Dogs get ill, they catch diseases and viruses outside or from other dogs, and they develop all types of health issues as they age. When you're monitoring your pet's health, you may not always want to go see a vet for every little thing. A good dog illness symptom checker online can be incredibly handy for this.
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In recent years, many pets websites have been popping up on the internet to help pet owners decide if their dog’s symptoms are serious enough to evoke a trip to the vet, or if it’s okay to wait and see if the illness passes on its own. Some of these best dog illness symptom checker online sites can be dependable, but not all of them.
Below is a list of some of the most dependable, accurate and tested illness symptom checkers for dogs and their owners to help diagnose your pet at home by yourself. Note that these sites cannot give any definite answers, and it is up to you to consult with a veterinarian if your pooch has a serious medical problem.
The Best Dog Illness Symptom Checker Online
1 PetMD Dog Illness Symptom Checker
PetMD has quickly become one of the most well-known websites for pet health information. They are the largest source of dog and cat based health information in the world, and are part of a worldwide network of veterinary professionals.
The content on petMD's website is created by veterinarians and then approved by petMD’s own veterinary team, so you know you can trust the information you receive.
It is extremely easy to use the symptom checker on the petMD website as well. First, you select the type of pet that you have, in this case a dog, and then they show you a full body outline of the animal and you just click the area that is affected.
A list of ailments will pop up and you can select all the symptoms your pet is showing. When you’re done selecting, it will compile a list of articles based on the symptoms you chose, providing you with some ideas on potential medical conditions your dog has. petMD offers over 2,000 articles on dog and cat health issues, which is a great place to start reading.
2 K9-WellBeing's Dog Symptom Checker
K9 Well-being website also offers a very reliable source of canine health information and an accurate dog illness symptom checker.
They provide a long list of symptoms dogs have, organized in alphabetical order. All you have to do is scroll down to the symptom your dog is having, and there you will see a list of links to articles about common health problems associated with that symptom.
The biggest con of using K9-wellbeing.net's website is – unlike petMD's site – this one only uses one symptom at a time. But as we all know, sometimes our dogs may be exhibiting more than one ailment, so it would be beneficial if we could input more symptoms in this system.
Also, unlike petMD's symptom illness checker, the information on this website is not backed by veterinarians. Although it seems like their articles are sound, and I'm sure they have done their best to research all the dog health information using trusted sources, it still doesn’t come from experienced vets, and that to me is a con.
3 PetCoach Dog and Cat Symptom Checker
PetCoach (previously PetEducation) also supplies fast and accurate answers based on your dog’s health symptoms; however, they only offer a list of 23 of the most common symptoms that dogs often experience.
Chances are your dog’s symptoms are on the list, and if they aren’t it would probably be best to seek professional attention anyway, but there is a wider selection of symptoms on the previous two sites.
PetCoach's site by itself is a great resource for dog owners on pet health. It used to be a division of Drs. Foster and Smith that ran one of the most popular online dog supplies websites. Today's dog illness symptom checker is backed by over 2,500 articles written by the veterinarians themselves and their staff, and these articles focus on canine health issues that they have personally had experience with.
Spotting Sick Dog Symptoms
Early intervention when a dog is sick will depend on your ability to observe the dog, spot the symptoms and address them correctly. Visiting a veterinarian isn't always an option, especially for pet owners who are on a tight budget and keep vet visits for extreme cases only.
Running your pet's symptoms through one of the above mentioned online dog illness symptom checkers can save you an unnecessary trip to the vet or, conversely, show you that the trip the veterinarian's clinic should be scheduled sooner rather than later, if not immediately.
When in doubt, do not trust an online checker; call up your veterinarian instead. Many health problems can become severe if not treated right away. If your dog's symptoms are progressing quickly, seek professional help right away.
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