Know Your Pooch
VK Joshi
The writer is former director, GSI, and an avid animal lover. His understanding of man's best friend comes from over six decades of dedicated association with it
Dogs have a strong instinct for survival. Thus, they try to be fit. The poor creatures cannot complain and unless you are observant, you will never know whether or not your dog is sick and needs to be taken to a vet. The question now arises, ‘how to go about it?’
Always remember that from the moment you bring home a puppy, you have to be very observant. One has to observe his/her pet day in and day out, 24X7. Let me explain pointwise, what you should be observing. Since he cannot tell you in words, you should start observing his excretion immediately.
1. His pattern of urination and also observe the colour of the urine. Normally it should be of straw colour, and very dark yellow urine or bloody urine should ring a bell in your mind. Certain medicines do affect the colour of the urine, but if your dog is not having any such medicine, then you should be alarmed. If he goes out every time he gets up from sleep or after every bout of play and/or after every meal for urination, it is a normal pattern. However excessive urination with much increased frequency or no urination for hours together may need a vet’s attention. Please also check the odour of his mouth. If it is foetid, he may be suffering from a kidney ailment!
2. A healthy dog’s stool is well-formed. In other words, if he soils the tiled floor of your house, you should be able to pick it from the floor with a plastic pan and it should neither stick to the floor nor roll away. If the stool is watery and the frequency is high, it calls for a vet’s intervention. The dog should not dehydrate at any cost. Immediate, intravenous rehydration is the only solution. In addition, the vet may prescribe oral intake of antibiotics!
3. Dogs’ eating habits are such that a healthy dog will gulp his food within two minutes. An adult dog needs two meals a day. If a dog wants more and more food and yet appears hungry with a shaggy coat, he is probably suffering from worms. Consult a vet. A dog may skip one or two feeds or even more up to three days, which is normal. They secrete strong and high content of acid for digestion. In case of indigestion, the dog may develop hyperacidity and start puking early morning after eating a few blades of grass from your lawn. That is their way of self-treatment. However, if the frequency is alarming, please do not hesitate to take the vet’s advice. In case you can see worms crawling in the stool, he needs to be immediately dewormed and the vet is the best person to medicate the dog.
Dogs are scavengers by birth. Thus ‘searching’ for food in the garbage bin or even hunting for rotten food in the municipal dumps along the road is routine during a walk and you should teach your dog not to do so. But all the time scavenging for food despite being well-fed means he needs a checkup. Maybe he has worms that cannot be seen by the naked eye! Let the vet decide on a deworming plan.
4. Thirst is one pattern which should be carefully watched. Puppies up to the age of 60 days rarely need to drink water. However, fresh drinking water in their water bowl must be available all the time. Excessive thirst is a sign of kidney ailments too. But in summers after a bout of exercise, a dog may pant and lap water feverishly, which is quite normal. And a dog infected with rabies may shun water. One has to be observant.
5. Dogs normally have a smooth and shinning coat. But a rough and dry coat indicates that everything is not all right. He may be suffering from an internal parasite infection. A bald patch on the skin with excessive scratching is a sure sign of mange or some other skin ailment. External parasites like ticks and fleas can be seen and treated. But sub-microscopic mange mites are difficult to locate and make a dog’s life miserable. Do consult a vet for treatment.
6. Dogs remain active and perky till quite late age. Of course, sometimes obesity makes them slow. But if a young dog or a puppy suddenly becomes lethargic, uninterested in playing or going out for walks or participating in activities which he normally enjoys means he is unwell. Often dogs try to hide under the bed or table or in dark corners of the house and don’t like to be bothered. The first thing you should do is to check the tip of the dog’s nose with the back of your palm. If it I dry, cracked up, he is probably having a high temperature. If the symptoms persist for more than two days, it is best to take him to a vet, rather than experimenting with home treatments.
7. Unlike us, dogs vomit for several reasons. As I have already explained, they have a high, concentrated acid in their digestive system and vomit if the food is not compatible. However, if the vomiting is too frequent and he is vomiting blood as well, it is time to rush him to a vet. The situation is still more alarming if he has fever too. Let the vet decide the line of treatment.
8. Sudden loss of weight should not be taken lightly. Even if an overweight dog loses weight all of a sudden, it is alarming. He may be suffering from diabetes! In toy dogs, a loss of weight of even 500 gms is alarming. Do get your dog examined by a vet urgently.
9. Red and running eyes, excessive purulent discharge from the eyes, or frequent squinting indicates an eye problem. An early treatment may save your dog from becoming blind.
10. Scooting or dragging the rear is indicative of worm infection or a malfunctioning anal gland. A malfunctioning anal gland can be a nuisance for you too, as it stinks badly. A vet will treat the dog and maybe if you wish to learn, he may show you how to periodically and manually clean the choked glands.
If you wish to see your dog healthy and happy, please do keep observing him minutely. He cannot come and tell you, ‘I have a bad headache or my tummy is aching’. He may indicate that by pawing his head with both fore limbs or by roaching his back like a camel. So please keep your eyes open and be observant.
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