Symptoms
Symptoms are entry points. Start here if you've noticed something but aren't sure what to call it. Each entry clarifies what the observation can reflect, without diagnosing.
Pages are returning one at a time as each is checked again. Those listed here have been checked and signed off again by a veterinary surgeon.
A change in eye colour
Owners notice one or both eyes looking a different shade than before, a cloudy blue-grey haze centred on the pupil, a darkening or lightening of the iris itself, a reddish tinge, or a patch of brown pigment spreading across the surface of the eye.
Abdominal pain
Signs of discomfort in the belly area, which may include restlessness, a tense or hunched posture, a stretched-out 'prayer' position with the front end lowered, reluctance to be picked up or touched, groaning, or looking round at the flank. Cats tend to show it more quietly, by hiding, sitting hunched or not eating.
Aimless wandering
The dog or cat moves through the house or garden without any apparent purpose or destination, sometimes retracing the same path repeatedly, and appears unable to settle even when there is nothing obvious prompting the movement. This is often most noticeable in the evening or after the animal has been settled for the night.
Back pain or sensitivity
Flinching, tensing, or vocalising when the back is touched, or reluctance to bend and twist normally.
Bad breath
A persistent unpleasant odour from the mouth that has developed or worsened over time.
Behavioural changes
Owners may notice a dog becoming quieter and more withdrawn, irritable or less tolerant of handling, or restless and unable to settle, sometimes waking and pacing at night. Other changes include house soiling in a house-trained dog, new fear or aggression, getting lost in familiar places, and the loss of learned behaviours.
Black or tarry stools
Owners typically notice the stool has turned unusually dark, almost black, with a glossy, sticky, tar-like texture rather than its usual form, and sometimes a stronger, fouler odour than normal.
Blood from the nose
Owners notice blood coming from one or both nostrils, which may appear as occasional spots, a persistent trickle, or blood mixed into sneezed discharge.
Blood in urine
Urine that appears pink, red, or brown in colour, or the presence of blood spots or drops at the end of urination.
Bloody diarrhoea
Owners may notice streaks of bright red blood or mucus on or in the stool, loose stool with blood mixed through it, or profuse watery diarrhoea that looks like raspberry jam. Blood from higher in the gut is digested on the way through and tends to make the stool black and tarry rather than red. The amount of blood, how often the dog is passing stool, straining, vomiting and the dog's energy all change what the sign is likely to mean.
Broken or chipped tooth
Owners typically spot a visibly broken or chipped tooth after chewing something hard, such as a bone, antler, or stone, or notice a rough or discoloured edge that looks different from the teeth around it.
Bumping into objects or furniture
Owners may observe their dog walking into furniture, door frames, or objects that have always been in the same location, or hesitating at transitions between rooms, particularly in dim lighting or unfamiliar environments.
Bunny hopping gait
A movement pattern where both hind legs move together in a hopping motion rather than alternating normally.
Changed bark or voice
A noticeable alteration in the sound, pitch, or strength of the bark compared to previous vocalisation.
Changes in social interaction
Altered patterns of engagement with people or other animals, including increased withdrawal or unusual attachment.
Chewing at the tail base
Owners notice their dog repeatedly turning to bite, nibble, or lick at the base of the tail, sometimes with visible hair thinning, redness, or a change in coat texture over that area.
Chronic diarrhoea
Persistent loose or watery stools lasting weeks or longer, sometimes alternating with periods of normal consistency.
Chronic gingivitis
The gums look red and swollen along the edge where they meet the teeth, and may bleed when touched or during eating. Bad breath is common. Some cats drool, paw at the mouth, groom less or eat less, but many show no obvious change even when the inflammation is marked, because cats often hide oral pain.
Chronic vomiting
Recurring episodes of vomiting over weeks or months that persist beyond isolated dietary incidents.
Circling or pacing
The dog or cat repeatedly walks in tight circles, often in one direction, or paces back and forth across a room without settling. It may appear restless, unable to find a comfortable resting position, or seem to be searching for something without a clear goal.
Clicking or popping leg joint
Owners often first notice a distinct clicking or popping sound coming from a leg, commonly the knee, as the dog walks, plays, or goes up and down stairs, sometimes well before any limp or reluctance to move is obvious.
Cloudy or hazy eyes
Owners may notice a whitish, bluish, or milky appearance within one or both of their dog's eyes, sometimes developing gradually over weeks to months or appearing to change relatively quickly depending on the underlying cause.
Cold intolerance
Seeking warmth more than usual, reluctance to go outside in cooler weather, or visible shivering indoors.
Cold paws or ears
Owners notice the paws, ear tips, or nose feeling notably cool to the touch compared with the rest of the body, sometimes alongside pale or bluish gums or pads, reduced enthusiasm for activity, or, in cats, sudden reluctance to bear weight on hind legs that also feel cold.
