When To Take Your Dog To The Vet

Aside from vaccines and yearly prevention with your local Veterinarian, sometimes we hesitate on if our fur babies are sick and need to see a Vet. When to take your dog to the Vet is a common question when our pets aren’t feeling good.

Other than an emergency, sometimes we don’t know if they’re trying to tell us something. It is always a good idea to be safe than sorry though. It’s nice to know what to look for. Animals don’t show pain and discomfort as we do, so it’s hard to tell when something is wrong. The big question… Should you go to the vet?

Don’t wait until they are very sick.

Getting dehydrated and weak on top of an issue can make it more difficult for the Veterinary team to get your pet back to normal. They make need to be hospitalized.

When To Take Your Dog To The Vet: Questions To Ask Yourself:

Here are a few questions to ask yourself

1. Are they eating/drinking normally?

Is your pet eating more or less than normal?

Eating out of their normal can be signs of pain or something internally wrong. Are you filling their water bowl more often or can’t remember the last time you filled it?

They could be showing signs of diabetes or getting dehydrated due to something else.

2. Are they vomiting? What are their bowl movements like?

Vomiting every time they eat or several times over a couple of hours is a big concern. Vomiting with loose stools is a major concern and if not controlled quickly can cause dehydration.

3. Do they feel hot or cold to the touch?

A fever is a sure sign the body is battling something.

Feeling the insides of their legs can give you a vague idea of their temperature, but without getting a reading from a rectal thermometer its hard to tell. A dog or cats temperature usually runs 101.5 +/- a degree.

A low temperature reading could mean organs are failing or they’re going into labor if they’re an intact female.

A high temp could mean the body is fighting off an infection or a number of other things and may need an antibiotic.

4. How is their comfort?

Are they up pacing when they’re normally laying at your feet? Or are they hiding under the bed when they’re usually jumping off the couch?

Sometimes pets will hide if they’re in pain or when something is wrong. Do they cry out when you touch them?

If they’re doing something out of the ordinary for them, they may be trying to tell you something.

5. What are their bowl movements like?

Are they having loose stools or are they constipated?

This is a tough one for out-door dogs, unless you actually see what is being passed. More often than not, I’ve seen owners come in saying their dog is constipated, when their actually having loose stools.

With loose stools, the bowel is irritated so they strain trying to “scratch the itch” but it looks like their constipated because their not passing anything.

The Key: No Issue Should Go Longer Than 48 Hours.

Our fur babies can’t come out and tell us what is wrong. It’s up to us to see the signs and get them the help they need.

Don’t wait if you notice something off with them, things can get a lot worse in a days time. Even if it’s only one of the issues we talked about, there could still be something going on that we can’t see.

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Controlling Diarrhea in Dogs

If your dog isn’t having any other symptoms other than loose stools (diarrhea) then there are a couple things you can try over-the-counter.

All items are probiotics that help with digestive issues. It’s just based on you and your pet’s preference on if they would do better with powder, capsules, paste or chews.

Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets Fortiflora Canine Nutritional Dog Supplement – 30 ct. Box

Vet Solutions Pro-Pectalin Anti-Diarrhea Oral Gel Dog & Cat Supplement, 30 cc. Syringe

Nutramax Proviable Supplement Kit, Medium/Large Dog

VetriScience Laboratories – Vetri Mega Probiotic, Digestive Support with Probiotics and Prebiotics for Dogs and Cats, 120 Capsules

Probiotic for Dogs – with Natural Digestive Enzymes + Prebiotics & Pumpkin – for Diarrhea & Upset Stomach Relief + Gas & Constipation – Allergy & Immune + Hot Spots – Pumpkin Flavor – 90 Chew Treats

Diarrhea or other symptoms should not go ignored. If probiotics don’t help, you should see your local veterinarian. Your pet could have intestinal parasites or something else going on that may need diagnostic testing or prescription medication.

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What’s Next:

Puppy Diarrhea: Quick Solutions

Separation Anxiety in Dogs: How To Help

Cat Is Peeing Outside The Litter Box: 6 Reasons Why