How to Tell If Your Dog Is Sick and In Need of Vet Care

“Is my dog really sick?”, “Should I take my dog to the vet? “ Every pet owner has to face such questions involving an injured or sick dog at one time or other. The dilemma here is whether the situation is serious enough to justify a visit to the veterinarian. Learning how to do simple things like checking your dogs temperature, pulse and gum color can help to appraise the condition of your pet accurately.

However, it is very important to provide timely veterinary care for your pet. Any delay will not only make the condition more serious but will also make it more difficult and costlier to treat. Remember, that there are always some dog symptoms that tell you how sick your pet is. The key is to know what is normal and what is not for your particular dog. Here are a few things that you can check to find whether your dog is really sick and in need of immediate vet care.

The normal body temperature of a healthy dog is between 100.5 and 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit. If your dogs temperature is outside this range then it is an indication of some canine illness and you need to take your pet to a vet as soon as possible.
Heart rates of dogs vary depending on their age, breed and other factors. While the normal heart rate for a puppy is about 180 beats per minute, it is between 60 and 160 for adult dogs. Make sure what is normal for your particular dog to tell if its heart rate is abnormal and in need of vet care.

If your dog exhibits symptoms like diarrhea or vomiting then it can be a simple allergic reaction to something your dog ate that he shouldn’t have and most often does not pose any problems. But if the vomiting lasts for more than a day or if the diarrhea continues with traces of mucous or blood in it then your pet needs to be checked out by a vet.
If your dogs water consumption increases suddenly then it might be an indication of some kidney disease or diabetes. But then, water intake might increase if your dog is more heated up or if the dog is hyperactive in nature. Because of this, it is very important that you keep close tabs on your dogs water intake so that you will know when there is a change.

If your dogs urine is colorless, cloudy or contains traces of blood it indicates infection of kidneys or the bladder. The normal color of dog’s urine is yellow. Abnormality in the frequency of urination is also an indication of kidney disorder.

If your dogs gum’s are red instead of pink then it is a sign of gum disease or inflammation. Other signs for gum disease include drooling and bad breadth.

Keep track of your dogs activity levels, sleeping and eating habits. Make sure that you know what is normal for your dogs age and temperament. Lethargy, too much or too little sleep, increased or decreased appetite or loss of balance for no obvious reasons are indications that something is wrong. Sudden increase in activity levels might also be a sign of some problem.