Coprophagia (eating faeces)
Owners may observe their dog consuming its own faeces or those of other animals, a behaviour that can appear suddenly or become more persistent over time.
Cracked or splitting claws
Owners notice a claw that is cracked, peeling in visible layers, bent at an odd angle, or has come away from the toe entirely, sometimes with bleeding or visible sensitivity when the paw is touched.
Crossed or misaligned eyes
One eye appears to point off to the side, upward, or downward compared with the other, so the two eyes no longer line up together when the pet looks straight ahead.
Crusting on nose and ears
Owners may observe crusting on nose and ears in their pet, which can present in various ways depending on the underlying cause.
Crusty lesions on ear tips
Owners may notice scabs or crusts along the edges or tips of the ear flaps, sometimes with redness, scaling, hair loss, scratching or small sores that bleed.
Crusty or scabby skin
Areas of dried, flaky crusting on the skin surface, sometimes with yellowish or brownish scabs that may lift to reveal moist or reddened skin beneath.
Crying out when touched or lifted
Owners notice a yelp, hiss, growl, or sudden withdrawal in response to being picked up, stroked along the back, handled around the abdomen, or lifted under the chest or hindquarters during routine handling such as grooming or being placed on a table. The reaction is often localised to a specific area or a specific type of handling rather than occurring with all contact.
Dark or discoloured urine
Owners may observe that their pet's urine has become darker than usual, appearing brown, red, reddish-brown, port-wine coloured, or orange rather than the typical yellow colour.
Destructive behaviour when alone
Damaging furniture, doors, or household items specifically during periods of separation from the owner.
Difficulty eating
Difficulty eating can show as dropping food, chewing on one side of the mouth, pawing at the face, drooling, eating slowly, preferring softer food, or approaching the bowl and then walking away.
Difficulty getting comfortable
Owners notice a pet that circles repeatedly before lying down, gets up and repositions itself multiple times in quick succession, seems unable to settle into a resting position for more than a few minutes, or paces rather than lying down, particularly in the evening or at night.
Difficulty rising
Noticeable effort or struggle when transitioning from lying or sitting to a standing position.
Difficulty swallowing
Difficulty swallowing in a dog can look like repeated gulping or several attempts to swallow one mouthful, gagging at meals, drooling, food dropped from the mouth, or food and water brought back up soon after being taken. Coughing during or after eating or drinking, and food or fluid appearing at the nose, can also be part of the picture.
Disorientation after seizure
A period of confusion, unsteadiness, or altered behaviour following a seizure episode, lasting minutes to hours, and sometimes days.
Disorientation or confusion
Appearing lost in familiar surroundings, staring at walls, or failing to recognise familiar people or routes.
Distended abdomen
A visibly swollen or tight-looking belly. Weight gain, hormonal conditions such as Cushing's syndrome, and, in puppies, roundworm burdens are among the most common reasons for a gradually rounder abdomen, though a range of other processes can also produce the same picture.
Dragging hind paws
Scuffing or dragging of the rear feet during walking, sometimes wearing down toenails unevenly.
Drooling
Excessive saliva production or visible drool that is new, increased, or occurs outside of mealtime contexts.
Drooping eyelid with sunken eye
One eyelid appears to droop lower than the other, and that eye can look smaller, sunken, or somehow different in shape, often noticed suddenly as a new facial asymmetry rather than a gradual change.
Ear discharge or odour
Visible discharge from one or both ears, which may be dark, waxy, yellowish, or bloody, often accompanied by an unusual or unpleasant smell.
Enlarged eye
Owners usually notice that one eye looks bigger or more bulging than the other, or that both eyes look larger or more staring than usual. The change may come with redness of the white of the eye, a cloudy or bluish cornea, squinting, watering, a protruding third eyelid, reluctance to open the mouth or chew, or signs of poor vision such as bumping into things. An eye can look enlarged because the eyeball itself has stretched, because something behind it is pushing it forward, because it has been forced out of its socket, or because the pupil is widely dilated, and these can look alike from the front.
Excessive licking of hindquarters
A dog turns repeatedly to lick, nibble or bite under the tail, around the anus, at the vulva or sheath, or over the tail base and the backs of the thighs, for longer or more often than normal grooming. It may come with scooting along the ground, straining or pain on passing faeces, discharge, a swelling beside the anus, damp or sore skin, or a penis that stays outside the sheath.
Excessive licking of surfaces
Repetitive licking of floors, walls, or objects beyond normal exploratory behaviour, often in prolonged sessions.
Excessive paw licking
Persistent licking or chewing of the paws, often causing staining, moisture, or redness between the toes.
