Dog Illness Symptoms

Dogs are not immune from becoming ill. Knowing what dog illness symptoms to look for will help you determine the correct treatments.

Parasites such as tape worms and round worms are the most common types of worms encountered.
Round worms often infest puppies; they are white or pale pink in color and look similar to angle worms. In adult dogs round worms can be between three to seven inches long and as thick as string. Round worms live in the small intestine of the dog and it is not unusual if left untreated for them to coil into masses which block parts of the intestines. They can also travel into the dog’s stomach or be passed from the bowel in the dogs faeces.

The round worms are spread by contaminated faeces, millions of eggs can scattered onto floors, bedding and feeding bowls as well as the dog’s coat. As the dog eats or licks the eggs are reintroduced inside the dog, round worms can very easily be spread to other dogs, especially others living in close quarters such as kennels.

The most common signs that a dog has worms include a dry nose, foul breath, skin conditions and a cough. Dogs with worms can often be so hungry that they will constantly ask for food and even eat rubbish and the next day eat barely anything. They will urinate more frequently and have irregular bowel movements as well as vomiting watery mucus and having ropey excess saliva.

Worms can cause puppies and dogs to become very ill, if you think your dog has worms then treatments and consultation with the vets is advisable.

Fleas are not only a common pest they can cause allergic reactions, dog illness symptoms caused by fleas include hair loss, dermatitis, itching and continual scratching which can lead to skin infections, in cases of serious flea infestations dogs and puppies it has been known to cause their death.

Fleas management is essential to ensure that fleas are continuously looked for and treated immediately by use of sprays, powders and applications applied directly onto the dog’s skin. There are also flea treatments from vets which sterilize the fleas to help reduce the quantities. Dog fleas can also spread the double-pored dog tapeworm.

Dog illness symptoms which are shown by discharge from the ears and increased ear wax may be an indication that the dog has ear mites. The vet will take ear swabs and if ear mites are identified a treatment of drops instilled over a couple of weeks recommended. If the discharge is thick the vet may wash the dog’s ear out to ensure that the drops have better contact with the mites. If the discharge is yellow to brown in color the dog may have a yeast or bacterial ear infection which can be treated with antibiotics.