Top 5 Signs Your Dog is Sick (and What to Do)
If anyone knows dogs, it’s the folks here at Bayside Animal Hospital. We wanted to make it easier for you to recognize dog health warning signs at home. After all, pet health awareness is one of your most valuable tools in helping to ward off illness!
Changes in Eating or Drinking Habits
If your dog’s eating or drinking habits suddenly or noticeably change, it likely warrants giving us a call to have them examined. Sometimes a temporary change is easily explained (i.e. drinking more water after playing outdoors or increased appetite during a puppy growth spurt), but any continued deviation from the norm should be investigated.
Many common dog health issues can present with similar symptoms and a thorough examination and diagnostics are typically needed to assess the underlying cause. Changes in eating or drinking habits might be caused by:
- Intestinal parasites
- Organ dysfunction like liver or kidney disease
- Electrolyte imbalances
- Endocrine disturbances such as thyroid trouble or diabetes
- Infection
- Gastrointestinal disease
- An intestinal obstruction
Appropriate diagnostics can help us to hone in on the problem and get your pet feeling better faster.
Variations in Bathroom Habits
Changes in frequent, amount, and physical characteristics of bowel movements and/or urinations can be a big red flag.
The occasional soft stool or oopsie in the house is not usually a big deal, but persistent problems warrant further investigation to rule out infection, metabolic or endocrine disease, parasites, food sensitivities, or other issues.
Bringing us a fresh sample of your pet’s feces or urine can be very helpful as these things may be needed to arrive at a diagnosis. Also, if your pet is having urinary symptoms do your best to not allow them to go to the bathroom on the way to their appointment in case we need to collect a sterile specimen.
Weight Changes
We all fluctuate up and down on the weight scale a bit due to changes in activity and eating, but persistent changes can be a big deal in our pet population, and a not-so-subtle tip off that something isn’t quite right.
Weighing your pet in at their routine wellness visits is very important to pet health awareness. Be sure to not wait too long to investigate persistent changes that you notice at home, either. Using a body condition score can help you to monitor things even without a scale.
Respiratory
Changes in breathing rate or effort can be a big tip off that something isn’t right. Monitoring your pet’s resting respiratory rate can be very helpful, especially for those with a known underlying condition.
Likewise any new coughing, sneezing, drainage, or increased effort with normal activity should be looked into as soon as possible.
You Know Your Dog Best
Pet health awareness really hinges on you being familiar with what is normal for your pet. You know their normal day to day habits, what gets them excited, what food they never turn down, and how much they sleep. If you feel like something is off, it probably is. It is never wrong to act on your intuition when it comes to dog health warning signs. We would rather be safe than sorry, and our expert veterinarians are happy to help either set your mind at ease or get started helping your pooch.