Misc Health Topics

SIGNS OF ILLNESS IN A DOG

A Healthy dog’s temperature is 101-102 degrees F

Heart rate 80-120 beats per minute. (Spinone  have a lower heart rate than other dogs)

Respiratory Rate of 15-20 breaths per minute resting

Skin should be pliant with a full coat of hair  – gums, lips, inside eyelids have pink/pinkish mucous membranes  and clean-smelling ears.

Eyes: clear and bright with no discharge.

Your observations of your dog should tell you if they need to visit a veterinarian.  Start learning how a healthy dog looks and acts from the start and you should be able to recognize when your dog is sick. Recognizing early signs of illness in your pet can save its life. Those who know how a healthy pet acts, feels, and smells like can spot differences in behavior and determine whether a trip to the veterinarian is necessary.

If your dog shows any of the following signs, you may need to call your veterinarian.

Knowing the signs is very important. Writing down the signs to report to the veterinarian may help them make a diagnosis faster. Be sure to note when the symptom first appeared, and whether they have been intermittent, continuous, increasing in frequency. DO NOT WAIT – some conditions can kill in a matter of hours.

SYMPTOMS OF SERIOUS ILLNESS:

Vomiting

Diarrhea

Increased drinking and urination

Drinking excessively

Seizure

Fainting

Blood in Urine

Breathing difficulty, weakness, bloody urine

Coughing or Choking

Shaking and muscular weakness in legs