Unless Your Pet Can Talk, Don’t Ignore These 5 Signs
Pets are great companions and best friends. However, they’re not very good at telling us when something is wrong with their health. Aside from obvious signs of illness, like an upset stomach or diarrhea, serious medical conditions can easily go unnoticed if you don’t know what to look for.
Check out these five signs you should never ignore from your pet.1
1) Change in Behavior
Pets are creatures of habit. They like routines; they usually exhibit the same behaviors over time. A key sign your pet may be experiencing pain or discomfort is through a change in their normal behavior like unprovoked aggression, impulsive temperament, anxiety, unexpected seizures, or abnormal inactivity. Even pets that suddenly show a lack of appetite or playfulness could be doing so because of pain from a number of conditions, (e.g., pancreatitis, cancer, arthritis, parasites, skin allergies, heart disease or an injury).
2) Heavy Panting
Panting is a normal pet response to active play or spending time outdoors on a warm day. When the panting becomes heavy or labored, your pet may be experiencing a heat stroke, poisoning, heart failure, Cushing’s disease, pneumonia, or lung tumors. Knowing your pet’s normal level of panting after active play or on a warm day will help you determine any changes that could indicate a serious medical issue.
3) Excessive Water Consumption
As our days get warmer and our pets spend more active time outside, they get very thirsty. However, if your pet is continually going back to the water bowl over a short period of time, something could be wrong with their health. Most pet parents know their pet’s eating and drinking habits. Excessive visits to the water bowl could be a sign of kidney failure, diabetes mellitus, Cushing’s disease, or pyometra in female dogs that have not been spayed.
4) Drooling
Some breeds are known for their typical, happy drool. Saint Bernards, boxers, mastiffs, and bloodhounds usually come to mind. But sudden, excessive drooling by your cat or dog may be a sign of heatstroke or dental issues like periodontitis or a tooth abscess. Unusual, heavy amounts of drool may indicate that your pet has bitten into an irritating substance (such as a toxic plant), burning the mouth. Excessive drooling can also signal an underlying neurological problem.
5) Change in Odor
It’s easy to overlook a pet’s bad odor as typical or normal, especially if they are an older pet. Healthy pets should not have a highly unpleasant stench. If your pet’s odor changes and smells different than usual, they could have an unresolved medical condition that needs to be examined. Whether it’s smelly ears (infection), bad breath (dental disease, oral melanoma, diabetes, and kidney failure) or stinky skin (allergies, seborrhea, bacterial or yeast infections), a change in your pet’s normal odor should not be ignored. Gastrointestinal problems can also present themselves in the form of unpleasant gas with greater intensity and more frequency than is typical for your pet.
Unless your pet can talk, knowing your pet’s usual behaviors, smells, and other normal habits will help you identify potential health problems early. If your pet exhibits any of these signs it is recommended you bring them to the clinic for a thorough exam. Waiting could make matters worse, delaying important treatment options.
Julie Grimes, DVM
