Dog Illness Symptoms

The most common dog symptoms of illness are generally associated with the dog becoming lethargic, loss of appetite, an upset stomach or a dull coat. Any dog owner will become aware that their dog is unwell relatively quickly and the need to either provide treatment or take the dog to the vets will depend on a number of factors, the most predominant probably being if the dog has severe dog symptoms which will lead to dehydration.

Obviously if the owner knows that their dog has eaten something irregular that this may the reason for the illness, as most dogs are scavengers it is important to keep a close eye on what the dog consumes; this is most important when the dog is off the leash when being exercised. If the dog suddenly begins to salivate profusely and shows signs of unable to breathe, then there may be a probability that the dog has eaten something poisonous. This could include infected food, plants or rodents which have been themselves killed by manmade poisons. The dog will need immediate treatment from a vet. In order for the vet to make a correct diagnosis if at all possible a sample of the suspected poison should be shown to the vet, along with details of how quickly the dog has begun to show any different dog illness symptoms.

Dog symptoms which include any discharge from the ears or nose should be taken very seriously and the dog taken to the vets where he or she may well take swabs to determine which infection or illness the dog has. Infections are often treated with a course of antibiotics.

Other dog symptoms which include loss of appetite and a dull coat which has a ‘heavy’ texture, rather than the dog’s normal coat ‘feel’ is a sign that the dog is unwell.

Loss of appetite needs to be watched closely and although it most probably is not too much of a worry if a dog misses one or two meals, it is imperative that the dog is encouraged to drink otherwise dehydration can very quickly become a serious problem. The dog should be wrapped in a blanket and taken to the vets if it refuses to drink, the vet will then be able to carry out an examination as to the overall general health of the dog.

If immediate diagnosis is not forthcoming the vet may well take blood tests to rule out numerous different illness and diseases, which will generally include a test for the numbers of both white and red blood cells. The results of the blood cell counts will tell the vet whether the dog is anemic, diabetic and includes tests to ensure immune systems are working efficiently.

Whatever dog symptoms of illness the dog is displaying the most important thing to do is take the dog to the vets to enable the correct treatments to be administered.