Dog Illness Symptoms What to Look For

It’s important to know when dog illness symptoms are the beginning of a serious health problem or just a minor irregularity. It’s not unusual for a dog to have a bout with vomiting and or diarrhea and not have it be symptomatic of a serious underlying problem. On the other hand it can be the beginning of a serious health issue for your dog.

Often diarrhea or vomiting is minor and short lived and not reflecting a dog illness. Diarrhea, vomiting and the dog not eating should not last more than approximately 24 hours. There should be no signs of blood. Treat as follows: Rest the dietary tract by fasting for 12 -24 hours. Feed a bland diet of cooked white rice mixed with boiled skinless chicken. You can also use boiled eggs, plain low fat cottage cheese. Feed this for several meals and gradually mixed in your pets regular feed. Make sure your dog has plenty of fresh water to drink to avoid dehydration.

To help avoid any dog health problems, you can provide a probotic supplement which supplies beneficial bacteria to support and aid digestion. It’s also helpful to feed the highest quality dog food, one without corn, soy and chemical preservatives.

Here are some dog illness symptoms that may reflect a more serious condition.

If your dog has blood in their vomit or stool

If diarrhea and or vomiting persists beyond 24hours

If you dog has a fever and or has become dehydrated

Dog not eating and has become listless

If you observe these symptoms you need to get your pet to the veterinarian immediately. These dog illness symptoms can be caused by: Ingesting a toxic substance, a viral infection, a bacterial infection, and internal parasites. A vet can make the accurate dog diagnosis and quickly administer the correct treatment.

You can determine for yourself if your dog is becoming dehydrated. To test, press your finger on a gum and if the color stays white for an extended period of time it’s a sign of dehydration. Also try gently pulling the skin on the back of the neck and if the skin stays elevated that also indicates dehydration.

Keep on hand a pet thermometer. Normal temperature is 100.5 to 102.5. An increasing temperature is cause for concern and reflective of dog illness and a worsening condition.

If your pet starts with simple diarrhea and or vomiting but then more symptom evolve such as dehydration and or a fever, it’s clearly a developing problem and needs the help of your vet. Keep in mind that if puppies have contacted a viral infection, bacterial infection and or are heavily infested with parasites their condition can deteriorate very quickly. Watch them closely.

Knowing what to watch for, testing for dehydration and taking your animal’s temperature can provide valuable guidance to make the correct choice to protecting and preventing any dog health problems in the future. Be proactive to keep your dog healthy!

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