Veterinarian Symptoms of Dog Illnesses

Veterinarians look for certain symptoms in a dog when determining if the animal is ill or displaying normal canine behavior.Two Dogs image by ziggyhendry from Fotolia.com

While regurgitation is normal for dogs, frequent vomiting is not. Since disease can come only quickly or be slow in showing itself, it is important for you to know what is normal behavior for your dog and what is not. Veterinarians look for certain symptoms in a dog to tell if the animal is sick or just displaying typical canine behavior.

Vomiting

While vomiting can be caused by benign sources such as ingesting nonfood substances, eating too much food, eating too quickly, exercising too soon after eating, or stress, it can also be a signal of a serious illness if the dog vomits blood or vomits persistently. Vomiting could be a sign of ulcers, kidney and liver failure, distemper, cancer, diabetes or poisoning. If your dog vomits a foamy, clear or yellow-tinged fluid, it probably suffers from a stomach problem such as acute gastritis, but a veterinarian should diagnose your pet. When your dog retches but does not vomit, it could be suffering from a gastric dilatation and volvulus. This is a severe and potentially fatal illness in which the dog's stomach becomes twisted.

Halitosis, or bad breath, is caused by the accumulation of odor-manufacturing bacteria in your dog's mouth, lungs or gut. If your dog's bad breath persists, it could be a sign that your dog needs dental attention or that something may be seriously wrong with your pet. When your dog's breath smells abnormally sweet or fruity, it may be suffering from diabetes, especially if it has been drinking and urinating frequently. If your dog's breath smells like urine, it may have kidney disease. Unusually rank bad breath could be a sign that your dog is suffering from a liver problem if the bad breath coincides with vomiting, absence of appetite, and yellowish corneas.

Blood in your dog's urine can indicate some type of internal hemorrhage. If the blood appears in the first portion of urine emptied from the dog's bladder, your pet could be suffering from an issue involving the urethra, penis, prostate, uterus or vagina. When the blood appears at the end of urination, your dog may have a problem with its bladder or prostate. If there is blood throughout your dog's urine, it may have a disease pertaining to the kidneys, ureters or bladder.

Persistent diarrhea in your pet may indicate a serious infection, poisoning, stomach wounds, cancer or intestinal problems. The color of the stool can help you in determining the likely cause and location of the illness. Black and tarry feces indicates upper gastrointestinal bleeding in the stomach or small bowel, while red blood or clots indicate lower gastrointestinal bleeding in the colon. If the stool is large, gray and rancid, your dog may be suffering from inadequate digestion in the small bowel.