How can we tell if our dogs and cats are healthy or sick? In order to help your pet stay healthy there are a number of things you can do.
First, animals need healthy food and clean water to grow strong and feel healthy (just like us people do!). Food and water gives animals energy to play, learn, and grow. They need access to food and water EVERY DAY.
Second, Dogs and cats also need exercise and activity to be healthy! Dogs need daily walks to go to the bathrom, explore, and release their energy.
Third, just like people, animals need to stay clean! Dogs may need a bath, a brushed coat, or their nails trimmed. Cats also need to be brushed and have their nails trimmed, but we don’t recommend giving them a bath unless you have to. Cats are really good at keeping themselves clean (They use their tongues!) Indoor cats do need to have their litter boxes cleaned every day.
Take a look at the images below, and see if you can tell which pets are healthy and which are not!
This dog is healthy! You can tell, because his ears are forward, he has relaxed eyes, and an excited facial expression.
In dogs and in cats, vomiting is often a sign that an animal is not feeling well. An animal that is drooling, not eating, or licking themselves a lot may also have an upset stomach.
Cats spend a lot of the day sleeping, sometimes up to 18 hours a day in adult cats! But cats should also have a lot of energy to play throughout the day. If your cats are playing, that’s a sign that they are healthy!
With dogs, if they look happy and their tail is wagging, their tongue is hanging out comfortably, and they are energetic, those are all good signs that they are healthy!
You can tell that this cat is sick, or in pain, or just generally unhappy. Its ears are pointed back or out to the side, it is sitting or lying in a hunched position, and if you were to see this cat in real life, chances are that it would be crying excessively, whining, or meowing without stopping.
A cat that is lying on their back is relaxed and trusting of the situation. Often, you’d hear a cat in this posture purring! Both of those things are a sign that it is healthy.
Cats are masters at keeping themselves clean, so if you notice that their fur is tangled or excessively dirty, that means that they are likely not feeling well enough to clean themselves.
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