There’s a fine line between giving dog owners enough information to keep their pups healthy and giving them so much that every sniffle, sad eye, and day of laziness is misconstrued as a major health condition. But because education is so important in dog ownership, it’s really your responsibility to know as much as possible – or have quick access to the information – and be able to determine what is and isn’t a life-threatening situation. It can be difficult not to have a panic attack when it seems like your little girl isn’t feeling up to par, but think of all of the stress involved for a dog just in going to the vet. She has to be packed into the car, driven all the way there (okay, maybe that part’s not so bad), taken out of the car, slide across cold, slippery tile floors on her toenails, then get poked and prodded by someone she doesn’t really recognize but who often smells like cats. It’s not really a canine daydream. If you notice that your pooch just seems a little off, give her a day or two and see if the symptoms progress. Most dog owners can tell if the situation is really dire and more urgent. To help you make those decisions, keep reading for information about some of the more uncommon diseases and conditions that can affect your pup.

My dog has been throwing up constantly, but she doesn’t act sick after she’s done. What’s wrong with her?
She may have inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD. Its name is a little misleading, since IBD is actually a collection of different diseases teaming together to form one big tummy ache. Many dogs who are affected with IBD vomit frequently as their main symptom while others go through diarrhea, loose stools, more frequent need to defecate, weight loss, and even anemia. The particular intestinal cell that is inflamed by your dog’s case of IBD dictates the actual diagnosis and disease name. Your veterinarian may want to examine your dog’s intestines or perform a biopsy to more accurately pin down the condition, but one of the main factors in almost any case of IBD is a food allergy. Your vet will probably recommend a hypoallergenic diet and may also prescribe antibiotics to help calm the allergens in your pup’s body. The chart on the next page will give you a more accurate look at the types of IBD, their symptoms, and their specific treatment courses.

My dog has been lying around for days and it seems like she may have a fever. What’s wrong?
Check her gums. If they look as though they’ve gotten paler, get her to the vet immediately. If they look all right, try to make an appointment with the veterinarian in the next few days. Your pooch may have immune-mediated hemolytic anemia, or IMHA. This is a disease of the immune system – actually, it’s the most common disease of the immune system – and can be caused by a number of different things including vaccination, antibiotics, viruses, and previous diseases. Whether your dog has a sudden onset or a more gradual incubation period, the quicker your vet can administer antibiotics the better.

IMHA is especially common in female dogs midway through life, and it’s tricky to pin down exactly how it’ll affect your dog. It is life threatening, so you should always get to the vet as soon as possible, but some dogs experience only a single, severe flare-up while others have recurring bouts with IMHA throughout their lives. This, of course, affects the necessary treatment. Your dog may need only one rigorous round of drug therapy while others will remain on medication indefinitely. In some extreme cases, blood transfusions may be necessary.