During our lives, there are situations when our dog starts behaving strangely, sometimes seemingly incomprehensibly to us. In such cases, we often do not know what to do. Should we wait patiently and observe the dog in the meantime? Or should we immediately hit the panic button?
Soon everything will become clear, please read on carefully! Below we list the symptoms that fall into the "Never ignore" category. It is possible that these do not indicate a serious underlying disease, but never ignore them because in several cases the symptoms of some life-threatening diseases are similar to the symptoms of some benign conditions.
In every case when you notice symptoms in your dog that you have not experienced before, call your veterinarian or take your dog to them for an examination. In an emergency, visit the nearest animal clinic as soon as possible, where you can expect prompt help.
10 symptoms you should never ignore
1. Loss of appetite and weight loss
Often, loss of appetite is the first sign of an underlying disease in our pets. There can be many reasons why your dog is not hungry or unwilling to eat. You also need to know that if your dog does not eat within 24 hours, this already has a negative effect on their health. And for puppies, those aged 6 months or younger, this problem can be even more serious.
Weight loss is the result of a negative calorie balance and it can be a consequence of anorexia (loss of appetite), when the dog's body uses essential dietary nutrients faster than it can replenish them. If weight loss exceeds 10% of the dog's normal body weight, the red alert goes into effect and veterinary examination is necessary as soon as possible, since there can be numerous underlying causes, some of which can be very serious.
2. Lethargy and extreme fatigue
A lethargic dog may appear sleepy, and as a result, "lazy" and/or indifferent. They may respond slowly to sights, sounds, and other stimuli from their environment.
Lethargy or exhaustion is a non-specific symptom that can indicate many potentially underlying disorders, including some that are severe or life-threatening. If your pet is lethargic for more than 24 hours, the red alert goes into effect, it’s time to arrange a visit with your veterinarian.
3. Coughing
Coughing in dogs generally may indicate underlying problems such as bronchitis, pneumonia, tumors in the lungs, but it can also be a primary symptom of kennel cough disease, as well as coughing may indicate heart failure, heartworm disease, and tracheal obstruction, especially if your dog also eats bones.
If you hear your dog coughing, the red alert goes into effect, urgently see your veterinarian because the cause of the cough needs to be investigated to enable effective and prompt treatment.
4. Fever
If your dog’s body temperature rises, it generally means that its body is fighting an infection. The normal body temperature of dogs is between 38 – 39 °C. If your dog's body temperature exceeds the normal range, the red alert goes into effect, be sure to call your veterinarian or take your dog to them.
5. Difficulty breathing
If your dog experiences difficulty breathing or shortness of breath during inhalation or exhalation, it can indicate respiratory distress syndrome. Due to breathing difficulties, not enough oxygen reaches the tissues; furthermore, dogs with heart disease cannot pump enough blood to their muscles and other tissues.
Respiratory distress is often accompanied by fluid accumulation in the lungs or chest cavity, whose main symptoms are shortness of breath and persistent coughing. If your dog suddenly develops severe breathing problems, the red alert goes into effect, see your veterinarian immediately.
6. Urination problems
This includes discomfort during urination, straining urges, and frequent attempts with little success. If your dog has difficulty urinating, whimpers or cries out during urination, excessively licks the area, the red alert goes into effect, arrange an immediate appointment with your veterinarian.
There can be many underlying causes of urination difficulties, some of which may lead to death within a few days without treatment.
7. Bloody diarrhea, urine, vomiting
If we see blood in the stool, it can cause alarm. Be sure to observe its color, as the color of the stool helps determine the underlying causes. Fresh, red blood in the stool indicates a problem with the colon or rectum. Black blood appearing in tar-like stool indicates a problem with the stomach and digestive system. In the latter case, the blood is broken down by digestive juices and its color changes from red to black. The digested blood prevents some of the fluid in the intestines from being absorbed, so the stool becomes black, thickly flowing, and muddy. These situations are cause for concern and should be examined as soon as possible.
Bloody urine or hematuria can be obvious or microscopic. Many serious diseases can cause bloody urine in dogs, such as bacterial infections, tumors, or urinary tract obstruction.
Vomiting blood can appear bright red (indicating fresh blood) or resemble coffee grounds (indicating partially digested blood). There are various causes if the dog vomits blood, some of which are minor, while others may indicate serious, even life-threatening diseases.
8. Bloating, restlessness, ineffectual retching
When a dog continually paces and seems unable or unwilling to settle down anywhere, this condition can indicate pain, discomfort, and anxiety. The following symptoms can also be signs of a very serious condition that develops after eating, called gastric torsion, during which the stomach twists and becomes bloated. Another sign is continuous retching.
Gastric torsion is a life-threatening condition that occurs most often in large and deep-chested dogs. You can read more about this serious condition in our article about gastric torsion.
9. Collapse, fainting
When a dog collapses, it suddenly loses strength and is unable to stand up again. If a collapsed dog also loses consciousness, that is fainting.
Any of these situations constitute an emergency, even if your dog quickly recovers and appears completely normal again within seconds or minutes after collapsing or fainting. The causes of collapse and fainting are always serious, the red alert is activated, and an immediate visit to your veterinarian with your dog is necessary. These serious difficulties include potential problems related to the nervous system (brain, spinal cord, or nerves), the musculoskeletal system (bones, joints, muscles), the circulatory system (heart, vessels, blood), and the respiratory system (mouth, nose, throat, lungs).
10. Red eye(s)
If the white part of your dog's eye turns bright red, this is the result of inflammation or infection, which may indicate several conditions such as prolapse of the third eyelid, conjunctivitis, keratitis, or scleral inflammation.
The redness can also indicate inflammation inside the eye, diseases of the eye socket, or glaucoma. Certain eye diseases in dogs can lead to blindness, so if you notice any significant changes in your dog's eye, the red alert is activated, take him to your vet immediately.
A few final thoughts
Detecting symptoms of some diseases and deciding on further action simply requires attention from the responsible dog owner, for example, a mild upset stomach caused by overeating that passes within 1-2 days if you pay attention by reducing your dog's daily portion or not allowing him to snack between meals.
Other symptoms occur so suddenly, are so severe and frightening that you immediately know you have to take your pet to the vet right away, or to an animal clinic in case of an emergency.
The 10 symptoms listed above are definitive. We hope these provide some help in case you notice any of these symptoms in your pet, as each of them may indicate a potentially serious or life-threatening condition.
Please share this post with your friends and other dog lovers, as it may be useful to them too! Thank you!
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