Early Warning Signs That Your Dog Is Sick
📝 Summary
Older dogs show sickness through behavior: unwillingness to walk or climb (arthritis, common in Goldens, Labs, Poodles), constant thirst with weight loss (diabetes, more common in females and breeds like Samoyeds and Pugs), frequent falling or bumping (failing vision, often cataracts), and low appetite with excess drinking, vomiting, and diarrhea (kidney disease). Senior dogs can also develop dementia, raising the stakes of losing them.
1 Early Signs a Dog Is Sick
1. Reluctance to move. If a dog suddenly won’t walk or climb stairs, moves differently, and seems restless, arthritis or joint disease is likely. Older and overweight dogs are prone; the joints swell, stiffen, and hurt. Breeds like Golden Retrievers, Labradors, and Poodles are at higher risk.
2. Constant thirst, frequent urination, weight loss. Thirst, frequent peeing, weight loss, fatigue, irritability, blurry vision, and slow healing suggest diabetes — from too little insulin. It has a hereditary side and favors females; Samoyeds, Pugs, and Toy Poodles are more vulnerable.
3. Frequent falling and bumping. A dog that falls on flat ground or bumps furniture likely has failing vision — it also loses toys, avoids eye contact, won’t jump, grows anxious, barks for no reason, even turns aggressive. Decline is part of aging; cataracts are the top cause, with dilated pupils and red, swollen eyes.
4. Low appetite, excess drinking and urination, vomiting and diarrhea. These point to kidney trouble. Once damaged, waste builds up and may form stones that block the tract or even burst the bladder.
Some old dogs develop dementia — confusion and falling cognition — and if they wander off, they’re unlikely to return.
Want to learn more about pet health?
Explore our pet health channel for more science-based care guides
Read More Articles →