Your dog is like family to you, so when your furry pal isn't acting like himself or is ill, you definitely take notice and want your dog to feel better as quickly as possible. Dogs show illness in different ways, which you may not know what to look for, or even how to handle an illness. See below for signs of an illness in your dog and how to help make your dog feel better.

Loss Of Appetite

If your dog that usually inhales his food is suddenly not eating at all, it is a big sign of something going on with your dog. It could be anything from a belly ache from something he ate to something much worse such as cancer. Keep an eye on your dog and try to feed him chicken broth and rice, or chicken and rice for a little while to see if that gets him eating again. If he continues not eating, take him to the veterinarian right away.

Vomiting

Vomiting can indicate an illness, or could indicate that your pet got into something he should not have. Take a good look at the vomit to see if there are any bits of anything that he should not have eaten. Things like sticks, pieces of clothing or pet toys in the vomit may have been what he ate and could have upset his stomach. If you don't see anything in his vomit, just keep an eye on him and make sure he is drinking plenty of water. If he continues to throw up, or becomes lethargic, take him to the veterinarian for a checkup to rule out any type of disease.

Diarrhea

Diarrhea happens sometimes, even in your pet. Keep an eye on his stools to see if they harden and to watch for anything that he may have gotten into. Feed him rice and chicken broth for the time being to help get his stools hard again. If diarrhea persists he can become dehydrated, lethargic, have a fever or appetite loss. Take him to the veterinarian if it persists and if the diarrhea is accompanied by the symptoms just listed.

Fever

A fever can happen for any number of reasons, but sometimes those fevers could indicate a big problem. If you feel your dogs ears, paws and behind his legs and they feel hot, your dog is most likely running a fever. If he is heavily panting, it could also indicate a fever. Keep your pet cool using cold, wet towels applied to his paws and behind his legs. Be sure to keep your dog drinking and call the veterinarian to rule out any type of infection.

Your dog is a big part of your life. Keep a good eye on him and watch for the signs above in your pet. If your dog is not feeling well, and you aren't sure how to help your dog, take him to the vet clinic for a checkup right away.