Dog owners all dread knowing that their dog has the flu. This is because they couldn’t bear to see their companions suffering. Other than this, dogs who are suffering from flu tend to be weaker than usual. At some point, older dogs who suffer from flu may also become more susceptible to other serious types of illnesses.
To make things worse, there are some pet owners out there who do not have any idea how to tell if their dog has the flu. If you are one of these pet owners, here are different ways to tell if your dog is sick at the moment.
1. Does Your Dog Sneeze or Have Runny Nose?
Just like humans, dogs that have the flu are more prone to sneezing and runny nose. However, not all dogs that sneeze automatically have flu. This is why it’s important to determine how often your dog sneezes throughout the day.
If the dog sneezes twice or thrice daily then this shouldn’t be a cause for alarm. However, if the dog sneezes nonstop, it would be best to go to the vet immediately.
2. Is Your Dog Unusually Tired?
Another obvious indicator that could tell whether your dog has the flu is when your dog acts unusually tired. It is much easier to determine whether your dog is sick if you are taking care of a hyperactive or a jolly type of dog. This way, the minute the dog avoids playtime or simply wants to rest for long hours, you can easily tell that it is sick.
However, this doesn’t hold true for all dogs. Some dogs may seem unusually tired without necessarily suffering from flu. Other dogs may still be active even if they are already sick.
3. Does Your Dog Eat Regularly?
Pet owners who are hands on when it comes to feeding their pets easily know how much food their dogs consume daily. In fact, some pet owners who are extremely attentive can easily tell at what time of the day their dogs usually finish their food.
This being said, if the dog suddenly stops eating or eats unusually slow, then this could be a cause for alarm among pet owners. When your dog stops eating with gusto, there is a possibility that it has the flu.
When this happens, do not force-feed your dog without consulting with the vet first. Sometimes, vets could give special medication or food to your dogs to help them gain back their appetite while they are sick.
4. Does Your Dog Have Cough or Nasal Discharge?
In more serious cases, pet owners could easily tell if their dogs have flu if they also have cough and nasal discharge. Oftentimes, dogs suffer from dry cough so there shouldn’t be any discharge. However, in some cases wherein the flu is already the result of a virus or infection, the dogs can show nasal discharge.
The good news is that cough and nasal discharge can be prevented among dogs. All pet owners need to do is to watch out for obvious indications. When the dog has cough, the dog will try to make coughing sounds that are similar to humans. When the dogs have nasal discharge, this can easily be seen on their nose or mouth.
5. Does Your Dog Have Fever?
Another serious indication that your dog has the flu is when it already has a high fever. Just like humans, the temperature of dogs could and should be checked regularly. However, unlike humans, dogs typically have higher temperatures because of their fur and body composition.
The easiest way to know whether or not your dog has the fever is to check if its temperature is above 104 degrees. In most severe cases, very high fever is already an indication of more serious conditions such as pneumonia that should be addressed immediately.
When your dog has a very high temperature, this could also signify that the dog is suffering from influenza. This type of condition targets the lungs so the dog could eventually cough up blood if it is not treated immediately.
In order to avoid these problems and in order to determine whether or not your dog has the flu at the onset, make sure to familiarize yourself with these indicators.
Additionally, it is important for pet owners to remember the mantra that “prevention is better than cure” because the same idea should be applied among dogs.
Before even dealing with the flu, make sure to bring your dogs to the vet regularly to avoid such conditions. To add to this, make sure that your dog is groomed regularly. When dogs are bathed properly and when they get regular haircuts and other services from Petsmart, for instance, it could become easier for pet owners to know if they are sick or not.
