7 Signs you Need to Take Your Dog to the Vet

The people who claim that unconditional love is not real are the ones who have never had a pet. Whether they listen to everything you say or always do the opposite of what you tell them to do, you’ll love them dearly. But with love also comes worry. As soon as you make a pet a part of your life, the worry begins.

People worry about their pets just as one would about their children because pets and children are not so different. Sure, you won’t have to worry about your dog making the wrong career choices or not getting into a good college, but there are plenty of other worries that will become a part of your life once a pet becomes a part of your family.

A dog is considered man’s best friend and for the right reasons. They care about you beyond your imagination. Even if your dog doesn’t show it, they love you a lot. So how can you not love them back and strive to make sure they never face any problems?

One way to do that is by keeping a track of your dog’s health. And by a close watch, we don’t mean watching them breathe when they are sleeping.

There are a few factors that can help you decide whether or not your dog is doing well. There are a few health-related things that can be handled at home but you’ll need help to understand the difference between the different kinds of problems a dog can experience.

Listed below are the signs that tell you it is time to take your dog to the vet:

1. Weak & Lethargic

Your dog is the most active member of your family. Every dog in the world knows the meaning of the word walk. They would come back from a walk and will be ready for the next walk without any delay. Even if you don’t take your dog out frequently, they’d demand that you play with them on the inside.

There’s always a game of fetch going on in homes with dogs. Sometimes your dog may rest for a long time after a day of activity, but if they start avoiding play time and stay in one spot the whole day, then that’s cause for concern.

Lethargy and weakness are the hardest to notice signs and could be a sign of something serious.

Sometimes a pet stays inactive for a long period of time due to a life-threatening illness, but diagnosis at the right time can save your pet’s life. If your dog is young then lethargy is extra serious and you should take them to the vet at the first signs of it.

2. Unusual Eating Habits

When we were little, our moms would make us eat forcefully so we don’t get weak. Picky eaters will remember how their parents tried different tactics to get them to eat. As an adult, we worry the same way about our dogs. Even if your dog is healthy and eats regularly, he must have chewed on a shoe at least once and at that moment you’d have run after him to get the shoe out of his mouth.

But every dog tries to eat things that they shouldn’t be eating. That’s odd. However, when your dog develops odd eating habits, then you should be concerned.

Loss of appetite is one of the biggest signs of illness. Humans, too, lose their appetite when they are sick, which is why when you notice that your dog has been skipping meals for two days, you must schedule a quick visit to the vet.

Any problem that causes dogs to lose their appetite should be treated as soon as possible. If dogs don’t get medical attention quickly not only will they get weak, whatever sickness they are battling will also get worse.

3. Excessive Vomiting

Anyone who has ever had pets knows that they vomit more often than humans. It is the same for cats and dogs. So if your dog vomits once in a blue moon, it is no cause of concern. But when the vomiting becomes more frequent, that means your dog is suffering from a disease and should get physical attention as soon as possible. If severe vomiting is not treated quickly, it will make your dog dehydrated while also worsening whatever condition is causing the vomiting.

Although vomiting is not that dangerous in animals, if you see blood in your dog’s vomit, then you should take them to the vet without a moment’s delay. Everyone knows how weakening vomiting can be. If you vomit more than once in a day, you’ll start feeling lethargic. Your pets are your smaller version, they can’t tolerate as much as you can. They are fragile and must be treated accordingly. Don’t hesitate to take them to the vet as soon as you notice a sign of sickness.

4. Increased Thirst

Water is good for everyone. We hear its importance all our lives. Drinking 8-10 glasses of water each day is really good for your health. It not only keeps your organ healthy but also your skin fresh and makes you feel alert.

Animals don’t need to drink a lot of water every day. In fact, if your dog starts drinking that much water, you should be concerned. Unless it is the middle of summer and the sun is shining down hard on the earth, your dog shouldn’t feel thirsty all the time.

Increased thirst can be a sign of some serious health problems like diabetes and kidney issues. When you see them urinating more often than usual, be alarmed. If they are drinking more water, then accidents will happen around the house and let that be a sign for you that your pet needs medical attention.

Increased thirst is also a bad sign in humans. Diabetes is one of the top reasons behind increased thirst in humans too. If left untreated, diabetes can be extremely dangerous. If your dog has been drinking a lot of water then you should get them checked as soon as possible to make sure they have not developed a serious disease.

5. Odd Behaviour

Pets aren’t humans. Everything they do appears odd to us. But if you compare them with infants and children, you’ll realize they are not very different from humans. Kids will also put odd things in their mouths and so will dogs. But there is a lot of oddity in a dog’s behavior that can be considered normal.

