Is your pet feeling okay? How to tell if your pet is sick
When Your Pet is Sick
As a conscientious pet parent, you take your cat or dog to the vet for preventative checkups and wellness care. In between your regular visits, it’s up to you to pay attention to make sure she’s doing well. When your pet is sick, she usually has symptoms that indicate she needs medical care. It’s your job to monitor her for signs of illness so you can get the help she needs.
Because you spend time with your cat or dog every day, you’re in the best position to notice when your pet is sick. Sometimes the symptoms are easy to spot. At other times, they’re not very noticeable. That’s why you must remain watchful. You don’t have to monitor your pet every minute of the day, but you must look out for these and other symptoms as a caring pet parent.
Vomiting
If your pet vomits, contact your veterinarian immediately. Vomiting could be a sign of a simple digestive problem. It could also be a symptom of a more severe condition. Cats and dogs vomit when they’ve eaten chocolate, grapes, or fatty nuts. These and other foods cause digestive difficulties, but they can also cause more complicated problems.
When your cat or dog vomits, it sometimes means that your pet is sick from a roundworm infestation, poison ingestion, pancreas inflammation, or other serious illness.
Mood Change
You’re the best person to judge whether your pet’s mood is a little off. When a pet is sick, they sometimes become more aggressive or depressed. They might not be as playful as you expect them to be, or they might withdraw from you completely.
When your cat or dog experiences a mood change, it may be due to physical causes, but it could also be emotional. Pets take their cues from you. His mood change may be a reaction to your mood change. Your pet might also become moody when something disrupts his daily routine or family structure.
Urinary issues
Cats and dogs demonstrate urinary issues in different ways. Cats sometimes stop using their litter boxes. Dogs begin urinating inside the house instead of outside. Changes in urination habits can mean that your pet is sick.
If urination is painful, your cat may feel it has something to do with the litter box. Your dog may feel pain when positioning himself to urinate. Urinary issues are sometimes symptoms of kidney stones, liver problems, incontinence, and other illnesses. They can also be a sign of your pet’s overexcitement, fear, separation, or other emotional issues.
Excess noise
When your pet is sick, he sometimes makes more noise than usual. Your pet’s whines, howls, and yelps could be a sign of pain due to a medical condition. They might also be signs of hearing loss or disorientation due to aging. If your cat makes excessive noise, especially at night, it can be a sign of simple boredom.
Contact Your Veterinarian
When you notice that your pet has these and other symptoms, call your vet. You can discuss your pet’s symptoms and get recommendations about what to do next. If you believe your pet is sick and you feel it’s an emergency, contact your vet’s emergency service.
Hebron Veterinary Hospital
If your pet is sick, visit our contact page or give us a call at (860) 228-4324. We’ll answer your questions about your pet’s symptoms and schedule an appointment as soon as possible.