Signs to help you know that your dog might be sick

You as a dog parent play a crucial role in helping your dog combat illness and remain as healthy as possible. Your furry friend obviously can't describe the symptoms to you, but it can surely show you signs of disease if any. But, as a dog parent, you must keep yourself aware of the signs of the most common diseases in order to help reduce your pet's risk of being affected by any. Hence, we got you a little information on the same.
Here are some top signs to pick on to know that your dog may be ill or not:
- Appetite change, weight loss , weight gain.
- Bad breath or drooling.
- Change in activity level. - Sleeping more than normal or other behavioural changes
- Coughing, excessive panting, sneezing.
- Stiffness or difficulty in rising or climbing stairs.
- Dry skin, lumps, shaking of the head.
- Dry, red or cloudy eyes.

If your dog shows any of these symptoms of being ill, you must immediately contact your veterinarian.

Diagnosis: Since the signs of disease are not always seen clearly, the veterinarian might recommend some preventive care testing so as to be sure of the symptoms.

Preventing care testing includes:
- Urine tests to screen for urinary tract infection and another disease.
- A complete blood count to rule out any blood-related conditions.
- Tests to identify if your pet has any tick-borne, heartworm or any infectious diseases.
- A thyroid test so as to determine if the thyroid gland is producing very little thyroid hormone.
- An ECG that screens for an abnormal heart rhythm, which can help in indicating any underlying heart conditions.

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‘By being safe, we advise moving the dog to a country of similar disease status or at the very least, check the animal’s health status before you bring him or her over (and test for these so-called non-endemic disases) so that you know what you’re dealing with.’.

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Most animals are creatures of habit. It will be important to develop a consistent schedule to follow with your new pet. Potty breaks at regular intervals, feeding at the same time(s) every day, playtime, walks – everything needs to be scheduled. At first, this can seem overwhelming but soon enough, you and your new pet will be on the same schedule.