Oh no! My poor dog is sick!

You notice your dog isn’t behaving normally lately. Is he giving you attitude, is he having a bad day, or is he not feeling well? Let’s take a look at some issues indicating your pup is not feeling too well, and where to go to get some answers.

I’m not a doctor, and I don’t play one on TV

Let’s get real folks. I’m not a vet or in a position to give any kind of advice, but I just wanted to gather some info for you and share some personal experience to help raise awareness so you can seek the help of a professional before your pet has to experience too much discomfort.

We are all busy, and because our dogs are pretty self sufficient — meaning we don’t have to coddle them too much or tell them to take a nap. Really. They do that without any coercion from us. lol

And because we are busy with other things in our lives, sometimes we may not notice something is going on with Fido until they are having a rough time with it. For example, I’ll share a story about my Daphne.

DAPHNE!!

Daphne is a 13 year old Beagle. She lives outside  and I live in Hawaii so we don’t have inclement weather in which it would be terrible for a dog to live outside. I mean, for real. Would you love to live in Hawaii under the stars and blue skies? Daphne doesn’t have a terrible life. haha. So anyway, I go outside to see her every day in the morning before work, and we spend time with her in the evening where I have all 3 dogs eat dinner together (my 2 inside dogs and my outside dog) One day I noticed that Daphne was shaking her head, a lot. Didn’t really know what she was up to, but Beagles have big flappy ears so I could even her her doing it when I was in the house. Because her behavior wasn’t extreme, I didn’t think too much about it.

This ear flapping continued for a few days and when I went to pet her and rub her ears I noticed that her right ear was HUGE and puffy! Oh no! What happened?! Did she get stung by a bee? Maybe a centipede? I didn’t want to see her be uncomfortable so I called the vet and made an appointment for the next day.

Apparently, the ear flapping was an indication of an ear infection. The inside of her ear was red and inflamed so twisting her head and flapping her ears was her way of getting some relief from the pain. I felt like such a terrible mommy! We got some meds and ointment to help relieve the pain and went back home. Daphne is not a huge fan of taking pills. She is the master of finding the hidden medicine in her food, wrapped in a piece of cheese or bologna, and she spits it out. My vet gave us a sample of Pill Pockets where you can hide the pill and trick your pet into taking their medicine. They work like gangbusters and Daphne took her pill like a good girl and got better in a matter of days!

Signs your dog may be sick

Here are some indications your dog may not be feeling well so you can seek help from your vet

1. Bad breath or unusual/excessive drooling
2. Excessive drinking or urination
3. Appetite change associated with weight loss or gain
4. Change in activity level (ex: lack of interest in doing things they once did)
5. Stiffness or difficulty in getting up or climbing stairs
6. Sleeping more than normal, or other behavior or attitude changes
7. Coughing, sneezing, excessive panting, or labored breathing
8. Dry or itchy skin, sores, lumps, or shaking of the head
9. Frequent vomiting or change in bowel movements
10. Dry, red, or cloudy eyes

Basically, if you notice any changes in their normal behavior or activity level, your curiosity should increase and pay close attention to see if these signs should be something of concern. If so, call your vet, ask questions and share your observations with him because it might be the start of something.

Vet Bills?!

If you go to the vet a lot like I do (with 3 dogs) pet insurance might be something you’d be interested in. Just like any other kind of insurance, pet insurance can be tailored to suit your individual needs to cover a variety of things like office visits, medications, hospitalization and surgery. It really comes in handy and can help your pocketbook if an emergency arises.

Wrapping it up

You’ve learned a few tips on how to spot a potential health issue with your dog so that in the future you can nip it in the bud before his maladies get too serious because let’s face it: when our sweet doggies are not feeling well, we want to fix it for them as soon as possible so they can get back to doing what they do best – And that is to be the best companion and family member ever!

Thanks for reading! See our review on Healthy and Natural Treats for your dog HERE