Good dog health care is about understanding your canine behavior
Like humans, dogs suffer from a wide array of physical illnesses and aliments. No matter how much effort a dog owner can put in to take care of his dog’s health, there will be times that your dog will fall sick during the whole of his life. It is almost impossible for a dog not to fall sick especially with selective breeding that has intensified the happening of canine health disorder issues.
As dogs are stoic animals who enjoy human companionship more than any other pets out there, most dogs will try their best to behave normally even if they are down with illnesses or suffering from any injury that cause them pain. It is therefore very difficult for dog owners to spot their dog illness unless one knows what to look out for.
Apart from the usual dog illness symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting where you can be certain that your dog is sick, listed below are some of the things you can look out for to see if your dog is sick:
1. Eating habit – If you find that your dog has lost interest in food or is taking much lesser food than before, he might be suffering from gum problems or digestive problems. You can check the gums for any inflammation and tooth decay. You can also check your dog’s rear to give you clue about bowel upsets and tapeworm infestation.
A drastic change in your dog eating habit, either more or less can be signs to big health problems. Your dog can even be pregnant for all you might know.
2. Movement – If your dog appears to be not interested in play or seem less active than before, he might be suffering from some skeletal and muscular disorder problems. You can check your dog nails and nail bed for damages. Uneven wear may mean that your dog has been favoring the use of one leg. He might be having a problem with that leg and is avoiding using that leg.
3. Sleeping habit – If your find that your dog tired easily and requires more sleep than usual lately, he might be suffering from congestive heart failure problem or some other serious illness. There is very little you can do here but to seek veterinary advice as soon as possible.
Both early discovery of your dog’s problem and quick veterinary attention are vital to good dog health care. As a dog cannot communicate with humans and explain his illness in words, it is important that the owner take up the full responsibility of looking after their dog’s health.
Dog owners should take note of any physical or behavioral changes that happen and describe these changes as accurate as possible to their veterinarian. Only then can quick and accurate medical attention be given. This could even save your dog’s life in an emergency.