Excessive tearing
Owners may see a damp patch or a line of wet fur running down from the inner corner of the eye, reddish-brown staining of the fur below the eye, or tears spilling onto the face. It may affect one eye or both. Some animals also squint, hold the eye shut, or rub and paw at it, which are signs that the eye is sore rather than simply overflowing.
Excessive vocalisation
Barking, howling, meowing, or crying at a frequency or intensity beyond established patterns for the individual.
Exercise intolerance
Tiring more quickly than usual during walks or play, or reluctance to engage in previously tolerated activity.
Eye discharge or watery eyes
Excessive tearing, watery discharge, or accumulation of mucoid or purulent material around the eyes, sometimes with reddened or swollen conjunctiva.
Eye redness
Redness may show in the white of the eye, the pink lining of the eyelids or the third eyelid, in one or both eyes. It often comes with discharge, squinting or excess blinking, rubbing at the eye, or a cloudy look to the surface of the eye.
Facial sensitivity
Owners may notice a cat pulling its head away or flinching when the face is touched, pawing at the face or mouth, squinting, grooming the face less, chewing on one side, dropping food or drooling. The signs may affect one side only and may come and go.
Facial swelling
Facial swelling may be seen as puffiness of the lips, nose or eyelids, sometimes marked enough that the eyes cannot open, as a one-sided lump on the cheek or just below or in front of the eye, as a firm swelling over the bridge of the nose, or as a soft swelling under the jaw. It may be soft or firm, painful or painless, and may appear within minutes or build over weeks.
Faecal incontinence
Formed or soft stools are found around the house. Sometimes the animal does not seem to notice, and stools may be found after it has been asleep. At other times it seems aware of the urge but cannot hold on long enough to reach its usual toileting place.
Fainting or collapse
A sudden loss of consciousness or muscle tone, sometimes preceded by wobbling, lasting seconds to minutes.
Flank sucking
The owner sees the dog gripping or mouthing a fold of skin along its own flank with its lips or teeth and holding this position, sometimes for extended periods, most often when the dog is settling to rest or left with little to occupy it.
Flatulence or excessive gas
Owners may notice their dog passing wind more frequently than usual, sometimes with a particularly strong or unusual odour.
Fly-biting or snapping at the air
The dog suddenly snaps or bites at the air as though catching an invisible fly, sometimes with lip-licking, swallowing, or jumping, in brief repeated episodes that can occur singly or in clusters through the day.
Footpad abnormalities
Owners may notice pads that look thickened, crusty, cracked or peeling, pads that are soft and swollen, raw patches or ulcers on the pad, or a change in pad colour. Licking or chewing at the feet, limping, or reluctance to walk on hard or rough ground often draws attention to the paws first.
Forgetting litter box location
Eliminating near but not inside the litter box, or appearing unable to locate it in familiar surroundings.
Frequent ear infections
Recurring ear inflammation with discharge, odour, or head shaking that returns after treatment or persists seasonally.
Frequent unproductive litter tray visits
A cat goes in and out of the litter tray repeatedly, squats or strains for long periods, and leaves little or no urine behind. Some cats cry out, lick at the genital area, or pass small drops of urine, sometimes blood-tinged, in the tray or elsewhere in the house. Because the posture looks similar, owners often take it for constipation. In the litter itself, the difference between several small clumps and no clumps at all is one of the few clues visible at home, but it is an imperfect one: a partly blocked male cat can still pass a few drops, so small spots of urine do not rule out a blockage.
Frequent urination
Frequent urination tends to show as one of two patterns. In one, the dog asks to go out more often and passes only small amounts each time, sometimes with straining or blood in the urine. In the other, the dog passes larger volumes than usual, drinks more, may wake at night to urinate, and may have accidents in the house.
Gagging when eating or drinking
Gagging, retching, or coughing that occurs specifically during or after swallowing food or water.
Getting stuck in corners or behind furniture
The dog or cat walks into a corner, alongside a sofa, or behind a door and appears unable to work out how to back out or turn around, sometimes standing facing into the corner until helped free. Actively pushing the head into a wall or skirting board (head pressing) is a different and more serious sign, covered below. This tends to happen in spaces the animal has navigated without difficulty for years.
Goose-honk cough
A goose-honk cough is a harsh, dry, honking cough that sounds like a goose calling. It often comes in bouts and may be followed by retching or gagging. Bouts are commonly set off by excitement, exercise, pressure from a collar, or eating and drinking.
Gradual lens opacity
A cloudy haze or patch develops behind the pupil, in the lens at the centre of the eye, and becomes more obvious over time. A faint, even bluish-grey haze in both eyes of an older dog is typical of normal ageing of the lens. A whiter, denser or patchy opacity is more typical of a cataract, which reduces vision in proportion to how dense it is, and dense cataracts in both eyes can leave a dog blind. The two cannot be told apart reliably at home, because the distinction rests on whether the back of the eye can still be seen through the lens on examination.
