Our dogs always make us happy and help us deal with stress and anxiety. But even they need care sometimes, since their health can falter in some cases. It’s very important to figure out how to narrow down any health problems and address them before they become more problematic. The question is, how do you know when/if your dog is sick? Here are some tips and tricks to help you identify when your dog is sick!
Abnormal Crying Or Whining
Sure, your dog will cry or whine especially when they want food. However, if a pet is whining constantly or they cry all the time, something is wrong. It could be a sign that there’s an underlying health issue you did not discover. In a situation like this, the best approach is to visit the vet. They can perform a quick checkup and see if your pet is indeed unhealthy. The vet can also provide a treatment, if necessary.
Excessive Urination Or Thirst
When a pet drinks or urinates too often, that might be a sign of diabetes. Sure, it’s fine if it happens once or twice. But if excessive thirst becomes the norm, your dog could have diabetes. That’s especially true if this sign also comes with diarrhea, lethargy, weight loss and vomiting. Contact the vet right away, they will analyze your pet’s health and see if they need any insulin injections or special medication.
Diarrhea Or Constipation
Just like humans, pets can also have issues like diarrhea or constipation. If your pet has a high amount of urine in their box, that might be a sign of kidney disease. Constant diarrhea means that either the diet is not suitable for your pet, or some food ingredients lead to allergies/stomach issues. The vet can tell you what dietary changes you need to make in order to prevent problems down the line.
A Decrease In Appetite
Sometimes you might overfeed your pet, so they won’t eat everything on their plate. The problems appear when your pet is constantly eating less than usual. It’s hard to identify what leads to that, it can be internal pain, stomach issues, or maybe a combination of causes. It becomes even more of a problem when your pet doesn’t eat at all and he also loses a lot of weight out of nowhere. A quick vet checkup is crucial here, and it might show the reasons why this lack of appetite is a problem in the first place.
There can also be the opposite, an increase in appetite. That might be a sign of either inflammatory bowel disease, hyperthyroidism, intestinal cancer or diabetes. Making sure you check on your pet to see how much they eat is very important. That way, if they eat too much, you can alert the vet and see what solutions they provide.
Inadequate Breathing
In some cases, dogs will end up not breathing properly. While it could be understood if it happens during the summer, it can also be caused by respiratory infections. Many of these upper respiratory infections can lead to potential breathing problems. They can also lower the pet’s appeal toward playing or performing its daily activities. Lots of pet owners think that breathing issues are normal, but that’s not always the case. Don’t overlook this, as it can become very serious.
Bad Breath
Speaking of breathing, another common problem in the case of many pets is bad breath. As expected, bad breath can be a sign of many different things. However, most of the time it relates to dental pain or maybe even periodontal disease. It might also be due to various internal health problems. In case you leave dental issues the way they are, they can become even more problematic and lead to kidney, liver or heart problems down the line.
Your Pet Is Not Moving As Much
As we all know, our pets are very active and they constantly try to jump around and explore the world. There are times when you will see your pet not moving very much. A lack of physical activity is very uncommon for a lot of pets. If you see any of that, then the best thing you can do is to see why your pet is inactive. It can be due to arthritis, or maybe an injury. Most of the time these are the problems that lead to your pet not moving at all, so addressing them is going to be crucial here.
Trouble Walking Or Climbing
You can also end up with your pet not being able to climb or walk at all. Just like the lack of movement, this might be a sign of an internal injury. You want to see whether one of the paws is injured, or if there are any physical injuries. If not, it might be due to internal injuries and that’s when you need to talk with the vet.
The Pet Is Very Aggressive
Most pets are loving and they rarely show any signs of aggression. But if you see any random signs of aggression, then something is happening. Usually it has to do with any health issues. That’s when a visit to the vet is warranted, because it’s clear something is wrong. It can be anything, from an injury to severe health problems or behavioral issues.
Your Pet Is Hiding
A similar situation can arise when your dog is not around you anymore. When dogs are sick, their natural instinct is to stay away and protect themselves. It’s not always a sign that your dog is sick, but it can be one of the causes why they stay away from you.
Conclusion
If you think that your dog is sick, then these tips and tricks are things that you should be looking for. We highly recommend checking everything and in case you identify any problem, go to the vet right away. They can perform a better analysis and narrow down any potential health issues. Then they can share a proper treatment!
You can check article about common dog health problems:
https://www.onehealth.org/blog/canine-wellness-recognizing-common-dog-health-problems
You can check our article about dog broken nail:
https://dogeposts.com/2023/08/handling-a-broken-nail-in-your-dog-steps-for-care-and-comfort/
