Dog Symptoms Will Tell You What First Aid You Need to Give
If you recognize your dog symptoms, you can provide effective first aid for an injury, illness or disease. Recognizing the symptoms isn't enough, however. You need a baseline for your dog. Symptoms can only be useful if you know how he is under "normal," everyday conditions. For example, if he suddenly starts scratching a lot, it could be a sign of an allergy or fleas. However, if he already scratches (perhaps due to an ongoing skin rash), you may think that the scratching is related to this condition. As a result, you might not inspect and treat him for fleas.
You'll become aware of skin and coat conditions before they become serious, and you'll have the opportunity to inspect him for symptoms of eye, ear and mouth conditions, for sudden weight loss or gain, and for scratches, abrasions and wounds that could become infected. As a bonus, the time you spend together during your daily check and grooming will improve his disposition, as he receives the attention he craves from you.
Know Your DogYour dog symptoms of illness or injury will reveal themselves to you much sooner if you pay attention to his posture, gait, appetite and behavior. But before learning about various symptoms, learn about canine vital signs and how to check them. These signs are the baselines that will allow you to compare your dog's rates with normal rates. The information on these pages will help you learn about the symptoms of various physical problems that could affect your dog. They are grouped by severity: Life-Threatening Injuries and Illnesses, Non-Life-Threatening Injuries and Illnesses, and Diseases and Conditions. Some diseases and conditions have both chronic and acute symptoms. If the acute symptoms are life threatening, you'll find them listed under Life-Threatening Injuries and Illnesses. Many of the chronic diseases and conditions (such as allergies and skin conditions) can be managed easily — and even avoided — with some routine care.
The Basics will give you the core information that will help you determine how injured or ill your dog is. Identify Pain - Pain is an excellent indicator that something is wrong. Since your dog can't speak, you'll need to know how to identify it. Signs of Vomiting - Many people confuse vomiting with retching and other things that dogs do. Learn the difference so you can accurately describe your dog symptoms to the vet. Causes of Vomiting - There are many causes of vomiting, from eating grass to serious illnesses.
Life-Threatening Injuries and IllnessesLife-threatening injuries and illnesses are time-sensitive. The sooner you know the symptoms, the sooner you can begin dog symptoms first aid to stabilize her for transport to the clinic.
Non-life-threatening injuries and illnesses can still be quite serious, but give you a bit more time to deal with them. Know the symptoms so that you can provide effective treatment. Burn Signs - Burns can be minor or serious. Learn how to quickly determine the nature of the burns. Fracture Signs - Most fractures are not life-threatening, but all broken bones need treatment from a professional.
Diseases and conditions can have a wide array of symptoms. If they're acute, you may need to get your dog to the vet quickly. You can probably treat chronic conditions yourself. When you recognize your dog symptoms, you can provide the most effective first aid treatment. A few hours invested now can save your dog a lot of pain and suffering, and perhaps even his life.
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