If your pet starts behaving abnormally then that’s a cause of concern. For instance, if your dog’s gait changes, then maybe they have a torn ligament and should get proper treatment as quickly as possible.

Worms and kidney disease can make your dog drag his hind-side. Excessive anger is also not normal for your dog. If you notice any kind of strange behavior, then instead of taking any risks you should take them to a vet to find out the underlying cause and get them treated.

6. Hair Loss and Rough Coat

Like humans, animals also experience a fixed amount of hair loss, but when the hair loss exceeds that amount then that’s a problem. A lot of things can be the culprit behind hair loss. Problems can range from allergies to skin diseases.

The rough coat is also a sign of trouble. A dog’s coat should be soft and shiny. If it becomes rough and dull then it is trying to tell you of an underlying problem.

Excessive hair loss in humans is also the sign of a bigger problem. Many people have had to get special treatments for scalp allergy or other skin related diseases that cause hair fall.

So extreme hair loss is a problem in both humans and dogs and when you notice your pet’s rough coat or bald patches, you should take them to the vet.

7. Vision Problems

A pet may experience vision issues at any time in their life. But the problems can be severe in older dogs. It is good to take your dog straight to the vet as soon as you notice your pet experiencing vision problems.

The breed that suffers the most from eye problems is pugs. Their beautiful, big eyes can become a victim of various eye problems. Pug eye problems include inflammation, irritation, teary eyes, corneal abrasion, and ulcers.

Pugs experience more eye problems than any other breed of dogs due to the size and shape of their eyes. Because of this, pugs’ eyes require extra care. As soon as you see a tiny sign of eye problems, take your pug to the vet and get their eyes treated so they can keep looking at you with their lovely eyes without any trouble.

Products to Keep Your Dogs Healthy

Although you shouldn’t make any compromises on your pet’s health and take them to the vet at the first sign of trouble, there are a few products that can help you take better care of them at home. The products mentioned below are a must have for all dog owners:

Healthy Breeds

Healthy breeds is eye care support for dogs. It comes in different packages for each breed. Healthy breeds ensure healthy eye function in dogs. It comes for 80 breeds in total. It is a soft supplement that’s easily chewable. It was created specifically to maintain a healthy ocular structure. Its specific formula eliminates the side effects of aging on vision.

Zymax

Ear problems are also pretty common in cats and dogs. When not treated, these bacterial or fungal problems can lead to serious health issues. Zymax is a product that helps you keep your pet’s ears healthy and clean. Zymax is a product that helps you keep your pet’s ears healthy and clean. However, you need to remember you will still need to use a good dog ear cleaner from time to time. It can help you manage both acute and chronic infections. It is also helpful for treating yeast infections. It helps you get rid of the debris in your dog’s ears so they don’t develop irritations of any kind. Zymax is also easy to use and the application procedure is pretty easy to follow.

Capstar

Fleas are another common problem among dogs and cats. They can make your pet agitated. There are different kinds of solutions for fleas. Sprays and chewable tablets are two of the best options for treating fleas and ticks. Capstar is a fast-acting chewable tablet that can get rid of the fleas and ticks. Capstar is suitable for pets of all ages. You can treat your puppies and kittens with it without any hesitation. It is also safe for pregnant and nursing dogs. The quick action formula of Capstar starts working within 30 minutes. Your dog will be able to live a flea free life thanks to Capstar.

Heartgard Plus

It is the best defense against heartworm disease. Heartworm disease is caused by a blood-borne parasite and can prove to be fatal. Sometimes the disease is diagnosed when it is too late. It is better to protect your pet against the disease from the start instead of getting them treated after the worms get discovered.

Heartgard Plus is recommended by veterinarians to treat worms of different kinds. It is tasty and easy to chew. It is administered once a month to keep your dogs safe from heartworm, roundworms, and hookworms. Pets should be observed after administering the dose to make sure none of it is lost because for Heartgard to work effectively, the full dosage should be administered.

[separator type=”thick”]

A pet’s health is very important. Just like children, they cannot tell us in words when they are sick. But they do express their pain in different ways and if we are observant enough, we can notice the signs and get them the help they require.

We love our pets like our children because once we bring them into our lives they become a part of our family and family’s well being is everyone’s top priority in life. So if you have a dog or dogs, you would want them to stay healthy forever. But no one can avoid diseases. What you can do is be observant and take them to the vet whenever they show any alarming signs. Pet insurance is also helpful when it comes to their health.