Pets are amazing; they can give us love, know when we need them, And become our partners in crime from the moment we lock eyes with them.
They’re very good at letting us know whenever they want food, need a pat in the head, and even when they want to go to the park. However, their communication cuts short at one of the most important instances: when they feel ill. Keep in mind that most animals will generally attempt to hide when they’re not feeling well. This is totally natural. It’s their natural instinct used for protection in the wild, where any animal showing signs of weakness is likely to put them in danger with their peer and even predators.
So, how can we know when they not feeling well? Although they cant tell us as direct as when they’re hungry, there are some signs that can tell us when they’re sick:
Food and nutrition:
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Decrease in or loss of appetite
Behavior
Difficulty in getting up or going up and down stairs
Decrease in energy or activity level
Physiological
Blood in the urine or stool
Straining or inability to urinate or defecate
Foul odor coming from the mouth, ears or skin
Discharge from the eyes or nose
Abnormal vocalization (whining or crying)
Physical
Bloating of the abdomen
Increased shedding or bald patches
Excessive scratching or licking of the body
Lumps or tumors
Limping when walking or running
Seizures
Keep ion mind: Which signs indicate an emergency that requires immediate veterinary care and which require veterinary care if they keep going for more than a day or two. Symptoms that indicate an emergency include physiological things such as the inability to urinate, a bloated or hard abdomen, excessive vomiting or diarrhea, seizures, and the inability to stand up. Other less severe signs of illness should be checked by a veterinarian within 24 to 48 hours.
Source: The American Humane Society
Photo by Mike Burke on Unsplash
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