Numerous symptoms can be caused by dog illnesses. A dog owner may attempt to diagnose the dogs condition based on a symptom. However, the symptoms can be misleading as many symptoms can be caused by different dog illnesses.
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.
When a dog owner notices physical or behavioral changes in the dog, the dog owner should consult a veterinarian. Dog illness diagnosis relies on extensive knowledge of dog anatomy and physiology and the ability to run any necessary diagnostic tests.
While a dog owner may recognize some symptoms as being related to a condition, a veterinarian should be consulted for a proper diagnosis and treatment. For example, if a dog has difficulty urinating, the dog owner may think the dog has a urinary tract infection. This could be correct, but it could also be due to other dog illnesses.
The dog owner has important contributions during the veterinarians examination of the dog. The dog owner can inform the veterinarian of the symptoms that they have observed in the dog. This is important information for a proper dog illness diagnosis.
After receiving information from the dog owner, the veterinarian can do a physical exam and run any tests for diagnosing the dogs illness. The veterinarian may perform several tests to rule out conditions that can cause the same symptoms.
Besides blood tests, the veterinarian may use the dogs feces or urine to determine the cause of the dogs symptoms. X-rays and other diagnostic tests may be used.
After the veterinarian has reached a dog illness diagnosis, the veterinarian may provide the dog owner with treatment options. Dog owners may need to ask questions about the illness and the proposed treatments. The dog owner should feel comfortable in gaining information from the veterinarian.