Hair loss or coat changes
Thinning fur, bald patches, or changes in coat texture and quality that develop over weeks to months.
Hard, dry stools
Faeces that appear unusually hard, dry, crumbly, or pebble-like compared to normal consistency, sometimes smaller in size or passed in fragments.
Harsh dry cough
A harsh dry cough is a loud, rasping or honking cough that brings up little or nothing. It often comes in bouts, and a bout may end in retching or gagging. In some dogs it is set off by excitement, by being picked up or by a pull on the collar.
Head pressing
Owners describe the animal standing with its head pushed against a wall, furniture, or into a corner for sustained periods, often appearing to seek out solid contact rather than resting normally, sometimes alongside a glazed expression, disorientation, or reduced responsiveness to its name. This differs from ordinary head rubbing or bunting in cats, and from a dog leaning its head into a person for attention. Those are brief, directed at people or familiar objects, and the animal stays alert and engaged. True head pressing has no recognised normal or harmless explanation; it reflects a change in how the forebrain is working.
Head shaking
Repeated, vigorous shaking of the head, often accompanied by flapping of the ears, that occurs more frequently than normal grooming behaviour.
Head tilt
Owners may notice their dog holding their head persistently tilted to one side, sometimes subtly and sometimes at a pronounced angle, which can appear suddenly or develop gradually.
Heavy breathing after mild exercise
Laboured or prolonged panting following light activity such as short walks or gentle play. Cats rarely pant: a brief bout after vigorous play can occur, but panting or open-mouth breathing in a cat after light activity is not normal.
Hiding behaviour
Owners may observe hiding behaviour in their pet, which can present in various ways depending on the underlying cause.
Hiding or seeking escape
Retreating to enclosed spaces, attempting to flee the home, or seeking shelter during distressing situations.
Hind leg paralysis in cats
Sudden inability to move one or both hind legs, sometimes accompanied by cold paws or vocalisation.
Hind leg weakness
Reduced strength or stability in the back legs, visible as wobbling, knuckling, or difficulty supporting weight.
Hip pain
Hip pain is rarely seen directly. It usually shows as a change in movement: limping on a hind leg, reluctance to rise or jump, weight shifted onto the front legs, a bunny-hopping gait, or loss of muscle over the hind limbs. Some dogs show pain when the hip is extended or handled. Signs are often more marked after exercise or shortly after rest.
House soiling
House soiling shows as urine or faeces passed indoors by a dog that was previously house trained. The pattern varies with the cause: puddles or stools indoors, urine marked onto vertical surfaces with a raised or partly raised leg, urine passed when the dog is excited, startled or greeting people, soiling only when the dog is left alone, or wet patches where the dog has been lying or asleep, which points more to leaking than to toileting.
Hunched posture
Standing or lying with an arched back and tucked abdomen.
Increased appetite
Eating noticeably more than usual or showing persistent hunger despite consuming regular meal portions.
Increased thirst
Drinking noticeably more water than usual, which may be gradual or sudden depending on the underlying cause.
Increased urination
Producing larger volumes of urine or needing to urinate more frequently than the animal's usual pattern.
Indoor urine spraying or marking
A cat backs up to a vertical surface, such as a wall, curtain or piece of furniture, with tail raised and quivering, and releases a small amount of urine, or a dog repeatedly lifts a leg against vertical objects, or squats, to leave small amounts of urine around the home.
Infrequent or absent bowel movements
Noticeably fewer bowel movements than usual, or no faeces produced for one or more days, which may be detected through litter tray monitoring or reduced outdoor deposits.
Intermittent vomiting
Episodes of vomiting that occur irregularly over days or weeks rather than as a single acute event.
Itchy skin
Persistent scratching, rubbing, or chewing at the skin that occurs beyond normal grooming behaviour.
Jaundice (yellowing of skin or eyes)
A yellowish discolouration of the whites of the eyes, the inner ear flaps, the gums, or the skin, most visible in lightly pigmented areas and indicating elevated bilirubin levels.
Jaw chattering
Owners may see the lower jaw tremble or move rapidly so that the teeth chatter or click. It may happen while the cat watches birds through a window, when a painful area of the mouth is touched, or with no clear trigger.
Joint swelling
Owners may notice that a joint looks puffier or larger than the same joint on the opposite leg. The swelling can feel soft and fluid-filled or firm and bony, and the joint may feel warm. Limping, stiffness or reluctance to use the leg often come with it, and more than one joint can be affected at once.
Knuckling
Knuckling is when a dog stands or walks on the top of a paw rather than on its pads, with the toes folded under. Owners may notice a paw scuffing along the ground, nails scraping on hard floors, nails worn down on their upper surface, or a paw that stays folded over for a moment before the dog corrects it. It can affect one leg or several, and is often most visible when the dog turns, walks slowly or is tired. Dogs that knuckle often seem unaware of it, which is one reason it can go unnoticed at first.
