How to Tell if Your Pet is Sick

Most times our furry friends are lovable balls of joy. But pets can get sick just as easily as humans can, so it’s important to know when your pet is showing signs of illness and when it’s serious enough to take them to a vet.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. 

   Be aware of your pet’s behavior. If your dog is food-oriented and suddenly has no interest in her dinner she might not be feeling too great. If your cat is normally chasing gremlins down the hall and now he’s lying around, not able to move, there’s a good chance he’s caught a bug. Being in-tune with your animal’s behaviors is a good way to assess just how sick your pet might be and when s/he is bouncing back to good health.

2. 

   Check your pet’s body. By checking the gums and temperature of your pet you can easily find out just how serious your pet’s illness may be. Gums should be a healthy pink (unless you have a rare breed, in which case you should check with your veterinarian). If they are pale or turning dark purple/blue you should take your pet to the vet as soon as possible because this normally indicates a blood problem. Average, healthy temperatures for both cats and dogs is anywhere between 100.5 and 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Anything above or below that, within a few degrees, is unhealthy. If the temperature drops below 98 or above 104 you should take your pet to the vet as soon as possible because this is probably not just some passing cold that your pet can get over without medicine.

3. If your pet is vomiting look at the contents carefully. Not all vomit means your pet is sick. Sometimes animals need to vomit because they ate something their stomach can’t digest or they ate too fast/too much. But if there is continuous vomiting or a mass amount of stomach bile than that indicates your pet has some sort of illness. Most times pets can wait it out if s/he only vomits once or twice in the day. Vomiting than continues throughout the day or lasts for an extended period of time can be something more serious.

4. Watch your animal’s bathroom habits. Constant urination, urine discoloration, constipation, and diarrhea can all happen every now and then but they can also signal something wrong in your pet’s body if the behavior continues throughout the day or longer. Sometimes it can mean dehydration, other times it can mean the food your pet is eating is too rich or hard for him/her to digest. If abnormal bathroom behavior persists you should consult your vet about food options. Depending on what your pet’s entire behavior is like and if it’s changed in the past couple of days as well as his/her bathroom behavior your vet may need to take a fecal test to make sure there is nothing wrong inside your dog or cat’s system (such as a parasite).

Tips & Warnings

• Just because your pet is eating grass doesn’t mean s/he is sick. Many animals eat grass just because it tastes good. They also tend to throw it up if they eat it too fast or too much of it at a time. Unless other abnormal behavior is occurring it’s safe to say your pet is probably healthy.
• If lumps, infected wounds, seizures, or persistent frothing/vomiting/and diarrhea occur take your pet to the vet! These can often be – or lead to – major illnesses such as cancer, epilepsy, and distemper.

[TheMoreYouKnow]

on 9/9/2009 Great advice on a better way to love our pets. Thanks for sharing. 5ive *tars.

[Coach4U]

on 7/11/2009 Good information in your artical about how to tell if your pet is sick. "5"

[langleycornwell]

on 4/28/2009 This is great information on determining if your pet is sick. 5*s.

[waters]

on 4/7/2009 Excellent advice How To Tell If Your Pet Is Sick. I have 3 dogs. Thanks 5*