How do dogs act when they sense illness

In the time spent with dogs, we have long been accustomed to their energetic appearance, their jumping figures and passionate eyes, as if they will never be shrouded in darkness. However, when diseases quietly strike, dogs often detect abnormalities in their bodies earlier than we imagine. Although they cannot express their pain in words, they can send us signals of illness through various manifestations. So what do dogs do when they notice they are sick?

From the perspective of behavioral changes, when dogs get sick, they may become unusually lazy despite being active. On weekdays, he always runs around the house excitedly. As soon as he hears the command to go out, he can't wait to rush towards the dog at the door. Suddenly, he loses interest in playing and quietly curls up in the corner all day long. Even if the owner teases him with his favorite toy, he only reluctantly raises his head, and his eyes no longer have the light of the past. This is likely due to physical discomfort that makes them feel weak and require more rest to recover their energy. For example, when a dog is infected with a virus, it triggers a systemic inflammatory response, and the body consumes a lot of energy to fight the virus. At this time, the dog will feel exhausted, have slow movements, and significantly increase sleep time.

Some dogs may exhibit restless behavior when they realize they are sick. They may frequently pace and wander around the room, unable to lie down and rest quietly. This is because physical pain or discomfort makes it difficult for them to find a comfortable posture, and inner restlessness prompts them to relieve it through this constant walking. For example, when a dog suffers from gastrointestinal diseases and abdominal pain, it will try to alleviate the pain by changing its body posture, sometimes curling up into a ball, and sometimes standing up and walking, looking very painful and uneasy.

Dogs' dietary habits can also undergo significant changes. Healthy dogs are usually passionate about food, and when feeding time comes, they will run over happily and eagerly enjoy the delicious food. But when they get sick, their appetite may significantly decrease. Faced with my favorite dog food or snacks, I just smell them and turn away, even indifferent to the delicious dishes specially prepared by my owner. This may be a manifestation of various diseases, such as oral diseases causing chewing pain and making dogs afraid to eat.

Visually, dogs also show many obvious signs when they are sick. The fur state can intuitively reflect the health status of dogs. Healthy dogs have smooth and shiny fur that feels soft and comfortable to the touch. However, when a dog falls ill, its hair may become rough, dry, lose its former shine, and even experience shedding. For example, if a dog is infected with skin diseases such as mites, fungi, etc., the skin will appear red spots, papules, accompanied by itching. The dog will frequently scratch, which not only causes hair loss but also makes the hair messy. Endocrine problems may also affect hair health, such as hypothyroidism, which can cause dogs' hair to become sparse and dry.

A dog's eyes are the windows to the soul and also a barometer of health. Under normal circumstances, a dog's eyes are clear and bright, with clean corners and no excessive discharge. But when dogs get sick, their eyes may show symptoms of redness, swelling, and increased tearing, and eye droppings may also increase significantly, with a yellow or green color. This is likely caused by eye infections such as conjunctivitis, keratitis, etc. Eye infections can cause eye pain and itching, and dogs will frequently scratch their eyes with their paws, further exacerbating the infection.

The changes in the ears cannot be ignored either. A healthy dog's ears are clean and odorless, with pink ear canals. When a dog is sick, there may be a strange odor in the ears, and the dog may frequently shake its head and scratch its ears, which may be a sign of ear inflammation, such as otitis media and otitis externa. Inflammation can cause secretion inside the ears, stimulate the ear canal, and cause discomfort in dogs. They try to alleviate this discomfort by shaking their heads and scratching their ears.

The body temperature of a dog is also an important indicator for judging its health condition. Under normal circumstances, a dog's body temperature is between 38 ℃ and 39 ℃. When a dog detects that it is sick, its body temperature may become abnormal. High body temperature is common in infections, inflammations, and other conditions. For example, if a dog is infected with bacteria or viruses, the body's immune system will be activated, producing a fever response to combat the pathogen. Hypothermia may be caused by physical weakness, shock, or other reasons, such as severe blood loss, hypoglycemia, or certain endocrine disorders in dogs, which may lead to hypothermia.

Dogs cannot express their pain in words, and can only convey the message of illness to us through changes in their behavior, physical appearance, and interaction with us. What we need to do is to carefully observe every subtle change in them and promptly identify problems. Once you notice signs of illness in your dog, don't panic and take it to the veterinarian as soon as possible. During a dog's illness, we should give it more care and companionship, provide it with a warm and quiet resting environment, feed it on time according to the veterinarian's instructions, and carefully take care of its diet and daily life. We look forward to the dog overcoming its illness and regaining its former liveliness and joy under our careful care.