SIGNS OF ACUTE AND CHRONIC ILLNESS
The term acute does not always mean a serious illness. When your Vet diagnoses an acute illness he means come on suddenly and not one that has gradually appeared, as in a chronic illness.
Tense swollen stomach.
A drum-like swelling of the abdomen an hour or two after feeding, accompanied by obvious distress with panting and salivation, may indicate that your pet has bloat. This is am emergency and should be treated by a Vet straight away.
Vomiting
If you dog or cat has vomited several times, particularly if it persists for more than 12 hours, you will need to see your Vet. Vomiting once or twice is common and a normal reaction to eating something unsuitable. Some dogs and cats eat grass, appearing to make themselves sick. If this happens occasionally there is no need to worry, but persistent vomiting after eating grass could mean n acute problem, again see your Vet.
Diarrhoea
If it persists for twenty-four hours or longer or it accompanies vomiting, again a trip to the Vets is necessary. If there is blood in the diarrhoea or vomit they will need urgent treatment from the Vet it could be the signs of the start of Gastroenteritis.
Difficulty breathing
They could have a foreign object lodged in their throat which could make them choke. Or if they are gasping for breath see your Vet for a diagnosis.
Collapse
Loss of consciousness and fitting. See your vet immediately, it could be a one off but also could underline a more serious problem. Puppies sometimes fit and it is all over in a few minutes, but what you need to do is describe exactly what happened during the fit, did they howl or whimper, collapse quietly or paddle it's legs. This will enable the Vet to determine what the cause might be.
Our dog Monty collapsed with his back legs going into spasms it wasn't a fit and he didn't make a sound, but it turned out to be
hip displacia.
Other signs to look for
Serious bleeding, obvious pain indicated by whimpering or crying out loud, tenderness to the touch, difficulty in passing urine or faeces. Any obvious signs of severe injury, swelling on the body, a closed or inflamed eye with excessive tears, violent rubbing or scratching around the ears.
Chronic Illness
The signs of a chronic illness appear gradually taking many forms and can be very subtle. But as soon as you start to notice any of the signs please make sure you take your pet to the Vets.
Loss of weight
This could be over a number of weeks and is a common indicator of a chronic disease. It can also be accompanied by a loss of appetite and sometimes even by a normal appetite.
Swellings
This can be benign or cancerous and need to be examined by your Vet. They could be just fatty lumps of tissue under the skin or superficial tumors which are normally harmless. But get them checked .
Hair loss Itchy & skin
This can be with or without itchy skin, could be an allergic reaction or an infection of some kind. But needs attention as you don’t want a bald pet and by getting advice quickly it can stop the loss quite quickly. Itchy skin can also be eczema or the start of mange or a flea reaction..
Other signs
Drinking excessive amount of water might indicate a kidney problem, bad breath or body odour and occasional vomiting might indicate an internal problem. (Whelping mothers will regurgitate food for their pups.) Lameness which has developed slowly
