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Dog Health Symptoms

Submitted by Michael Adams on March 10, 2010

Dogs have a natural instinctive tendency to hide their symptoms that could be traced back to their origins, prior to domestication. Even though they no longer have the threat of being prey to other species, dogs have retained the habit of not showing disease symptoms to their owners. So, it becomes important for the owner to check dog health symptoms regularly.

Sometimes the dog will exhibit mild symptoms and at other times they may be more obvious. Before looking for dog disease symptoms, one must be aware of the traits and features of a healthy dog as this will help you discern between normal behavior and appearances and illness. A healthy dog would have a normal appetite, healthy weight, and his temperature would be 100 to 101 degrees Fahrenheit.

The dog’s skin would also be clear, eyes bright, nose free from any discharge, and his coat would be full and glossy. If one or more of the above canine health symptoms are missing, the owner must consult a veterinarian.

Something any dog relishes the most is a daily walk and at least two meals a day, so much so that inadequate exercise can result in emotional and psychological problems in them. If the dog refuses to have at least two meals a day, does not eat for two consecutive days, or doesn’t prefer going out for walks, something is amiss. It’s also very important to give the dog enough fresh water but if he drinks too much of it, urinates excessively and has watery stools, it can indicate diabetes or kidney problems. On the other hand, passing hard and dry stools can be symptomatic of dietary problems, constipation, or dehydration.

If a dog shows painful movement or if touching a body part causes him pain, it can be an indicator of arthritis. Symptoms like fever, rapid weight loss, vomiting, pus in the eyes, dehydration, and diarrhea, could all be indications that the dog is suffering from a viral infection, one of them being canine parvo virus. Skin problems caused by viral, bacterial and fungal infections also result in symptoms like scratching and itching, inflammation of the skin, red and teary eyes, discharge from the skin, and constant shaking and scratching of the ears to name a few. Mites and fleas are also responsible for these symptoms. Rabies is also a very big health concern in dogs. The dog will salivate excessively, ignore the owner’s calls, become aggressive and bite people indiscriminately. When one notices such symptoms, the dog must be taken to the vet without any delay.

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