Laboured breathing
Laboured breathing means each breath takes visible effort. Owners may see the belly pushing with each breath, the chest heaving, nostrils flaring, elbows held out from the chest, the head and neck stretched forwards, or reluctance to lie down. Breathing may be noisy or silent, fast and shallow, or slower and deep. In cats, breathing with the mouth open is a particular marker of distress, since cats rarely do this. Brief open-mouth breathing after hard play or a stressful event normally stops within a minute or two of rest, and open-mouth breathing that continues, or that appears in heat, carries meaning. Blue or grey gums or tongue mean the blood is carrying too little oxygen, and very pale gums can reflect anaemia, bleeding or shock. Laboured breathing differs from the easy panting a dog uses to cool down after exercise, which settles with rest and shade while the dog stays bright and can lie down comfortably.
Lethargy or reduced activity
A noticeable decrease in energy, willingness to engage in play, walks, or activities previously enjoyed.
Limp or lowered tail
Owners notice the tail hanging lower than usual at rest, held close to the body rather than in its typical carriage, wagging only at the base while the rest of the tail stays motionless, or appearing completely limp and unable to lift even when the dog seems otherwise alert.
Limping or lameness
Visible favouring of one or more legs during movement, which may be constant or appear only after activity.
Loss of balance or falling to one side
Owners may see their dog stumbling, leaning heavily to one side, or falling over unexpectedly, sometimes struggling to stand or walk in a straight line, which can appear alarming when it occurs suddenly.
Loss of coordination in hind legs
Unsteady or crossing movement of the back legs, affecting balance and the ability to walk in a straight line.
Loss of house training
Urinating or defecating indoors despite previously reliable toilet habits and normal access to the usual toileting area.
Low head carriage
The owner notices the dog holding its head lower than usual, often with the neck kept extended rather than flexed, and the dog may appear reluctant to lift the head fully, turn it from side to side, or look upward.
Mammary gland enlargement
Owners may notice swelling along the two rows of teats that run from the chest to the groin. It can be a soft, even fullness of several glands, sometimes with milk, or a firm lump in or near one gland. A gland that is hot, red, hard or painful, or a discharge that looks bloody or like pus, points to a different and more pressing picture.
Missing testicle in scrotum
Owners usually notice that only one testicle, or neither, can be felt in the scrotum, or that the scrotum looks smaller or uneven on one side.
Mouth ulcers
Mouth ulcers are raw, red sores on the tongue, gums, palate or lips, and in a cat they are often hard to see. Owners more often notice drooling, pawing at the mouth, bad breath, difficulty eating, eating less, or a scruffier coat from reduced grooming. Cats can show few signs even with painful mouth disease.
Muscle stiffness
Owners may see a dog that is slow or reluctant to get up, walks with short, stilted steps, holds the back or neck rigid, or stands with the legs braced. The stiffness may be most obvious after rest, after exercise, or in episodes, and it may come with trembling, twitching, panting or signs of pain.
Muscle wasting
Muscle wasting shows as a loss of the normal rounded shape over parts of the body, so that bony points such as the spine, shoulder blades, skull and the wings of the pelvis stand out more than before. Loss is usually first seen in the muscles running along each side of the spine. Body weight is not a reliable guide: a dog can lose significant muscle while overweight, and mild loss is often only found by feel during an examination.
Nasal discharge
Visible discharge from one or both nostrils that may be clear, cloudy, yellowish, greenish, or occasionally blood-tinged.
Nesting behaviour
Nesting behaviour can look like digging or scratching at bedding, moving or shredding blankets to form a bed, gathering or guarding toys and other small objects, circling before lying down, and seeking out a quiet, enclosed spot. How it looks and when it appears depend on the underlying cause.
Night waking or restlessness
Waking, pacing, or vocalising during the night when previously sleeping through the night.
Noisy breathing
Audible breathing sounds at rest or during mild activity, including a low-pitched snoring sound (stertor), a high-pitched harsh sound (stridor), or rasping noises.
Non-healing wound on nose or ears
A scab, crust or sore on the nose, the bridge of the nose or the ear tips that persists, or that scabs over and then reopens. The area may look red, raised or weepy, may bleed or ulcerate, and there may be more than one patch. In white or pale-skinned cats, the ear tips, nose and eyelids are where sun-related skin changes most often appear.
Non-healing wounds
A sore, cut or bite wound stays open instead of closing, scabs over and then reopens, keeps oozing, or slowly gets larger. In cats such wounds are easily hidden under fur and may only be found when the cat is stroked or handled.
