Sick Dog Symptom Checker

The profession of a veterinarian is not as easy as it might be. The greatest challenge with the practice is associated with mute patients, patients who do not have the ability to convey their discomfort to their owners. The only way to know what your pet might be going through, is to look out for any abnormal behavioral traits in the animal. The sick dog symptom checker presented below would help you to recognize different signs of diseases, so that you can take immediate measures to avoid the worst circumstances.

Dog Illness Symptom Checker

The signs and symptoms given below in the symptom checker list may show up in your canine if it is suffering from any ailment. You can click on the symptoms provided below; the ones which you might have observed or are observing in your pet lately. Each link would take you to a separate description of the possible medical condition which your pet might have contracted.

1. Abdominal Pain
   This pain can mimic the pain that occurs in the back. This pain may be a manifestation of conditions such as canine constipation, pancreatitis, blockage in urination or accumulation of free fluid in the abdomen.
2. Back and Neck Pain
   Causes may be diseases like spondylosis, disorder related to the intervertebral disc or another condition known as Wobblers syndrome (causes an unsteady gait and weakness in canines and horses).
3. Blood in Urine
   Bloody urine might indicate severe concern for the animal's health. The most common disease which may cause this is urinary tract inflammation and in some cases, urinary blockage.
4. Coughing
   Asthma, pneumonia or kennel cough may be the causes. Cough may also indicate severe disorders like congestive heart failure, distemper or collapsing trachea.
5. Diarrhea
   Diarrhea is one of the most common health issues in canines. It may be a repercussion of the dog being affected by intestinal parasites, inflammatory bowel disease, or an infection caused by the canine parvovirus ("any of a group of viruses containing DNA in an icosahedral protein shell and causing disease in dogs and cattle").
6. Enlarged Abdomen
   When the abdomen appears larger than usual, it does indicate the development of some serious disorders. Common ones include pancreatitis, intestinal parasites, obstruction of the urinary tract, and pyometra. Canines of larger breeds may be affected by what is known as volvulus ("abnormal twisting of the intestines").
7. Excessive Thirst
   If you notice your dog to be drinking water more than usual, do not err to ignore it. Some common conditions which may cause this sign in your pet include hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, failure of the kidneys and even diabetes.
8. Excess Drooling
   Mastiffs, St Bernards, and English Bull Dogs have drooling as one of their normal characteristic features. However, if your pet is of a different breed, and drools persistently, then he might have been affected by periodontal disease, dental conditions or organophosphate poisoning (organophosphate is an insecticide).
9. Eye Problems
   Reddening of eyes, itching, watery eyes, too much blinking, excessive rubbing of the eyes, cloudiness, etc., indicate ailments related to some disorders of the eyes. Common ones to consider include conjunctivitis, canine glaucoma, dry eyes, allergies and corneal ulcer.
10. Eye Discoloration
    Your dog could be affected by diseases such as hepatitis, canine liver disease, leptospirosis. If so, then the signs indicating these conditions would be yellow discoloration of the skin, the whites of the eyes and the gums.
11. Limping Dog
    Limping could be a common symptom of many diseases that affect canines and felines. Common ones include arthritis, panosteitis, hypertrophic osteodystrophy, osteochondrosis and osteosarcoma.
12. Weakness
    Persistent weakness in dogs indicate the development of ailments such as Adisson's disease, diabetes and underactive thyroid glands.
13. Paralysis
    Wobblers syndrome, injury to the spinal cord, spondylosis, disease of the intervertebral disc and degenerative myelopathy might be the causes.
14. Seizures
    Occurrence of seizures in dogs is also a severe medical concern as it is related to the mental health of the animals. Diseases which can cause this include diabetes, epilepsy, kidney failure, distemper, or poisoning from organophosphate (an insecticide).
15. Skin Problems
    Skin problems in dogs are prominent and easy to notice. These problems may occur in the form of hair loss, itchiness, redness, soreness, flakiness, etc. Responsible factors could be flea invasion, ringworm, skin allergies, Cushing's disease and mange. In some cases, even underactive thyroid gland may be responsible.
16. Breathing Disorders
    When dogs' normal breathing behavior is affected, it is worrisome. Breathing may get affected due to ailments such as canine congestive heart failure, asthma, heartworm, pneumonia, collapsing trachea and distemper.
17. Frequent Urination
    In most cases, frequent or more urination is often an indication of canine diabetes, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, kidney disorders, infection of the urinary tract or urinary incontinence.
18. Weight Gain
    Excessive weight gain or obesity may interfere with the function of the heart. It might be the result of a couple of diseases such as hypothyroidism and Cushing's disease.
19. Weight Loss
    Conditions such as diabetes, hyperthyroidism and kidney failure may result in abnormal weight loss.

You can also scroll through dog illness symptoms and diagnosis should you wish to look for more info. Bookmark this article and use it whenever you notice any of these abnormal symptoms in your pet. And once you get an idea about what is troubling him, do not hesitate to take him to a vet.