How can you tell if your dog’s feeling a little under the weather? Is he ill, or just having an off day? What symptoms usually crop up when it comes to a genuine health problem in your dog?

The better you learn your dog’s individual quirks and habits, the more easily you can tell if he’s dealing with a real health problem. Below are some symptoms to take seriously if you happen to see them in your dog:

1. Pain
2. Repeated sneezing
3. Fever
4. More than occasional coughing
5. Diarrhea that’s intense or lasts more than a day
6. Weight loss or weight gain, either sudden or ongoing
7. Frothing at the mouth
8. Discharge from or redness of the eye
9. Inflamed or itchy ears
10. Inability to urinate, increased urination, or suddenly having "accidents"
    in the house
11. Lameness lasting more than a day
12. Sudden aggressive behavior, or sudden "fits"
13. Vomiting more than once or twice
14. Pain located in the mouth
15. Labored breathing
16. Choking
17. Frequent itching and scratching or head-shaking
18. Sudden loss of appetite
19. Sudden hair loss

Take a good look at your dog regularly, even when he seems healthy, so you’ll know what’s normal for him and what isn’t. Also, keep this list of symptoms in the back of your mind for when you’re deciding whether or not to go to the vet. One of these symptoms can suggest a health problem, but a combination of them is something to take seriously.