17 Signs Your Dog Is Telling You Something Is Wrong
Dogs are hardwired to instinctively hide illness and injury as a form of self-preservation. So, when you notice something is off with your pet, they may have been hiding a problem and it has reached the point that they no longer could.
Even if dogs were willing to share their troubles, since they can’t talk, it’s up to you to notice the subtle and not so subtle signs that something is wrong. Fortunately, by knowing your pet, you can recognize when something isn’t right.
Sometimes problems are not so obvious, such as vomiting and diarrhea. Here are some obvious but not so obvious signs your dog may be telling you something is wrong:
1. Unnatural posture
If your dog’s posture suddenly looks odd or hunched over, they could be having a health problem. Some conditions associated with an unnatural posture include:
• Gastrointestinal distress
• Pain or trauma of the neck or back
• Bladder or kidney problems
2. Sitting in a prayer position
If your dog is sitting in a prayer or downward dog (yoga) position with his head down and hind end in the air, it is a signal that they are in pain and may have:
• Gastroenteritis
• Pancreatitis
• Abdominal pain
• Back pain
3. Distress along with pacing, dry heaving, and drooling
If your German shepherd ever begins to pace, wretch (unproductive vomiting), drool, seems distressed, or has a distended abdomen, they could be having the following life-threatening emergency. Since time is of the essence, run don’t walk to the vet-it’s better to be on the side of caution in this case.
• “Bloat”
• Gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV)
4. Sloppy sitting
If your adult dog is suddenly sitting like a puppy with their leg/s splayed out, it could be a symptom of an orthopedic problem, such as:
• Hip dysplasia
• Luxating patella
• Arthritis
• Cruciate ligament problem
• Hip dysplasia
• Spine issue
5. Hiding
If your dog begins to hide from you for no reason, they could be suffering from:
• Illness
• Injury
• Trauma
• Pain
• Illness
• Cognitive dysfunction
• Stress
• Anxiety
6. Butt scooting
If your dog is suddenly scooting its butt on the floor or chewing on its backside, it could be:
• Worms
• Fleas
• Full or inflamed anal glands
• Allergies
• Not enough fiber in the diet
7. Head shaking
Scratching the ears can be a sign of an ear infection, but so can head shaking. Other reasons your dog might shake its head include:
• Infection
• Mites
• Fluid
• Foreign object
• Idiopathic head tremors
8. Head pressing
If your dog presses its head against the wall or furniture, it’s a signal that something is seriously wrong, and they need to see a vet right away. Problems that can trigger head pressing include:
• Prosencephalon disease
• Nervous system damage
• Tumor
• Sodium imbalance
• Toxin, poison
• Fungal infection
• Trauma
• Brain damage
9. Refusing food
If your dog suddenly has a change in appetite or is refusing food, it could indicate that they are suffering from a health problem, such as:
• Stomachache
• Toothache
• Cancer
• Kidney disease
• Liver problems
10. Unwillingness to walk or play
When a normally active dog is suddenly unwilling to walk, run, or play, it indicates that there is a problem. However, the potential problems are endless. For example, weakness or lethargy can be a sign of:
• Illness
• Infection
• Injury
• Anemia
• Arthritis
• Heart problem
• Thyroid problem
• Diabetes
• Cancer
11. Stinky Breath
If your dog’s breath is suddenly bad, it could be they are suffering from a:
• Sinus infection
• Upper respiratory infection
• Mouth/tooth infection
• Abscess
• Kidney problem
• Liver problem
• Diabetes
12. Excessive drinking
Drinking water is healthy but if it becomes obsessive or your dog is drinking a lot more than normal, it could indicate a problem, such as:
• Diabetes
• Urinary tract infection
• Kidney failure
• Cushing’s disease
• Pyometra (females)
13. Abnormal aggression
If your sweet dog is suddenly snappy or growling, it could be more than a bad mood. Some health problems that can cause a dog to become aggressive include:
• Pain
• Fever
• Hormonal imbalance
• Epilepsy
• Thyroid problems
• Cancer
• Brain tumor
• Cognitive dysfunction
• Neurological problems
• Adrenal gland problems
14. Difficulty navigating familiar territory
If your dog develops a sudden vision problem or their eyes become cloudy, it could be a serious problem that could lead to blindness. Some common conditions of the eyes include:
• Injury
• Diabetes
• Pannus
• Cataracts
• Nuclear sclerosis (senior dogs)
• Glaucoma
• Dry eyes
• Ulcers
• Anterior uveitis
• Corneal dystrophy
15. Panting more than normal
If your dog is panting more than normal, it could simply be they’re hot, but it could also be a sign of:
• Heart problem
• Pain
• Respiratory infection
• Poisoning
• Heatstroke
• Cushing’s disease
• Anemia
16. Abnormal head tilting
Head tilting in German shepherds is adorable but if you’re beautiful dog suddenly is tilting its head in a way not normal for them and they are having trouble walking, it could be:
• Stroke
• Ear infection
• Trauma
• Neck injury
17. Coughing
Dogs don’t cough for no reason so if your pup suddenly develops a cough, it could be a sign they have:
• Kennel cough
• Heart problem
• Trachea problem
• Kennel cough
• Pneumonia
• Heartworms
This list is certainly not exhaustive and doesn’t replace veterinary care. Whenever you’re worried that your dog might have a health problem, go to the professionals.
However, we do hope that you find this article interesting. As always, please feel free to share with your friends.
You might also like: 7 Easy Ways To Read Your Dog’s Body Language
