Canine Healthcare

To monitor your dog's health, do a quick scan during your weekly grooming session. Check his whole body, from nose to tail, and look for signs of illness such as matted fur, swelling or unusual discharge. Nose secretions should be clear, and his pulse — taken by pressing your fingers on the inside of his upper thigh — should fall within the range of 50 to 130 beats per minute, depending on the breed. In addition, check for dehydration by twisting the skin of his shoulder. A healthy dog's skin will snap right back.

Behavioral Signs Your Dog is Sick

• He is lethargic.
• He acts depressed.
• He does not want to play or go for walks.

What to do?
While some signs of illness are general and can be indicators of any number of dog diseases or acute problems, other symptoms point to specific, common maladies. Mark everything you see and hear down in your dog's medical diary, and get to the vet as soon as you spot a problem. If you take your dog for a checkup every year and generally keep up with normal preventive care, you'll usually be able to nip any problems in the bud.

When to Call the Vet
There are many common canine ailments, some more likely to afflict certain breeds than others. Although vaccinations will generally keep your dog safe from infectious diseases such as canine distemper, parvovirus, Lyme disease and rabies, there are times when disease will get through your vigilant filtering and prevention system. You should always be on the lookout for signs of illness, no matter how many booster shots your dog gets.

Parvovirus
Parvo is a disease that damages your dog's intestinal lining, and is often fatal to young or unvaccinated dogs.

Signs: Fever, weakness, a poor appetite, depression followed by vomiting and severe diarrhea

What to do: Take your dog to the vet ASAP. Because parvo is picked up via the stool of an infected dog, keep your dog away from the feces of others. Dogs with coronavirus, a much less serious problem, will also show these symptoms, and might also have bloody stools.

Canine Distemper
Canine distemper is a highly contagious and dangerous health condition in dogs. So make sure your dog is vaccinated.

Signs: Loss of appetite, nose and eye discharge, neurological problems such as drooling, head shaking and even seizures. Look for hard skin patches on the feet or nose.

Viral or Bacterial Infection (most notably parainfluenza or bordetella mdash; kennel cough)

Signs: Coughing, hacking, listlessness and poor appetite, followed by a recurring cough

Leptospirosis
Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that affects the liver and kidneys. It can be picked up from contaminated urine.

Signs: Depression, weakness, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, increased thirst and urination, mouth and tongue ulcers. This is highly contagious, and can be transmitted to humans.