Our family pets are part of the family and they can do some amazing things that delight us and make us feel loved. But sometimes they behave in ways that may seem cute, although it may be a sign of a severe illness.
Pretty much all of us have seen pictures on the Web of dogs and cats sitting near a wall pressing their head against it. A lot of people mistake this behavior for a cute way to relieve streets, as it turns out, it is a sign of a severe medical problem, and if your cat or dog does it, drop what you are doing and get them to a vet.
This behavior, known as head pressing, is when a pet stands near a surface like a wall or piece of furniture and presses their head against the hard surface. Far from being cute, this is almost always a sign of significant neurological illness.
The list of disorders that can cause pets to head press include hydrocephalus, meningitis, stroke, brain tumor, other infections and severe head trauma. All of which are medical emergencies.
Other signs to look for besides head pressing are walking in circles, seizures, irregular reflexes, aimless pacing, blindness, and other irregular behaviors.
We also wanted to find out about other behaviors that can indicate that our furry family members are sick and we wanted to share them with you so you can keep your little mates happy and healthy.
If your dog suddenly begins to have uncontrolled urination, including while it sleeps, this could be an indication that Fido has diabetes. Best get the little guy to the vet so that they can screen him for the disease, which just as in humans, is on the rise in our pets.
Dogs who run around a lot and eat grass will occasionally vomit. Not a problem as they usually spit it up and then run on their happy little way. But if there is blood present in their vomit or stool, this could be a sign of a gastric ulcer.
Dogs are well known to eat anything and all the time. There is an old wive’s tale that says if you put enough food in front of a dog, he will eat until he bursts. Of course, those of us who live with dogs know this is an exaggeration. But, if you notice that your dog has a markedly decreased appetite, especially for more than forty eight hours, this could be a sign of a number of severe problems like stress, oral pain, and fevers caused by infection.
Our dog likes to wake us up every morning by sneezing in out face. It is cute, in a gross sort of way. When a dog coughs, sometimes it is because it has something in its throat like hair, but if you dog is coughing a lot or for a long time, then it might be sign of serious problems including tracheobroncitis, or kennel cough, heart worms, lung disease, or other potentially fatal illnesses.
Our pets are very resilient little animals, but they can not tell us what is wrong when they feel sick. We know how they usually act and what their typical behavior is like, and if their behavior changes abruptly, it may be cause for serious concern and a quick trip to the vet.
Are there any other warning signs in our pets that you know about? Has your dog ever been sick? Share your stories with us here.