Your Pet’s Health: Three Signs of Potential Distress!

  Posted on January 11, 2013  by Joy of Living  No comments

Jessie, the in-the-know dog ready to dispense the important information you need to know:

While the human population appears threatened by a sinister flu virus spreading across the United States, there are certain signs of physical distress of which you should be aware when it comes to your pet’s health. Thanks to prevention.com for sharing these today:

1.)    Listlessness. If your normally “get up, get out and get going” cat or dog suddenly just wants to sleep all day instead of play, that could be the initial subtle sign that something is amiss. Take your pet to the vet right away, as such demeanor could indicate a potentially life-threatening illness, such as kidney disease, pancreatitis, urinary obstruction or cancer.

2.)    Vomiting and coughing. Yuck, I know. Sure, cats puke the occasional hair ball, but if a pet vomits more than once a month, that could be indicative of kidney failure or inflammatory bowel disease. Coughing is never normal. It can be triggered by asthma, which can lead to chronic lung disease or even death if left untreated. As for dogs, they may vomit occasionally (too much grass will do that to ya!), but if your dog vomits a few times during the day, get him to the vet right away! He might have a foreign object caught in his stomach or intestines. Dogs are not subject to asthma, so his coughing could be a sign of bronchitis, pneumonia, a heart issue or even tracheal collapse.

3.)    Frequent attempts at urination. If your male cat makes frequent attempts at urination by squatting or straining, he may have a urethral obstruction which causes inability to urinate, severe pain, temporary kidney failure or even death. In dogs, similar symptoms could be heralding the presence of bladder stones or some type of obstruction. Again, get your pet to the vet immediately!

As always, when in doubt, have your pet seen by a veterinarian. Don’t leave anything to chance.