Why are early symptoms in dogs easily ignored?
Dogs can tolerate pain 10 times more than humans! According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), 68% of owners find symptoms when the disease has already entered the middle stage. Learn to identify the following "subtle alarms" to save the golden treatment time!

🚨 Early symptoms of skin diseases (7 warning signs)
High-risk dog breeds: French bulldogs, golden retrievers, West Highland White Terriers (hereditary allergic constitution)

Frequent scratching/biting: concentrated behind the ears, underarms, and groin (common in flea allergies).

Local hair loss: circular bald spots (ringworm) or symmetrical hair loss (hormone imbalance).

Surge of dandruff: like "snowflakes" (may be scabies or xerosis).

Abnormal body odor: rancid odor (yeast infection) or urine odor (metabolic disease).

Erythema/papule: red and raised skin (contact dermatitis or pyoderma).

Black precipitation: darkening of the skin under the armpits/abdomen (chronic inflammation causes pigmentation).

Wounds that do not heal: Wounds that have not healed for 2 weeks (beware of tumors or immune diseases).

Home self-examination method:

Use a comb to push the hair backwards to check the bottom layer of the skin.

White towel test: Reddish-brown powder appears after wiping (flea feces).

🤢 Gastroenteritis/digestive system problems (5-level risk assessment)

Possible causes:

Low risk: improper diet, mild parasitic infection.

High risk: pancreatitis, intestinal obstruction, parvovirus (unvaccinated puppies).

Emergency treatment:

Fasting for 4-6 hours (2 hours for puppies), providing electrolyte water.

Do not feed antidiarrhea drugs by yourself (covering up the risk of illness)!

🦴 Hidden signs of joint problems (self-examination list for canine arthritis)
Vulnerable groups: elderly dogs, large dogs (German Shepherds, Labradors), obese dogs

Decreased activity: refusing to jump, slower climbing stairs

Abnormal posture: walking with an arched back, swaying hind limbs (hip dysplasia).

Licking joints: concentrated on the elbows, knees or toes (pain signal).

Muscle atrophy: asymmetrical thinning of the hind leg muscles.

Morning stiffness: slow movement within 30 minutes after waking up.

Home test:

Step test: place a 10cm high step, and healthy dogs will jump up easily.

Touch reaction: shrink legs/growl when lightly press the joints (pain expression).

🆘 When must you see a doctor immediately? 3 big red alerts
Abnormal mucous membrane color: pale gums (anemia) or purple (hypoxia).

Difficulty breathing: abdominal breathing, open mouth panting (cardiopulmonary failure).

Neurological symptoms: convulsions, loss of balance (poisoning or encephalitis).

💊 List of first aid items for home use
Pet-specific thermometer (rectal temperature measurement)

Sterile saline (for flushing wounds/eyes)

Elizabethan collar (for licking prevention)

Veterinarian contact information/nearby 24-hour emergency clinic address

Conclusion: Early detection = high survival rate! Save the symptom comparison table in this article and do a quick physical examination for your dog every month. Forward it to dog-raising friends to save lives at critical moments!

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