Dog illnesses cause a large variety of symptoms. When the dog owner tries to identify what is wrong with the dog, the symptoms can be misleading. Symptoms can be physical and behavioral.
The correct cause of behavioral changes in dogs can be difficult to determine. A dog that used to spend a significant amount of time running and playing may stop after only a short time or not be interested in playing at all. This could be the sign of a serious dog disease, but the owner may think it is just aging or laziness.
Changes in behavior should be taken seriously. A dog owner should notify the veterinarians office when there are observable changes in the dogs behavior to determine if the change in behavior could be caused by a dog illness or injury.
Dog owners may attempt to diagnose the dog. Many websites offer information to help dog owners diagnose a dog illness. This is not necessarily detrimental, but a dog owner should understand that the diagnosis that they identify could be wrong. Even veterinarians are sometimes wrong about a dog illness diagnosis, but the veterinarian is able to do tests to confirm a diagnosis.
The dog owner is not an unnecessary part of dog illness diagnosis. Dog owners play a crucial role in helping the veterinarian diagnose a dog illness. Dog owners can report the symptoms and describe any noticeable changes in the dogs behavior.
The veterinarian uses the information provided by the dog owner about the dogs symptoms when determining the cause of the symptoms. The veterinarian may do some tests on the dog to identify the dog illness. Veterinarians often have to do several tests to rule out dog illnesses that can cause the same symptoms.
Other diagnostic tests may be performs. The veterinarian may check the dogs feces or urine. X-rays may be used for a variety of symptoms and dog illnesses.
The veterinarian may suggest different treatment options once the dog illness diagnosis is confirmed. The dog owner should feel comfortable asking questions about the diagnosis and treatment.
