Dog owners, who recognize the early signs
and symptoms of illness or pain in their
dogs, will not only relieve their loved one’s
suffering but may also be able to save themselves
an expensive trip to the veterinarian. Not
only is it important to recognize these signs
early to relieve pain and suffering, but
it is much more effective to treat an illness
when it is detected early.
The dog owner should keep an accurate and
detailed account of their dog’s symptoms
to help the veterinarian correctly diagnose
and effectively treat the dog’s illness or
condition. Most canine illnesses are detected
through a combination of various signs and
symptoms:
Temperature, Respiratory Rate and Heart Rate
A newborn puppy will have a temperature of
94-97º F. which will eventually reach the
normal adult body temperature of 101.5º F.
at the age of 4 weeks old. Take care when
trying to take your dog or puppies temperature
as the thermometer can easily be broken off
in the canine’s rectum. Also any form of
excitement can cause the temperature to rise
by 2-3º when the dog is actually in normal
health. If your dog’s temperature reaches
105º or above OR 96º or below please take
him/her to the emergency vet immediately!
An adult dog will have a respiratory rate
of 15-20 breaths per minute (depending on
such variables as size and weight) and a
heart rate of 80-120 beats per minute. You
can feel for your dog’s heartbeat by placing
your hand on his/her lower ribcage just behind
the elbow. Don’t be alarmed if the heartbeat
seems irregular compared to a human’s heartbeat,
it is irregular in many dogs. Have your vet
check it out and get used to how it feels
when it is normal.
Behavior Changes
Any behavior changes that are not associated
with a change in the household atmosphere,
such as jealousy over a new pet or child
may be an indication of an illness. Signs
of behavioral changes may be:
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Fatigue
• Sleepiness
• Trembling
• Falling/Stumbling
If your dog shows any of these signs, he/she
needs to be kept under close watch for a
few hours, or even a few days, until positive
signs develop or he/she has returned to normal.
Do not try to exercise the dog or put him/her
in any situation that may cause stress. Most
veterinarians will want for you to keep track
of when the symptoms first appeared, whether
they are getting better or worse, and also
whether the symptoms are intermittent, continuous,
or increasing in frequency.
Pain
Dogs that are in pain will likely indicate
that they are suffering by giving you clues
as to where the area of discomfort is. For
instance, a dog that has abdominal pain will
continually glance toward their belly, bite
or lick the area, and will not want to leave
his/her bed. The dog may stand hunched over,
or take the ‘prayer position’ which is when
a dog gets down on it’s forelegs with the
hind legs still standing, because of the
pain in her abdomen area.
Dogs can not tell you that they are hurting
or cry real tears but a dog may vocalize
their pain in a different way. A dog that
is hurt suddenly (such as being stepped on)
will cry out or wimper in pain. This also
happens when an external injury or internal
injury (such as an organ) is touched. Whining
or vocalization that is unprovoked may be
caused from an internal injury as well. Some
breeds of dogs (such as the American Pit
Bull Terrier) have a higher pain threshold
and need to be watched more closely for signs
of pain. Breeds with a high pain tolerance
are more likely to endure the pain without
vocalization.
Another clue to pain is a change in temperament.
A dog that is in pain may show signs of aggression.
Please take note of this before concluding
that a dog has become vicious and let your
veterinarian know so that the correct treatment
can be administered. Also females in general
(even humans!) have days when they are just
in a bad mood for no obvious reason. Take
note of days of times that these mood swings
occur as well as any events that might have
triggered them.
Other signs that your dog may be sick:
• Ears: discharge, debris, odor, scratching,
crusted tips, twitching or shaking.
• Eyes: redness, swelling or discharge.
• Nose: runny, thickened or colored discharge,
crusty.
• Coughing, sneezing, vomiting or gagging.
• Shortness of breath, irregular breathing
or prolonged/heavy panting
• Evidence of parasites in the dog’s stool,
strange color, blood in the stool, or lack
of a bowel movement (constipation).
• Loss of appetite or not drinking as much
water as normally would.
• Weight Loss.
• Strange color of urine, small amount of
urine, straining, dribbling, or not going
as frequently as normal.
• Bad odor coming from mouth, ears, or skin.
• Hair loss, wounds, tumors, dander or change
of the skin’s color.
• Biting of the skin, parasites, scratching
or licking the skin frequently.
The preceding article was meant to help educate
you to the signs and symptoms of probable
pain or sickness in your dog. If any of these
symptoms occur over a prolonged period of
time, please seek the help of a veterinarian.
I hope that this article will help stress
the importance of keeping watch over your
dog’s health patterns and the importance
of keeping an accurate, detailed health record
for your veterinarian’s convenience.
<>Author -Jennifer Bryant