We all want the best possible quality of life for our dogs and there are so many contributing factors to ensuring a fulfilled life, with a big one being your dog’s health. It can feel a bit intimidating being responsible for a dog’s health, with them being so different from us and given that they can’t fully communicate to help us help them. It can also be difficult to know which problems warrant a vet versus a trainer or how to keep your dog healthy while training! Additionally, it is important to understand how behavioral health and physical health combined can bring unexpected challenges. This month, we’ll learn how to keep your dog healthy by knowing what to look for, how to react, and where to go next if you notice a concerning change in your dog.

Listening To Your Dog

While dogs may not be able to communicate verbally, they are excellent at communicating through body language. Learning their language and studying your own dog can enable you to notice when something is wrong. For example, if your dog typically  lets you pet them everywhere, but today they pull away when you touch their leg, that can be a sign something is wrong. Or if they usually follow you around the house, but today they’re still in bed, that could be a subtle sign of discomfort or pain in your dog. Of course, there may be circumstances where a dog will show obvious signs of discomfort or pain, such as limping or not wanting to eat. It is important to listen to your dog when they are asking for help and know what to do next. 

Health and Behavior Together

When we see concerning behaviors in our dogs without any obvious signs of discomfort or pain, it can be confusing trying to figure out what is causing this change in behavior. Perhaps your dog nipped at somebody when usually they are friendly; it would be reasonable to wonder why they didn’t like that person and reach out to a trainer for guidance on preventing this from happening again. However, if a dog is suddenly displaying a concerning change in behavior, it is also crucial to assess whether a change in the dog’s health led to these behaviors. Think of it this way: when we are under the weather, or when something is painful, we may have a lack of appetite, our body may be more sensitive to touch or activity, and we may feel more easily irritable. We must have empathy for our dogs and understand that they may be experiencing the same feelings, and that there may be more than meets the eye.

Vet versus Trainer

In situations where it can be hard to know if something stems from behavioral matters or health concerns, it is smart to look for help in both categories. First, go to your primary care veterinarian for a physical check-up and any recommended lab work to rule out any health issues. If health issues are ruled out, then getting in contact with a trainer is the next step. But what if the vet does find something wrong? If they do, knowing the prognosis and learning more about the behavioral and physical challenges that their condition brings will help get you started. If the medical issue is something that could be long-term, getting in touch with a trainer and making a training plan to help navigate the medical issue is the next step. Keeping both your trainer and veterinarian in the loop about progress or setbacks in both departments will help them to adjust any trajectory if needed to ensure the best success.

Advocating For Your Dog

Having a dog with health issues can be challenging, especially if it is exacerbated by common occurrences. For example, if your dog has food allergies and a stranger offers them a treat, it can trigger a flare-up. Or, your dog has anxiety that is triggered in certain situations, and a triggering situation happens, it can be difficult to get them back under threshold. Knowing how to advocate for and support your dog will make a huge difference in not only their health and safety but will also strengthen the bond between you. In the instance of an unforeseen circumstance where your dog’s physical or behavioral health could be compromised, it is best to get out of the situation as soon as possible. If someone is about to do something to your dog that you know isn’t good for them, advocate for them and stop the interaction. This is going to ensure your dog’s safety! Doing this also builds a tremendous amount of trust between you and your pup. If your dog knows that you have their back, you will see changes in their behavior to be more confident and calm, and you may notice fewer symptoms of a health condition!

Unexpected Challenges

As with anything else, there will be cases where we run into obstacles. I unfortunately have personal experience of this with my dog, Tache. He is a rescue mutt who ended up having a plethora of significant health issues. We didn’t notice anything at first, but as he got older, we noticed his skin was itchy and flaky, he was getting fevers, throwing up, etc.; behaviorally, he was feeling fearful and reactive of new people and dogs. It took us many different vets and years of wondering before we had it under control. But, during that process, all of his physical and behavioral symptoms were worsening. We put two and two together and figured out that his fearfulness of new people was likely stemming from constantly going to the vet and being poked and prodded by strangers. His genetics also play a role in this. So, to help him overcome his fear at the vet’s office, we started advocating for him at check-ups and were set up with medications and procedures to make visits less stressful for him. Behaviorally, we started socializing him more to new people in a positive and supportive way. As we got his health issues under control, we noticed changes in his demeanor, and  he felt more comfortable and energetic, while gaining more confidence through our desensitization training. There are still times where I notice his behavioral health is affecting his physical health, and vice versa; being able to adapt in these situations has been essential for us.

With all of this said, I hope my personal experience will serve as an example of how health influences behavior and how both training with positive reinforcement trainers and working with veterinarians resulted in such a significant change in quality of life for my pup.

Additional Tips

• If you are concerned for your dog’s health in any way, it is best to reach out directly to a veterinarian or go to an emergency vet for help
• If a dog is in pain or scared, they may react fearfully and unpredictably. We recommend desensitizing your dog to a muzzle, as well as doing body handling to add a little more comfort in a stressful time
• Some dogs need more help or different help than others! Don’t get discouraged if results aren’t coming as quickly as you’d hoped. It takes time!
• In some cases where a dog’s behavior is not improving in the way we predicted, it may be time to talk about also talking with a behavior veterinarian to inquire about medications to help out
• Look into getting health insurance for your dog! This can literally be a lifesaver in some instances, and is a great cushion if anything comes up unexpectedly. 

Conclusion

When seeing concerning behavior with our dogs, you must remember that physical and behavioral health can both play a part, and  that they can affect each other. If you notice a concerning behavior, you must first rule out, or discover, any health issues.  Knowing who to reach out to and where to go from there will ensure success in the long run, and hopefully ease some anxiety and lessen the intimidation that can come with taking care of our best furry friends.