Dogs have been a valued companion to mankind for centuries, but within the last 100 years, we’ve actually been able to better explain why dogs do some of the odd things they do. Sometimes, it’s to express joy, and other times it can be their way of telling us something is wrong. Dogs certainly have a lot of quirks in their behavior–some are endearing, but some are tied to health issues that need immediate veterinarian attention.
Dogs Communicate Through Their Actions
Because dogs can’t talk to us, it’s important to understand what they are trying to tell us through their behavior. We’ve all rejoiced at seeing a dog who gets the “zoomies” where they run around in circles with wild abandon–a raw expression of pure happiness and adrenalin. It’s perfectly natural for dogs to circle their bed before lying down to find the perfect, comfortable spot. It’s also quite normal for dogs to eat grass, which is an evolutionary reaction to the need to clean out their digestive system.
Unfortunately, Poop Eating and Butt Sniffing Are Completely Normal Dog Behaviors
We’re sorry to say this, but it’s actually very common for dogs to eat their own poop. (Kisses anyone?) It’s a behavior known as coprophagy–and it’s a behavior about 25 percent of dogs exhibit. Don’t fret if your dog falls into this percentile. Our vets at Jacksonville Community Pet Clinic can prescribe supplements that can help curb this gross behavior.
It’s also equally normal for dogs to sniff each other’s butts. Remember, they have 300 million olfactory receptors in their noses, so a good butt sniff can tell them a lot about another dog, such as whether it’s male or female, happy or sad, sick or healthy.
But some behaviors are a plea for vet help and merit letting us take a closer look at the health of your dog.
When Strange Dog Behaviors Merit Medical Attention
When your dog starts acting in a way that’s out of character, that’s the first clue that something might be wrong. Here are some of the more common reasons to seek our advice at Jacksonville Community Pet Clinic if your dog begins to start displaying any of these behaviors.
Decreased Activity or Lack of Appetite
Dogs stop eating for a variety of reasons, including fever, pain or stress. If they don’t eat for more than 24 hours, it’s time to come see us. Likewise, lethargy can be a sign of heart disease.
Frequent Urination and/or Excessive Thirst
There are two things we look for first when a dog starts to exhibit these behaviors. Diabetes causes both frequent urination and excessive thirst. Increased urination can also signal kidney, liver or adrenal gland disease.
Coughing
It’s not normal for dogs to have a persistent cough. Persistent coughing can be a sign of heart disease, heartworms, or lung disease. But it doesn’t always mean such serious disease. For most adult dogs, kennel cough is a mild nuisance that goes away within a couple of weeks. For puppies, kennel cough can be fatal, however. If a cough present with persistent sneezing or discharge from the eyes, ears or nose, it could be pneumonia.
Itching or Hair Loss
Excessive itching often leads to hair loss, raw irritated skin, and even open sores. The most common reasons for these conditions are fleas, ticks, mange mites, and ear mites. Dogs can also have yeast infections from ear mites that lead to excessive scratching.
Loss of Mobility
Lameness, stiffness or difficulty getting up from a laying position could be signs of arthritis, which is especially common in senior dogs. Some of the larger purebreds, like German shepherds, Labradors, and golden retrievers are prone to hip dysplasia, where the joint develops abnormally and leads to degenerative joint disease.
Excessive Licking
If your dog licks themselves raw, it’s often a sign of an underlying health issue such as an injury or infection.
Vomiting, Diarrhea or Blood in the Stool
If your dog vomits several times a day and begins acting lethargic, bring him to see us right away. If it’s bloody vomit, it can be an indication of gastric ulcers or swallowing a foreign object. Diarrhea is often a signal that your dog is suffering from gastrointestinal issues or parasitic infections.
Conclusion
While all of these sound serious and certainly demand our attention, the good news is that most of these conditions are treatable if diagnosed and treated in time. Arthritis pain can be managed with medications. Infections are often cleared up with an antibiotic regime.
It’s important to not skip annual physicals even for the healthiest of dogs. Prevention is always the proper protocol for keeping a medical condition at bay in the first place. That’s why it’s important to keep your dog’s shot record current and give monthly preventatives for fleas and heartworms.
At the Jacksonville Community Pet Clinic, our goal is to help your dog stay healthy and pain-free for many wonderful years of love and companionship. Regular check-ups and care when you notice something isn’t quite right is the best way to keep your fur baby active and well.
