Dog Health
Owners must have some basic idea of how dogs are “put together” and how they “work” so that they can properly look after their trusting pet. It would also be very helpful and useful, if when you are visiting a vet, you were able to give an accurate summary of what is wrong with your dog. Owners who know the names of the parts of a dogs body and their major organs, and what their main functions are can better describe any symptoms or signs show by their dog. This will enable the vet, to have more accurate information and allow them to explain to the owner why a specific course of treatment has been embarked upon.
The body can be look in sections beginning with the head. This includes obvious eyes, ears, mouth, teeth and nose. Regular visual checking of these items on a daily basis would be necessary. You are looking for anything that looks different to normal. If you see something, it might be something small and insignificant and indications of something more serious. Unless obviously serious, there is no need to go rushing off to the vet. Use common sense , keep checking. Has it got worse, improved or completely gone. If after a day or so it is getting worse then it probably then you should look to visiting your vet.
Most illnesses a dog gets are shown by a combination of symptoms and signs to look out for. These include signs that are quite obvious such as coughing or diarrhoea. You might see pain when the dog moves, puts their paw on the ground. Quite often a dog will just hold it’s paw up off the ground instead of standing on it, thus relieving from the pain.
If your dog is crying or making unusual vocalisations it could indicate something wrong internally. This does not occur on every occasion and some dogs do not even exhibit such behaviour. So careful observation is needed.
Your dog pawing at a particular part of their body such as their eyes or rubbing their eyes on the floor. This shows signs of something wrong and they are trying to get themselves some relief. Eyes not full open with maybe pressing against the furniture or rubbing their eyes against things might be another indication of problems.
Be careful not to jump to conclusion when trying to work out what is wrong with your dog. As with humans dogs can just have an off day and feel less enthusiastic about life in general, this passes and a little later they are back to normal.