Non-productive retching
Repeated attempts to vomit that produce little or no material, sometimes accompanied by gagging or heaving motions.
Not responding to their name
The dog or cat no longer turns, looks up, or comes when called by name, even at a volume or from a distance that reliably worked before, while still appearing to react normally to visual cues such as the owner walking into view or to strong smells like food being prepared.
Nystagmus (rapid eye movement)
Owners may observe their dog's eyes flicking rapidly from side to side or up and down in an involuntary rhythmic pattern, often noticed during episodes of disorientation or balance disturbance.
One pupil larger than the other
The owner notices that the two pupils are not the same size in normal lighting, with one appearing wider or narrower than the other, sometimes alongside a drooping eyelid, a change in the third eyelid's appearance, or squinting of one eye.
Pacing or inability to settle
Continuous restless movement, circling, or inability to find a comfortable resting position for extended periods.
Paddling legs during episode
Rhythmic leg movements resembling running that occur while the animal is lying on its side during an episode such as a seizure or a collapse.
Pale gums or mucous membranes
Owners may notice that their pet's gums, inner eyelids, or other normally pink areas appear noticeably paler than usual, sometimes appearing white or very light pink.
Pawing at eye or face
Repeatedly rubbing or pawing at one or both eyes or the side of the face, sometimes against furniture or the ground.
Persistent cough
A persistent cough in a dog is one that continues or keeps returning over weeks instead of settling. It may be harsh and dry, sometimes with a honking sound, or deeper and moist, and bouts can end in gagging or retching. Owners often notice it with excitement, exercise or pressure from a collar, or after rest. Whether a cough arises from the airways, the lungs, the heart or a parasite cannot be judged from its sound at home.
Persistent lameness
Owners may notice a limp that does not settle, difficulty or reluctance when rising, reluctance to jump or use stairs, weight shifted off the sore leg, or loss of muscle over one limb.
Phantom scratching
A rhythmic movement of a hind leg towards the neck, shoulder or ear that does not touch the skin, often with the body and neck curved towards the foot. It can be set off by excitement, activity, light touch to the neck or ear, or a collar. Some dogs also shy away from touch to the head, neck or shoulders.
Poor coat condition
A poor coat may look dull, dry, brittle or greasy, with scale, more shedding than usual, slow regrowth, thinning, broken hairs or matting. The pattern depends on the underlying cause.
Pot-bellied appearance
A distended or pendulous abdomen that develops gradually, changing the body's overall shape and proportions.
Productive cough
A productive cough sounds moist or wet rather than dry and harsh, and in dogs a bout of coughing may end with retching or gagging. The breathing between bouts matters as much as the cough. Signs that change its meaning include breathing that is faster than normal at rest or during sleep, breathing that takes visible effort, bluish gums, and blood brought up with the cough.
Prolonged labour
Prolonged labour may show as a bitch or queen straining hard without a puppy or kitten appearing, a long gap after one or more births while more young are expected, or restlessness, nesting and panting that go on without straining beginning, for many hours in a bitch or well beyond two hours in a queen. Some owners notice a dark green or black discharge (brown in queens) with no birth following, a puppy or kitten visible at the vulva that does not move on, a stillborn puppy or kitten, or a mother who is trembling, weak or unusually flat. In dogs, puppies typically arrive 15 to 60 minutes apart, and dystocia is suspected when strong straining continues for around 30 minutes without a birth, more than one to two hours pass between puppies, visible contractions go on for more than four hours without the first puppy, or no delivery follows within 12 to 24 hours of first-stage signs beginning. In queens, the first kitten usually arrives within about an hour of visible contractions beginning, although strong, sustained straining for more than 30 minutes without a kitten is itself outside the usual pattern. Later kittens usually follow 10 to 60 minutes apart, with a median gap of about 30 minutes, and in one UK study of pedigree litters about 86 in 100 queens delivered the whole litter within six hours of the first kitten. In a queen, the published markers are more than 30 minutes of strong straining without a kitten, more than two hours between kittens while more are expected, or more than four hours of visible contractions without a first kitten. A queen resting and nursing between kittens can look much the same as one whose labour has stalled, so these intervals carry more information than how settled she seems.
Pustules or pimples on skin
Small raised bumps on the skin that may be white, yellow, or red, sometimes rupturing to leave crusts or circular lesions.
Rapid breathing
Rapid breathing is a breathing rate that is faster than usual for the dog while it is resting or asleep. It is different from open-mouthed panting after exercise or in warm weather. Owners often see the chest or flanks moving quickly, or notice panting that carries on in a dog that is cool and settled. A healthy adult dog that is asleep generally takes fewer than 30 breaths a minute, with each rise and fall of the chest counted as one breath. Signs that a dog is working to breathe include laboured breathing, blowing of the lips, noise with each breath, and gums that look pale or bluish. A fast rate with none of these can still reflect disease.
