Dog Health Symptoms

Understanding the difference in dog health symptoms can help you distinguish when your pet is "in the pink" and when he's feeling under the weather.

When you think about it, who knows your dog better than you do? You see him on a daily basis, you know what and how much he eats, how much he exercises, and how much rest he normally gets.

These are all the standard behaviors that will help you determine what is normal for your pet, so when he begins to deviate from his usual routine, you'll have an early warning sign of any illness, injury, or other condition that may be trying to take hold.

Keeping your dog properly vaccinated for common illnesses such as distemper, adenovirus, parainfluenza, Parvo, Corona, and rabies will eliminate a good deal of the health threats your dog would ever be likely to face, but unfortunately vaccines can't prevent every type of illness.

Basically, there are two general groups of dog health symptoms, good ones and bad ones.

All healthy dogs share these general signs of good health.

• Clear, bright eyes
• Glossy, full coat
• Clear skin
• Dry nose, free from discharge
• Good weight, according to breed standards
• Healthy appetite
• Good energy
• Pain free movement
• Normal temperature around 100-101 degrees Fahrenheit
• Generally positive attitude and personality

There are many different dog health symptoms that may indicate your pet isn't feeling well. Some are physical, some emotional or behavioral. It's important to be able to recognize them as soon as possible because early treatment can be the key to keeping a simple problem from snowballing into something more serious.

Early symptoms might include:

• Drop in food/water consumption
• Sudden dramatic increase in water consumption
• Lack of energy
• Sudden onset of pain anywhere in the body
• Negative change in personality or attitude
• Loss of interest in normal activities
• Coat begins to look dull and feel brittle
• Skin rash or irritation
• Cloudy eyes
• Runny, crusty discharge from nose an/or eyes
• Bloody discharge
• Slight weight loss

As the illness progresses, symptoms may include:

• Complete refusal of food and/or water
• Constipation
• Difficulty urinating
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Dramatic weight loss
• Severe pain
• Bloated stomach
• Localized swelling
• Seizures
• Complete withdrawal from surroundings
• Body temperature above 102 degrees Fahrenheit

You can be an active partner in your dog's health care by providing your veterinarian with as much information as possible about the changes you've noticed since your pet became ill.

Memory is not as reliable during times of stress and having a sick or injured canine companion can stress out even the most laid back owners. That's why it's a good idea to write out each of the dog health symptoms and changes you've noticed in your pet. This will provide some direction for your vet as he searches for a diagnosis, and a possible course of action for restoring your pet to health.

Whenever possible, it's a good idea to take your vet a stool or vomit sample, so they can see exactly what you're trying to describe and have the samples analyzed at the lab if needed. This can save critical time during a severe illness where a fast diagnosis may be necessary in order to save your pet's life.

Be sure to put any samples gathered into a zip lock bag to prevent further contamination.

There are far too many distinct types of illness to list all possible dog health symptoms in one article.

Following the general guidelines listed above will give you the edge in determining when your pet may be in the early stages of illness, help you notify your vet much sooner, and hopefully help you both gain control over whatever's bothering your pet for the best possible outcome.

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