As early 20th Century writer and humorist Robert Benchley once wrote, “A boy can learn a lot from a dog — obedience, loyalty, and the importance of turning around three times before lying down.” Dogs certainly have a lot of quirks in their behavior–some are endearing, but some are tied to health issues that need 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, it’s also quite natural for dogs to eat their own poop, which is known as coprophagy–a behavior approximately 25 percent of dogs exhibit (the good news is that Jacksonville Community Pet Clinics has a supplement to help curb this behavior!). It’s equally normal for dogs to sniff each other’s butts. 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.
When Strange 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 several serious conditions that can lead to these behaviors. Diabetes causes both frequent urination and excessive thirst. Increased urination can also signal kidney, liver or adrenal gland disease.
Coughing. Persistent coughing can be a sign of heart disease, heartworms, or lung disease. For most 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. 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 especiallly 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, it’s time to see your veterinarian. 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.
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 often merit an antibiotic regime. Prevention is always the BEST tool for trying to stop a medical condition from starting in the first place, which is why you want to keep your dog’s shot record current and give them flea and heartworm preventatives once a month.
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.
