When you have a furry child in your family, it becomes easy to predict their behaviour after a while. You begin understanding their personality, temperament, and behavioural patterns with time. However, there are times when your dog may start behaving differently than how they usually are. Snapping at you and everyone around, growling and scratching a lot, sitting in a corner and not engaging in any activity, laying lazily even during their favourite snack time, showing no interest towards their favourite savouries, and what not! While such behavioural changes may leave anyone perplexed, it may also be a clear indication that there is something wrong with your little one. And being a responsible pet parent, you should know why, shouldn’t you?

Following are some of the common signs and issues that your little one may exhibit, which will tell you whether they are being uncomfortable or are suffering from an illness:

1. Loss of appetite

Loss of appetite is one of the most common signs of illness among the furry ones. While a dislike towards the type of food or a certain brand may also be the reason behind their unwillingness to eat, it should still not be ignored. If the little one has stopped showing any excitement during the feeding time or eats lesser than what the usual appetite is, then it is a clear indication of an illness like a common cold. Lethargy, dry-warm nose, fever, and incessant shivering are usually associated signs.

By ensuring that your pooch drinks plenty of water and feeding them vitamin-rich treats, pet parents can do their bid in preventing their little one from catching a cold. However, if your dog denies any attempts at being fed for days, then you must seek medical help.

2. Difficulties in breathing

On an average, a dog breathes at least 22-24 times within a minute. If your furry child is suffering from an irregular breathing cycle, whether it is lesser or a lot more, in the absence of any physical exertion, then you need to seek medical help immediately. Irregular panting or struggling to breathe, accompanied by persistent coughing, sneezing, or wheezing may be the symptoms of a chest infection, an allergy, or other respiratory issues. These breathing problems may also be the results of severe ailments such as a flu, kennel cough, pneumonia, or even a heart disease.

However mild or severe the intensity be, breathing problems in your dog should not be left untreated. This is because the swelling in the airway may create more severe complications later on. Immediate medical attention is required in such cases, and pet parents should take their little ones to the vet without any delay.

3. Diarrhoea, constipation, and associated stomach ailments

If your furry child is being hesitant when eating the food, shying away from or going to poop more frequently, or remaining uncomfortable in general, then it may be an indication of a stomach-related ailment such as diarrhoea or constipation. One of the major causes to this is ingestion of alien substances. Pet parents should inspect the places where they usually take their little one for strolls and actively look for any suspicious substance that they may have consumed. In such a case, immediate vet attention is needed for the betterment of your dog.

Apart from that, certain prevention measures can be adopted to maintain the furry child’s bowel habits and enhance their immunity to avoid such situations. For instance, pet parents should always keep their dogs hydrated and feed them a protein-rich and high-vitamin diet. Moreover, the dogs can be provided probiotics along with food and water for better immunity and well-being.

4. Persistent scratching

Scratching is a usual habit among dogs, especially if they come in contact with biting bugs, which is pretty common if your little one is outgoing. But if the scratching gets way too persistent, then the problem might be severe. In order to avoid such a scenario, pet parents should routinely clean the bedding and all other materials around the house that their little one may come in contact with. Moreover, the furry children must be regularly bathed with chemical-free and odour-less shampoos and provided with protein-rich food, to relieve them of any skin-associated disorders.

If the itching persists in spite of all these sanitary measures, then pet parents need to take their dog to the vet to determine the cause of skin irritation. This is because more-than-usual scratching may be an indication of environmental changes, lack of essential nutrients, or even skin allergies that need immediate attention.

5. Peeing in the house when trained not to

While a puppy or a new dog brought to one’s home may pee inside when not trained or disciplined otherwise, they usually learn to go outside for the same soon enough. Therefore, if your little one is peeing more often than they used to, even within the house, then that might be a sign of a bladder or kidney infection. Immediate treatment is required in such cases both for the health of your dog and for maintaining hygiene back at home.

6. Display of aggression

During their initial days, dogs may exhibit aggressive behaviour towards their new parents and family. But in case your furry child acts grumpy or displays aggression later on, especially when someone goes near them or touches them, it maybe the indication of an infection similar to that of rabies. While this is a rare case, it may prove to be fatal. The aggression is generally accompanied by fever, paralysis, seizures, and swallow and coordination difficulties in such a case. If you see these symptoms, you should immediately take your little one to a vet.

At times, our furry children may act oddly and bother us to quite an extent. But as pet parents, we need to pay active heed to them and try understanding why they are acting that way instead of waving it off merely as a nuisance. After all, they are our family and they deserve being taken care of for the unconditional love and happiness they bring to us. In case of an illness, the right kind of treatment and care will definitely bring them back on all four in no time!

Happy pet parenting!

(The writer is founder and CEO at Dogsee Chew)