Is My Dog Sick – Common Warning Signs

Dogs lack the communication ability to tell their owners when they are feeling unwell. Often, odd behaviors are an indicator of a medical illness. However, these behaviors can also signal emotional issues. A dog that has experienced changes, stress, or disturbances in their environment may begin to act differently than usual. It can be difficult to determine whether your pup’s unusual behavior is due to emotional stress or health problems.

Even issues such as dog diarrhea or dog vomiting can be caused by health problems or emotional distress. Learning to discern one from the other is a crucial part of dog ownership, and this skill often gets easier as the bond between you and your dog grows.

Is my dog sick? is often a relative question. Sick can mean your dog has the runs and isn’t quite himself, or it could mean sudden lethargy, dehydration, and fevers. Just as humans experience varying degrees of illness, dogs do too. Some ailments can be treated at home, while others may require emergency medical care.

Symptoms such as dehydration and fever require immediate veterinary attention. These could indicate an infection or serious illness, so treatment should not be delayed. On the other hand, lethargy and listlessness can be signs of either illness or emotional distress. It’s important to note that lethargy differs from fatigue. If your dog had an excessive amount of exercise the day before and just wants to sleep, that’s fatigue. If your dog is suddenly uninterested in his normal activities, without any changes in his routine, it could be lethargy or listlessness.

A dog can also go on a hunger strike due to a change in food or environment, or simply when they are unwell. All of these possibilities make it challenging to determine whether your dog is just stressed or actually sick and in need of medical attention.

Taking stock of his environment over the 24-hour period leading up to the behavioral changes can help answer this question. The more familiar you are with your dog’s usual behavior, the easier it will be to identify any changes in his environment. What is considered stable in a dog’s life may differ from a human’s understanding of stability. Some dogs can become upset by something as small as a rearranged piece of furniture, while others may not react at all to changes in their surroundings.

Once you’ve considered whether there is something in your dog’s environment triggering the changes (such as an argument between family members or a new pet), it’s a good idea to contact your veterinarian. Explaining your dog’s behavior and your concerns won’t get you an immediate diagnosis, but it can help you determine your next steps.

The most difficult part of diagnosing a dog’s illness is that you might be wrong. Dogs cannot communicate where it hurts or how they feel, so it’s up to the human to interpret the signs. If there is going to be a significant change in your dog’s life—such as a family vacation or the arrival of a new puppy—consider scheduling a check-up with your veterinarian. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Symptoms of a Sick Dog

There are certain symptoms that indicate a life-threatening illness or the possibility of one, and these should never be ignored. These include labored breathing, bloody diarrhea, difficulty urinating, inability to urinate, abdominal swelling, unconsciousness, convulsions, uncontrolled bleeding, vomiting blood, or thick mucous drainage from the rectum. Thick mucous drainage from the rectum is usually accompanied by fever, and the dog may adopt a hunched posture, indicating abdominal discomfort. This could be a sign of a bowel obstruction, which requires immediate medical care. If left untreated, it can lead to shock, hypovolemia, and even death.

Lyme disease, a growing problem in the United States, often causes severe pain. This may be noticeable when the dog winces as they attempt to stand or walk, and they may need assistance to go outside to use the bathroom. Pain from Lyme disease is typically noticeable enough to alert you that something is wrong.

When trying to determine if your dog is sick, don’t be discouraged if you miss the mark. Even the most compassionate and intuitive dog owners can find it difficult to interpret the behavior of an ailing dog.