Common Symptoms of Pet Illnesses

There are a huge number of symptoms of disease that pets may show and each pet will vary slightly in how they behave when ill. Some signs are specific to certain diseases and some are more general indicators that your pet is not well.

It is important to get to know what is normal for your pet so that you notice any changes as quickly as possible. If you notice any changes in your pet you should call your vet for advice as soon as possible. Below are some of the more common symptoms of pet illness. 

Abdominal distension:

This refers to enlargement of the abdomen for reasons other than putting on weight. It often gives the pet a pot bellied appearance. This distension can be due to several underlying causes such as fluid build up in cases of heart disease or possibly bleeding. It can also be due to enlarged organs, maybe as a result of masses or gas distension in the case of the stomach. Other symptoms such as lethargy or inappetance may also be present but further tests would usually be needed to determine the cause. 

Alopecia:

This mean hair loss. This can occur either locally in small patches or can spread into larger areas such as an entire flank. You may notice your pet’s hair thinning or notice your pet scratching or over grooming. Over grooming can be due to stress or an itchy underlying skin disease such as a flea or mite infestation. Alopecia may also occur due to a primary problem with the hair follicle. It can be indicative of underlying disease, sometimes hormone imbalances so is well worth being seen by your vet.

Anorexia:

This is a loss of appetite and it is a non specific sign of disease with a huge range of potential underlying causes. Your pet may not be able to eat if there are problems causing pain in the mouth such as dental disease or difficulty swallowing. Alternatively your pet may just not want to eat due to nausea, pain, fever or a large number of underlying metabolic causes such as kidney or liver disease. You can often differentiate by close observation when offering your pet food. Other signs such as excess salivation or vomiting may accompany anorexia.

Breathing problems:

Disturbances of normal breathing are often an emergency and should be checked by the vet as soon as possible. You may notice your pet breathing faster or more deeply and looking as if taking the breath is requiring more effort than usual and this is called “Dyspnoea”. In severe cases this may mean that there is not enough oxygen reaching the rest of the body and your pet’s gums may take on a blueish tinge. There is obviously a problem with the lungs but it can also be secondary to heart disease. Primary problems with the lungs can include infections such as pneumonia, asthma, obstructions and accumulations of fluid either in or around the lungs.

Collapse:

A pet may collapse for several different reasons. There may be a musculoskeletal cause such as arthritis making the limbs too weak or painful to bear the animal’s weight. Collapse may be related to the heart or lungs as in severe disease, oxygen supply to the body may be restricted causing collapse. There may also be a neurological cause such as a stroke or seizure where your pet may lose consciousness. Giving the vet the most accurate description that you can of the collapse will help a lot in differentiating these.

Constipation:

This is defined as difficult or infrequent defecation which produces hard, dry faeces. They may strain or vocalise when going to the toilet and sometimes only a small amount of liquid is produced after much straining.  It can be difficult to spot as animals often pass faeces out of sight but it is worth monitoring if possible. Causes include changes in diet, pain, either from the intestine or structures close by such as anal glands, an enlarged prostate or behavioural such as a cat not wanting to use a dirty or different litter tray. If you suspect your pet is having difficulty passing faeces then an examination by the vet may help determine why.

Coughing:

This can sometimes but not always be associated with breathing difficulties as described above. Coughing is to clear either secretions or foreign material from the lungs so again may occur with infections such as Kennel Cough and also with heartworm, bronchitis and fluid in the lungs due to heart disease. It will often need veterinary intervention to resolve it, especially if it is becoming a chronic or long term problem

Diarrhoea:

This manifests as frequent, loose, sometimes watery faeces, often with blood or mucus. Animals may also strain when passing faeces and mess in the house. It can be as a result of a problem in the intestines such as infection, inflammation or parasites or often diet, either dietary indisgression or in more chronic cases, food intolerance. Diarrhoea can also be secondary to underlying disease such as an over active thyroid in cats. Chronic diarrhoea can result in dehydration and weight loss and may be accompanied by anorexia or vomiting.

Drinking excessively:

Also known as “polydipsia” and often resulting in increased urine production, known as “polyuria”. You may notice your pet emptying their water bowl more frequently or starting to drink from ponds, puddles or sinks. It is advisable to try and measure the actual amount that your pet is drinking. Greater then 100mls per kg bodyweight per day is considered excessive. Potential causes include an overactive thyroid, diabetes, kidney or liver disease, pyometra (infection in the uterus) and high levels of calcium. Blood tests can be very helpful in differentiating these.

