It is always a difficult call to make, when do I take my dog to the vets? Some dog owners take their dogs at the slightest sniffle whereas others will wait until a limb is about to fall off. But when is the best time to take your dog to the vets?
It is almost inevitable that at some point your dog will get injured or fall sick. Dogs are susseptible to colds and general bugs just like us, but they can also develop life threatening illnesses that require treatment. Unfortunately dogs can hide their illnesses very well and dogs are able to cope much better with illnesses and injuries than their humans, dogs rarely moan or complain which doesn`t make it easy when to know to take your dog to the vets.
Your dog can`t explain their symptoms but thankfully there are signs to look out for. Once you ‘know’ your dog you will automatically know when they are not themselves. They will be more lethargic than usual and probably look very sorry for themselves. My dog Molly also sighs a lot more than usual when she isn`t feeling 100%. They may also be off their food (which is especially noticable if you have a labrador!) and/or water. Increased water intake can also indicate an underlying medical problem such as kidney infection or a urinary tract infection.
You should always check your dogs health, here are some things to look out for;
Remember that the best gauge is your knowledge of your dog. Trust your instincts and if you feel your dog is uncomfortable in destressed take him/her to the vets to get checked out.
It can never be too soon to take your dog to the vet but it can be too late.
Your vet should ask you general health questions such as ‘have you changed eating habits?’, ‘are your dogs bowel movements normal?’, ‘have you noticed any weight gain/loss?’ etc. Be well prepared with this information, if you are visiting a vet for the first time they will also ask you for the age of your dog, exercise patterns, what other pets you have etc.
If possible also take a video of any symptoms such as shaking. Dogs act differently at the vets so your vet often won`t see what you see. Keep a video camera handy (many mobile phones also have video capabilities) and record your dogs behaviour.
I hoped this helps you decide whether it is time to take your dog to the vets, just use your instinct and common sense. I have talked about illnesses above but if your dog is involved in an accident I would always take them for a check up as something could have been injured internally.
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