Diagnosis and Treatment of Common Canine Diseases: How to Determine If Your Dog Is Ill

When dogs suffer from various diseases, they will exhibit corresponding abnormal signs (symptoms) in one or more areas. By using the following methods, you can detect a sick dog. It is essential for dog owners to master these basic, most commonly used techniques so that they can promptly identify an ailing dog and carry out simple initial care. Never assume that diagnosing and treating canine diseases is solely the veterinarian’s responsibility and remain indifferent.

1. “Look” — Observe External Signs

There are two main aspects to observe. First, under quiet conditions, assess the dog’s spirit, behavior, and response to external stimuli. Second, examine the dog’s coat, skin, natural orifices, and the characteristics of its excreta.

2. “Listen” — Identify Abnormal Sounds

Listen directly to your dog’s vocalizations and breathing. Note any wheezing, coughing, or sneezing. You may also use a stethoscope to auscultate heart and lung sounds, or a short tube to listen to the heartbeat, respiration, and gastrointestinal motility.

3. “Measure” — Check Body Temperature Variations

Use a veterinary thermometer to measure the dog’s rectal temperature (adult dogs: 37.5–38.5 °C; puppies: 38.2–39.3 °C). A dog’s temperature follows a daily rhythm—lowest in the early morning and slightly higher in the afternoon, with a day–night difference typically not exceeding 1 °C. If the variation is excessive or shows an “inverted fever rhythm” (higher in the morning than in the evening), it indicates an abnormality. You can also gauge temperature by feeling the dog’s ear.

4. “Touch” — Detect Abnormalities by Feel

Use the palm or back of your hand to feel the surface of specific body parts to assess skin temperature and sensitivity, muscle tension, and the position, size, texture, and tenderness of underlying organs. The heartbeat or pulse can also be easily detected by touch.

5. “Percuss” — Tap to Assess Organ Status

Tap with your fingers over the projection areas of the stomach or intestines on the body surface to judge whether these organs are functioning normally.

A “Folk Remedy” for Treating Canine Illnesses

First, find an empty plastic bottle of glycerin suppositories, squeeze out the remaining medicine, and rinse the bottle thoroughly with clean water. Next, dissolve the anti-inflammatory medicine and any medication for diarrhea in warm water, pour the solution into the bottle, and administer it rectally. Then hold the dog’s hind legs up for a few minutes (around ten minutes is best) to prevent the liquid from leaking out. Administer this two to three times a day, and it should be effective.

Don’t dismiss this remedy as “crude”—it truly works, because both humans and animals absorb nutrients through their intestines. This method delivers medication directly into the intestines, allowing for faster and more efficient absorption.