Rapid breathing at rest
A breathing rate that remains elevated while resting or sleeping, beyond what temperature or recent activity explains.
Recurrent infections
Owners may notice the same problem coming back soon after treatment ends, such as sneezing with eye discharge, sore gums, skin sores or bladder infections, or a run of different infections close together.
Red inflamed skin
Areas of skin that appear reddened, warm, or irritated, particularly in folds, underarms, or between toes.
Reduced appetite
Eating less than usual, refusing meals, or showing less interest in food.
Reduced grooming in cats
A decline in self-grooming resulting in a matted, oily, or unkempt coat compared to previous standards.
Reduced interest in play
The dog or cat disengages from toys, chase games, or interactive play sessions it previously enjoyed, walking away after a few seconds or no longer initiating play at all, even when an owner tries to prompt it.
Reduced jumping in cats
A decrease in jumping frequency or height in cats, or choosing lower routes to reach elevated surfaces.
Regurgitation
Food or fluid returning from the mouth passively, without the abdominal effort associated with vomiting, sometimes minutes to hours after eating.
Reluctance to be groomed or handled
The animal pulls away, tenses, or gives a low grumble or growl when touched in a particular area during brushing, stroking or routine handling, even though it previously tolerated this without issue. In cats this is often localised to the back, hips or tail base, while in dogs it may centre on the ears, mouth, hips or hindquarters.
Reluctance to eat hard food
Dropping kibble, chewing on one side, or switching preference from dry to soft food without dietary changes.
Reluctance to exercise
Owners may notice a dog lagging behind or stopping on walks, sitting or lying down partway, turning for home early, refusing to go out, or no longer wanting to play, run, jump or climb stairs. The change can build up over weeks or appear suddenly within a day. Some dogs tire with faster or harder breathing, and others move stiffly or limp.
Reluctance to jump
Hesitation or refusal to jump onto furniture, into vehicles, or up surfaces previously accessed without difficulty.
Reluctance to use stairs
Hesitation, slowing, or avoidance when approaching stairs that were previously navigated without difficulty.
Resource guarding
The dog growls, stiffens, or snaps when approached near food, a favourite toy, or a resting spot, but seems otherwise relaxed and friendly at other times. The behaviour is often specific to certain objects or locations rather than general irritability.
Restlessness or pacing
Inability to settle, walking back and forth, frequently changing positions, or appearing uncomfortable in any posture.
Retching after coughing
A bout of coughing ends in a gag or retch, which can look like an attempt to vomit. Retching that brings up nothing and does not follow a cough is a different sign.
Scooting
Dragging the hindquarters along the ground, often on carpet or grass, sometimes accompanied by licking or biting at the anal area.
Seizures
Episodes of involuntary muscle activity, altered consciousness, or collapse lasting seconds to minutes.
Sensitivity around the neck
Owners typically describe the pet flinching, ducking away, or vocalising when the collar area or scruff is touched, resisting attempts to fasten a collar or harness, or holding the head low and stiff rather than turning freely to look around.
Shaking or trembling
Involuntary shaking or trembling of part or all of the body, ranging from shivering with cold or fear to tremors with no obvious trigger.
Sitting or lying in unusual positions
The dog sits with the hind legs splayed out to one side rather than tucked neatly beneath the hips, or repeatedly shifts between lying positions without settling comfortably. Some dogs adopt a stretched-out posture with the front end lowered and the rear raised, or hold the back arched and the abdomen tucked up rather than lying flat and relaxed.
Skin irritation around vulva
Owners may notice reddened, moist or sore skin around the vulva, often with frequent licking of the area, scooting, a damp or urine-stained coat, or a discharge from the vulva.
Skin lumps or bumps
A new or changing lump, bump, or raised area on or under the skin that may vary in size, firmness, or appearance.
Skin thinning or bruising
Skin that appears fragile, tears more easily, or shows bruising without obvious external trauma.
Skipping gait
A distinctive hopping or skipping movement where the dog briefly lifts one hind leg during normal walking or trotting.
Sleeping more than usual
The dog or cat spends noticeably longer stretches asleep or dozing, is slower to rouse for meals, greetings, or a walk, and initiates play, exploration, or affection less often than before. Owners often describe it as the animal simply not being themselves during what would normally be an active part of the day.
Slipping or splaying on smooth floors
Owners often notice the back feet sliding out sideways when the dog turns a corner on tiled, laminate, or wood flooring, sometimes with a wide, splayed stance used to steady itself, or a moment of hesitation before crossing an open expanse of smooth floor.
Slow heart rate
A heart rate that falls below the typical range for the breed and size, detected during clinical examination.
