Dogs are psychic buffers - they use this ability to tell if you are sick. However, we humans don’t have this instinctual superpower.
If your dog is sick, it will not show up any signs of illness instantly. But if you’ll observe closely, you’ll get to notice some changes in your canine’s activity, mood and behaviour. Dogs are expressive; you only have to look out for warning signs in their personality and behaviour to take the right action at the right time.
We know it is not that easy, and thus we are here with some tell-tale signs that will help you understand the signs that your dog needs medical care and attention. Here are three warning signs that show it’s time to contact a vet immediately.
Three Sickness Signs You Should Never Ignore
- Personality Changes
As discussed in the beginning of the blog, dogs are expressive and they display behavioural changes when they are in pain. Supposedly, your pet is aggressive and it acts more withdrawn or defensive, then it is surely withering in pain. On the other hand, if your dog is calm, then it may start yelping or growling to tell you that something isn’t right with its health.
It is the natural defence mechanism they exhibit a personality change or you can say a side effect of being in pain.
- Loss of Appetite and Unexpected Weight Loss
When it comes to the loss of appetite, it may not necessarily indicate immediate veterinary attention, but it could be one of the signs of illness. However, if your dog shows signs of distress or pain along with loss of appetite, you should give your vet a call. You don’t know whether there could be an underlying issue that is left unaddressed such as liver disease, infections, or kidney failure.
Apart from this, they experience vomiting and dehydration along with unexpected weight loss that affects the body fat and muscles that may lead to emaciation. However, if your dog has a healthy diet and is still losing weight then this could be a sign of hormonal imbalance, malabsorption, or maldigestion.
Other than this, it could be a sign of serious medical issues like metabolic disorders such as diabetes mellitus, hypoadrenocorticism, hyperthyroidism, and cancer. Or it could be a sign of other serious medical conditions like diseases associated with the heart, liver, or kidneys.
- Inappropriate Elimination
Veterinarians generally use a term called inappropriate elimination to describe urination and defecation by dogs at unwelcomed occasions and places. It is associated with behavioural changes or an underlying medical condition or confluence of both in dogs. Here are the common symptoms that you should look for:
- Increased urination
- The increased volume of urine
- Blood in stool or urine
- Abnormal odour
- Changes in the consistency of faeces or colour of stool
All these issues could be out of urinary tract infections, urinary stones, Cushing's disease, or diabetes mellitus.
So, above were three common issues associated with dog illness that shouldn’t be ruled out. If your dog exhibits any of the symptoms, you must take immediate action.
However, we would recommend you to start as early as possible to prevent issues that begin with positive training in early puppyhood. And, when it comes to dog training, training tools are a must for a good start, for which you should check out Bully Billows. Here you will get the best quality leashes, harnesses, dog nylon collars, toys, and other important pet supplies.
Check out some exclusive offers for you.
