PET experts have urged dog lovers to be on their guard for early warning signs of ill health in their lovable mutts.
Catching these six tell-tale indicators early could potentially save their lives and also on prevent expensive vet bills.
Among these is the seemingly harmless ear scratching that dogs everywhere cannot resist.
Pet food nutritionists at Years.com have identified six tell-tale signs, which should set alarm bells ringing for dog owners.
A single occurrence of one of these signs might be benign.
But several coming together at the same time should raise alarm bells.
Lovable mutts cannot verbalize how they are feeling so acute awareness of these signs could save an awful lot of heartbreak.
A loss of appetite is a big red warning flag and should never be taken lightly.
If you're fluffy one goes off their food this could signify stress and anxiety, or even undiagnosed digestive issues.
The sudden appearance of strange lumps on the body should alert the senses of all dog lovers.
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Six worrying health signs you should never ignore in your dog
Catching these six tell-tale signs early, could potentially save their lives and prohibitive vet bills and expensive pills.
- Loss of appetite.
- Strange lumps on the body
- Constantly clawing to go outside
- Reddish skin
- Smelly nails
- Itchy ears
Owners should routinely check around your pooch's body for any bumps and lumps. Don't ignore the small ones.
These could grow. If any more start to show in a two-week period, take your dog to the vet.
Another signal to be aware of is if your pet is constantly clawing to go outside. Going out into the garden is perfectly normal for a dog.
But if they are desperate to go in the garden after eating this could indicate digestive issues. It could even mean their diet needs to be examined.
Be vigilant of discolored or reddish skin on your family pet. It could be a sign of a bacterial skin infection. This cannot be left to fix itself. If untreated, it could spread causing even further irritation and more scratching.
Stinky nails are not a good sign. Potentially it could be a sign of bacterial claw infection. This must be treated to prevent the infection getting any worse and develop into far more serious bone infections.
Dogs love having their ears scratched. But approach with caution because vigorous rubbing of their ears can have terribly consequences.
The dreaded ear mite might be the source of the irritation and, left untreated, can cause swelling of the ear canal. Long term this can degenerate into partial deafness if left undiagnosed.
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