When something just seems “off” about your dog it’s not as easy to as discerning what’s wrong with yourself or with a child who can describe it to you. However, by knowing what to look for and observing sick dog symptoms you can better help your veterinarian properly make a dog illness diagnosis.
Below are the Top Ten Symptoms that can help in a dog illness diagnosis when you need it most:
1. Dry Nose — A dog’s nose should be moist and cool, and a nose that is not indicates illness. By gently touching the tip you can tell if your dog’s nose is dry or cracked.
2. Heavy Panting — Heavy or excessive panting can mean any number of dog health problems; watch for other symptoms along with it, and make certain the panting isn’t because of ordinary circumstances like heat or physical exertion.
3. Repeated Vomiting, Gagging, Sneezing, or Coughing — While the occasional cough, sneeze, or even vomiting is not a cause for alarm with dogs, repeated instances of these can be a concern.
4. Change in Weight — Many dog illness diagnoses accompany a rapid loss or gain in weight, especially if the dog’s eating habits have not changed.
5. Hair Loss — Many dogs shed layers of fur naturally, but patchy or unusually large clumps of missing fur can be a sign of mites, or even canine Cushing’s disease.
6. Unusual Odors — While a dog’s breath may not typically be a fragrant bouquet, a sudden, overwhelmingly unpleasant smell can be an indicator of internal problems. Also make note of odors from the skin, ears, or anus.
7. Change in Bowel Movement — Not the most pleasant symptom to watch for, but an important one nonetheless. Bloody, discolored, hard, or uncomfortable stool or urine is a symptom of such conditions as infections or pancreatitis in dogs.
8. Pain — A dog in pain may whimper for no obvious reason, or shrink away or flinch from touching.
9. Change in Eating/Drinking/Urination — When a dog’s eating habits, amount of fluid intake, or frequency of urination change by raising or decreasing noticeably for a length of several days, speak to your vet.
10. Change in Behavior — Behavior changes often accompany illness, disease, or injury. Aggressiveness, lethargy, or depression is a common symptom.
The best way to notice such symptoms is to be on the lookout for your dog’s normal, healthy behavior. Dog health insurance can help in keeping your dog’s veterinary visits frequent, and frequent visits can also help a veterinarian make the right dog illness diagnosis when needed.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Dog Illness Diagnosis
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.
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.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Getting A Dog Illness Diagnosis
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.
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.
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