You will know your pet has fleas when they scratch excessively. The first measure you would take is to buy an anti-flea spray from your nearby pet store.
On the bright side, your pet is bound to show a few obvious symptoms if they are unwell. The following are the 3 important signs that you should take your pet to a veterinarian. At the end of the article, you will learn a thing or two about your furry friends.
1. Loss of Appetite
If your pet refuses to eat food more than a day you must know something is wrong. Along with the loss of appetite, other symptoms like vomiting, extreme fatigue and lack of thirst could also indicate there is a problem with your pet. A few diagnoses could be an infection, parasites, excessive ticks or gastric problems. The worst case scenario would be a tumor. Fingers crossed.2. Frequent Urination
Although puppies and old pets do urinate quite often, excessive urination could be an indication that your pet is sick. Especially if your pet has false attempts during urination. Another sign is to check for the color of the urine. It is normal for it to be dark yellow early in the morning, but if it persists throughout the day it is a problem. Different shades of urine are indicative of different issues. The usual diagnosis could be urine incontinence, diabetes (Yes! pets get diabetes too), Urinary tract infections and a kidney disease.3. Excessive Licking
It is a normal behaviour for your pet to lick themselves. It is part of their grooming and there is nothing wrong with it. Make sure you avert your eyes when they do so. You might be embarrassing them.
The problem occurs when they are always licking themselves. In cats, the excessive self-licking could be due to stress or anxiety. Sometimes it also because there are in pain from the inside, or have too many fleas.
In dogs, the excessive licking between their paws, near the tail or in between their hips could be an indication of an allergy. If you catch your dog always licking the floor or the wall, it could be a GI disorder.
Remember, do not confuse grooming with a disease. You will know the difference.
The mentioned above 3 symptoms are the first signs of any disease. There are other like excessive thirst, sudden aggression, hiding, change in your pet’s eyes (drooping, watering or redness) or uncontrolled breathing could all be a symptom. Remember, over to counter medicines from pet stores do not suffice. In these cases, ignorance is not bliss. It is best to take them to a vet no matter how trivial.