Eye discharge:

Discharge can be watery or look like pus and is often accompanied by other signs such as holding the eye shut, blinking a lot or “blephrospasm” and inflamed conjunctival membranes. There are several reasons for this that will need an examination by the vet to determine. These include trauma, infection, inflammation, ulcers, foreign bodies and glaucoma. Eye problems can worsen quickly so should be checked as soon as possible.

Hallitosis:

This is another term for bad breath and is often noticed by owners. The most common reason for this is dental disease, tartar building up on the teeth leading to gingivitis or gum disease. Tartar contains bacteria which produce the unpleasant smell. This can often be improved with a scale and polish and routine dental care such as brushing the teeth and dental chews or having the teeth scaled and polished by the vet. Sometimes underlying diseases such as kidney disease can cause bad breath and ulcers in the mouth which the vet will be able to see on examination.

Lameness:

This is often an acute problem and often owners will have seen the cause - rough play, falling on the stairs etc. The animal may be tentative to put weight on a certain leg or even not bear weight at all. You may also see swelling or stiffness in the limb. I can be due to a soft tissue injury such as a sprain or bony damage such as a fracture or dislocation. Wounds and foreign bodies can also cause acute lameness. Chronic lameness which is gradually getting worse may be due to a mass or growth in the leg or maybe an infection in the bone and x-rays are often indicated to find the cause.

Lethargy:

This is a non specific sign of illness but it is important to note as can be an early indicator of disease. Your pet may be restless, tire more easily with exercise or be reluctant to exercise at all. Potential underlying causes are varied and diverse but may include infection, fever, pain, medications, obesity, environment and underlying metabolic causes such as hormone imbalances. A thorough examination by the vet would be indicated to investigate further.

Pain:

This can be due to many different causes and can manifest in many different ways, often with behavioural changes. The animal may become withdrawn or aggressive, restless and vocal. They may become inappetant and have an altered posture. The cause may be obvious if there has been trauma resulting in a wound but many internal problems such as an intestinal blockage, bladder stones or pancreatitis can also be very painful. This will need to be investigated and controlled by the vet as soon as possible as may lead to suffering if left.

Scratching:

This is often due to skin disease and is called “pruritus”. Allergy and skin infection will both cause animal to scratch as will infestations or parasites such as flea, mites or lice. Fleas are the most common cause of an itchy pet so it is important to keep regular flea control up to date.

Seizures:

These can be frightening to witness but depending on the cause, can often be controlled. There are phases before and after seizures called the pre and post ictal phases where the animal is not seizuring but is behaving abnormally and some owners can predict a seizure from this behaviour. The animal can have partial seizures which may just be a facial twitch or full seizures where they collapse, lose consciousness and all muscles move violently. They usually only last a few minutes and the pet may pass urine or faeces during the seizure. They should then recover within minutes. Don’t try and restrain your pet during a seizure, just remove anything that might hurt them and reduce stimulation by turning off lights and reducing noise. You should then call the vet for advice. Causes include metabolic diseases such as low blood glucose and liver disease or causes with the skull such as meningitis or growths. The majority are “idiopathic epilepsy”- idiopathic meaning that an underlying cause cannot be determined.

Skin disease:

You may notice hair loss, pustules, red, inflamed skin, crusts and prutritus. This can be due to primary skin disease such as infection or allergy but may also indicate underlying disease. Hormone imbalances especially cause changes in the skin and hair coat which are often the most obvious signs.

Urinary problems:

Straining to pass urine, frequent urination, blood in the urine and signs that urination is painful all indicate issues with the urinary tract. The most common cause would be cystitis which may involve infection or in cats can often be stress induced. Other causes could include bladder stones or crystals and recurrent cystitis may indicate kidney disease or diabetes. If stones or crystals are present then the urinary tract may block in which case the animal will strain but no urine will be produced and this is an emergency situation.

Vomiting:

This is a very common sign, often accompanied by anorexia and diarrhoea. Vomit can consist of food, stomach juices, bile and sometimes blood. Occasional vomiting due to dietary indisgression or hairballs in the case of cats is common and does not usually pose a big problem. Acute bouts of vomiting can be caused by infection, toxins or an intestinal blockage and should be checked by a vet as a blockage, for example, needs immediate attention. More chronic vomiting may be caused by inflammation in the gut, food intolerance or underlying disease such as kidney or liver disease.

Weight loss:

This can be obvious if it happens suddenly but less so if it happens over a longer period of time so it is important to weigh your pet regularly to pick up any problems. Weight loss will occur if your pet cannot or will not eat enough calories but can also occur with a normal or increased appetite if the nutrients are not being absorbed properly such as in cases of chronic diarrhoea or if the nutrients are not being used properly by the body such as with diabetes. An over active thyroid increases metabolism which will also cause weight loss. It is advisable to book an appointment with your vet if you notice your pet losing weight.