Sneezing (chronic or frequent)
Repeated bouts of sneezing that persist for weeks or recur regularly, sometimes producing nasal discharge or occurring in paroxysms.
Squinting or holding eye closed
Partial or complete closure of one or both eyes, sometimes accompanied by visible discomfort or resistance to opening the affected eye.
Stargazing posture with the neck stretched upward
The owner sees the dog holding its head and neck rigidly extended upward with the chin lifted and gaze fixed skyward, sometimes for extended periods and occasionally alongside lip-smacking, air-licking, or apparent swallowing movements.
Staring into space
Fixed gazing at walls or empty areas for extended periods, unrelated to tracking visible objects or sounds.
Stiffness after rest
Difficulty or slowness when first getting up after lying down, often most visible in the morning or after naps.
Straining to defecate
Prolonged or repeated attempts to pass stool, often with visible effort, vocalisation, or posturing in the litter tray or outdoors without producing a normal bowel movement.
Straining to urinate
Visible effort, prolonged posturing, or producing only small amounts of urine during attempts to urinate.
Straining without delivery
A bitch or queen in labour pushing with visible abdominal contractions, sometimes grunting, raising her tail or looking round at her flank, without a puppy or kitten appearing; or a pause between deliveries that stretches on while more young are known or thought to remain.
Sudden bulging eye
The eye appears to protrude further forward than normal, sometimes with the eyelids unable to close fully over it, and owners often notice this in the moments after a fall, a fight, or firm restraint around the head or neck.
Sudden irritability or aggression
The owner notices a dog or cat that previously tolerated handling, other animals, or routine interactions now growls, snaps, hisses, or reacts defensively, often in specific contexts such as being touched, lifted, or approached while resting.
Sudden onset lameness
A rapid onset of limping or inability to bear weight on a leg, appearing without gradual progression.
Swelling of limbs
Owners may notice one leg looking thicker than the other, puffy paws or lower legs, skin that holds a dent after gentle pressure, a limp, or licking at one area. The swelling may be warm and sore or cool and painless, and it may affect one leg or several.
Swollen joint
Visible enlargement or puffiness around a joint, sometimes accompanied by warmth or sensitivity to touch.
Swollen lymph nodes
Enlarged lymph nodes felt as firm lumps, usually painless but sometimes tender, under the jaw, in front of the shoulders, or behind the knees.
Tail chasing
Repetitive spinning to pursue the tail that occurs frequently, in fixed patterns, and is difficult to interrupt.
Third eyelid showing across the eye
Owners notice a pale pink or pigmented membrane creeping in from the inner corner of one or both eyes, sometimes covering a significant portion of the eye's surface, occasionally alongside squinting, discharge, or a generally withdrawn demeanour.
Trembling during storms or fireworks
Visible shaking, panting, or physical tension that occurs specifically during thunderstorms, fireworks, or loud events.
Unexplained bleeding
Bleeding or bruising appears with no injury to account for it, or carries on far longer than a small wound would explain. It may show as a nosebleed, blood at the gum line, tiny purplish-red spots (petechiae) or larger bruises on the gums or skin, black tarry stools, blood in the urine or vomit, or bleeding in the eye. Bleeding into the chest or abdomen cannot be seen from outside: the outward signs are pale gums, weakness, laboured breathing or collapse.
Unexplained weight loss
A progressive loss of body weight that is not explained by any deliberate change in diet or activity. Appetite may be reduced, unchanged or increased.
Unpleasant skin odour
A noticeable smell from the skin or coat that persists despite bathing and is not attributable to normal doggy odour.
Urinary incontinence
Owners may notice wet patches where the dog has been lying or sleeping, urine dribbling while the dog stands or walks, or a damp, urine-stained coat around the vulva or prepuce. The dog often seems unaware of the leak. Repeated contact with urine can scald the skin in these areas.
Urine leakage during sleep
Owners may observe urine leakage during sleep in their pet.
Vocalisation during urination
Crying, meowing, or making sounds of discomfort while posturing to urinate or during urination.
Weight gain
A gradual increase in body weight or a change in shape: a waist that is less visible, ribs that are harder to feel, or a broader, rounder abdomen. The change is often noticed first on the scales or in photographs, and it can happen with or without any obvious change in food intake or activity.
Weight loss despite good appetite
Losing body mass while continuing to eat normal or increased amounts of food.
Wet bedding
Owners may find damp or urine-smelling patches on the bed or wherever the dog has been lying, often noticed when the dog gets up after sleep or rest.
Wheezing
An audible whistling or rasping sound during breathing, indicating narrowing or obstruction of the airways.
Wobbliness
Owners may notice swaying or drifting to one side when walking, a staggering or drunken-looking gait, crossing or scuffing of the feet, a hind end that sways more than the front, stumbling, or falling over. It may be present all the time or come and go in episodes.