The Informed Pet Owner

Posted on: 14 January 2020

Unlike a child, a pet cannot tell you what is wrong with them. Quite often they will not even act strange or show signs of being sick until it has gotten bad. With all the information available on the  internet, websites, and social media, it can be tempting to try to diagnose the problem and take care of it yourself. Unfortunately, the information is not always accurate. The best thing to do when you notice your pet is not behaving as normal is to see a veterinarian. Of course, the sooner you can have the animal seen, the better. While pets tend to hide illness from you, there are some things you should always be on the lookout for.

Lack of Appetite

Whether you have a specific time you feed your pet, or you offer a certain amount of feed freely for them to eat when they want, you should have a good idea of how much they eat each day. While an upset stomach is often something simple, perhaps they ate something they shouldn't have. It is important that you pay attention when their eating is not normal. If that is the only symptom they have, it is okay to wait a day before calling, but do not wait any more than that. In fact, it is a good idea to contact the vet to ask what else you should be watching. You may need to take their temperature and watch when they use the bathroom. Do not try to treat the problem yourself unless the doctor makes suggestions on what you can do.

Limping or Signs of Pain

Just like humans, animals can pull a muscle or step on something that becomes embedded in their paws. When you notice a pet showing signs of pain, take the time to run your hands all over the area with a bit of pressure. If you find a stone or something under the skin, use tweezers to remove it. If the animal tries to pull away or becomes aggressive at all, you should make an appointment with a professional.

Lack of Energy

When a normally active animal spends the day laying around, it is a sign something is wrong. Unless you had spent the day running around or doing other high-energy exercising, you should take them to the vet for a check up.

Pets rely on you to take care of them. While they can show signs and symptoms of something being wrong that end up being nothing to worry about, and they just need to rest and take it easy for a day or tow, it is always best to get a vet's opinion. Even if it turns out to be nothing, it will give the doctor a chance to look things over and create a baseline of how your pet behaves so they can tell when something is truly wrong in the future. For questions about your pet's health, call a professional such as Clevengers Corner.