issues, an example of which is coming home from a long, tedious exercise at the park. However, when other alarming symptoms like exercise intolerance, weakness, and loss of consciousness arise, you may want to schedule a visit to the vet ASAP.
Vomiting and Diarrhea
Dogs vomit occasionally, and the reasons are often not a cause for alarm. For example, a puppy who has just been outside may end up vomiting on the leaves and dirt they’ve just ingested. But in the event that a pet vomits several times in one day, acts lethargic, and lacks appetite, it’s time to alert your veterinarian.
Vomit coupled with blood could be a sign of a gastric ulcer or that the dog may have swallowed a foreign object that is irritating their stomach. Sharp bones, socks, underwear, children’s toys, corn cobs, are just some examples of foreign objects that pose as a danger to your dog’s digestive system. At the same time, bloody stool are signs that your pet needs medical help.
When the pet experiences vomiting and diarrhea at the same time, your dog may be experiencing a parasite infection. Other than taking the animal to the veterinarian, you’ll need to make sure humans are not exposed to the parasites.
To prevent parasite infection altogether, always schedule a regular deworming for your pet.
Cough
Chronic and persistent coughing may be a sign of heart and lung disease or a heartworm infection. Kennel cough, an infectious tracheobronchitis, may cause the dog to start coughing in a harsh, hacking tone. For older dogs, the condition goes away in a matter of weeks, but puppies exhibiting symptoms or signs of hacking cough should be taken to the vet before the condition progresses to fatal pneumonia.
Excess or Less Frequent Urination
Excessive thirst and urination could be a symptom of canine diabetes. Other than this chronic illness, it may also signal liver, kidney, or adrenal gland diseases as well.
When it comes to increased urination, the signs tend to gradually increase in degree. For example, a housebroken pet might start wetting inside the house again. You may also start noticing that the dogs water bowl is being refilled more times than usual.
In contrast, less frequent urination could be a sign of urinary tract problems or bladder stones. To be sure, make sure you contact your vet for a professional diagnosis.
Hair loss and skin infection
Flea and tick infection, manage, and ear mites are common causes of hair loss and itching on the skin. You will know that your pet is exhibiting signs of ear and yeast infection when they start scratching their ears excessively. A more surefire sign of an infection is the presence of a brownish, crumbly discharge in the ear.
Hair loss and itchy may be a sign of staph infections, endocrine problems, and more, so it is best to talk your vet first. Veterinarians typically make their diagnosis by getting samples of hair and the superficial debris on the animal’s skin.
Difficulty or Pain Upon Movement
The inability to bear weight on any part of the body is a sign that dog may have arthritis, hip dysplasia, ruptured ligaments, or disc disease. Lyme disease may also be associated with arthritis.
Since signs of disease and illnesses are not always prevalent in dogs, your veterinarian may require preventive care testing in your dog’s annual physical exam. Among the tests in preventive care testing are electrolyte tests, ECG, urine tests, and blood tests to determine the presence of heartworm, tick-borne, or other infectious diseases.
