Our pets get sick too. But oftentimes when they get sick, we might not right away pick up on the signs the way we should. We may pick up that something is off with our dogs, but it might take a little guessing to figure out if they’re sick, in physical pain, or if they’re just having an off day.
But with a little bit of detective work, we can better get acquainted with warning signs that something is wrong with our dogs. Dr. Adrianne Mulligan shared all the information you need to be able to determine if your dog is sick or not. In addition, she shared how you can check the vital signs of your dog so you can give them to your veterinarian when you call.
Dr. Mulligan pointed out that the three very important vitals of your dog to keep an eye on, are your dog’s heart rate, body temperature, and respiratory rate – those are all major concerns for your dog’s health.
Additionally, Dr. Mulligan helped to clear some of the misinformation out there concerning dogs’ health.
For Example
- She pointed out that checking the color and wetness of a dog’s gums is one way of telling if your dog is healthy or not. If the gums are a nice pink color they’re fine. However, if they are too red, too dark, too blue, or too white then your dog is serious in trouble. Additionally, she mentioned that it would be a good idea to familiarize yourself with your dog’s natural gum color. That way, in the future, you can tell if there is a future problem.
- When it comes to checking your dog’s pulse, that can be done by placing fingers – not your thumb – on the side of your dog’s chest, then gently pressing your fingers against their ribs. She pointed out that a good placement of your fingers is near the elbow joint, or you can find their pulse high up on their inner thigh where their femoral artery is.
- In order to check your dog’s temperature, you can use a rectal thermometer. To do this, it might be a good idea to have some help while attempting this.
Naturally, if there are any serious problems, or if you’re still concerned, you should always get in contact with your veterinarian immediately.
For more information, watch the video below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7PlRiJybLQ&feature=emb_logo
