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Symptoms of Pain and Illness in Dogs
Excerpt : Dog owners, who recognize the early signs and symptoms of illness or pain in their dogs, will not only relieve their loved one’s suffering but may also be able to save themselves an expensive trip to
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An adult dog will have a respiratory rate of 15-20 breaths per minute (depending on such variables as size and weight) and a heart rate of 80-120 beats per minute. You can feel for your dog’s heartbeat by placing your hand on his/her lower ribcage just behind the elbow. Don’t be alarmed if the heartbeat seems irregular compared to a human’s heartbeat, it is irregular in many dogs. Have your vet check it out and get used to how it feels when it is normal. Behavior Changes Any behavior changes that are not associated with a change in the household atmosphere, such as jealousy over a new pet or child may be an indication of an illness. Signs of behavioral changes may 
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•Depression •Anxiety •Fatigue •Sleepiness •Trembling •Falling/Stumbling If your dog shows any of these signs, he/she needs to be kept under close watch for a few hours, or even a few days, until positive signs develop or he/she has returned to normal. Do not try to exercise the dog or put him/her in any situation that may cause stress. Most veterinarians will want for you to keep track of when the symptoms first appeared, whether they are getting better or worse, and also whether the symptoms are intermittent, continuous, or increasing in frequency. Pain Dogs that are in pain will likely indicate that they are suffering by giving you clues as to where the area of discomfort is. For instance, a dog that has abdominal pain will continually glance toward their belly, bite or lick the area, and will not want to leave his/her bed. The dog may stand hunched over, or take the ‘prayer position’ 
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Dogs can not tell you that they are hurting or cry real tears but a dog may vocalize their pain in a different way. A dog that is hurt suddenly (such as being stepped on) will cry out or wimper in pain. This also happens when an external injury or internal injury (such as an organ) is touched. Whining or vocalization that is unprovoked may be caused from an internal injury as well. Some breeds of dogs (such as the American Pit Bull Terrier) have a higher pain threshold and need to be watched more closely for signs of pain. Breeds with a high pain tolerance are more likely to endure the pain without vocalization. Another clue to pain is a change in temperament. A dog that is in pain may show signs of aggression. Please take note of this before concluding that a dog has become vicious and let your veterinarian know so that the correct 
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Other signs that your dog may be sick: •Ears: discharge, debris, odor, scratching, crusted tips, twitching or shaking. •Eyes: redness, swelling or discharge. •Nose: runny, thickened or colored discharge, crusty. •Coughing, sneezing, vomiting or gagging. •Shortness of breath, irregular breathing or prolonged/heavy panting •Evidence of parasites in the dog’s stool, strange color, blood in the stool, or lack of a bowel movement (constipation). •Loss of appetite or not drinking as much water as normally would. •Weight Loss. •Strange color of urine, small amount of urine, straining, dribbling, or not going as frequently as normal. •Bad odor 
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•Hair loss, wounds, tumors, dander or change of the skin’s color. •Biting of the skin, parasites, scratching or licking the skin frequently. The preceding article was meant to help educate you to the signs and symptoms of probable pain or sickness in your dog. If any of these symptoms occur over a prolonged period of time, please seek the help of a veterinarian. I hope that this article will help stress the importance of keeping watch over your dog’s health patterns and the importance of keeping an accurate, detailed health record for your veterinarian’s convenience. About the Author Jennifer Bryant breeds American Pit Bull Terriers and builds websites in her spare time.
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