How Do I Tell If My Dog Needs A Veterinarian?

f you are wondering whether or not your dog needs medical attention, call a veterinarian and describe the situation. If your dog is showing any of these non-emergency symptoms, and you are still wondering about whether or not you should take your dog to the vet, go with your gut instinct. 
Signs of severe trauma, shock, and bloating are all signs your pet needs to be seen by an emergency vet right away. Extreme pain is also a legitimate reason for taking your pet to the emergency veterinarian.
Breathing problems can be signs of medical emergencies for dogs, and you should bring your pet to an  vet right away if you notice they are struggling to breathe. Fireworks, storms, and visits to the vet may all result in dogs having rapid breathing, and may even hyperventilate. If your dog is breathing abnormally, has blue or purple gums, or is swelling in his face, mouth, or throat, you should go to a veterinarian right away.
If your dog is collapsing from vomiting, or seems to be losing any water, go to the vet immediately. If your dog has been vomiting for over 24 hours, and it is accompanied by dehydration, get veterinary care right away. If your dog is repeatedly passing out loose stool or vomiting, contact your vet immediately.

A dog who is only vomiting several times, or has been having loose stools for a brief time, might simply need a break. A dog that vomits only once or has one loose bowel movement might need no treatment except a few hours to let his stomach rest and a day or two of plain meals. Dogs that go one or more days without eating are almost always ill.
Two days without eating is an obvious indication your dog needs a checkup. It is a judgement call, but if your dog stops eating all of a sudden, it may be a sign something is off. If your dog is not getting any weight at all in his legs, that is a red flag.
No matter your dogs size; a sudden loss of weight is troubling, and a reason to get the dog checked by the veterinarian. Sudden Weight Loss Even with overweight dogs, sudden weight loss should be the trigger for taking them to the vet. If your dog is losing weight by 10%, alert the vet.
Weight changes may indicate other worrisome health conditions, like diabetes, hypothyroidism, or Cushings disease, which your dogs vet can evaluate. 
If you notice your dog is suffering from pain in any way that is not improving, your vet can help you find the cause and cure it. No one wants to see their favorite pet suffer, so your veterinarian will provide suggestions for helping your dog feel better, and make sure that there is not any medical condition that you need to be concerned about. Your vet will prescribe medications to treat infections or injuries, or ease your dogs conditions.
Your vet can also prescribe medications that will make your dog comfortable if you are trying to identify a cause for allergies, as you might need to go through an elimination process. Your vet will examine your pets mouth and might suggest either changing their diet or having a dental procedure to clean their teeth and remove those causing the pain. Your vet will probably want you to keep an eye on your dog for signs of infections or contagious diseases (especially rabies), which can spread by bites from animals.
The vet will ask questions about vomiting or diarrhea, as well as any changes in the behavior or health of your animal, so be prepared to give them as much information as possible. If your pet is not eating or drinking at all, or you have noticed a rise in appetite or water intake, you will want to call and schedule an appointment to see your veterinarian immediately. If you think that your pet has been sleeping more, is not being active, or is acting differently, that could be an indication that he is not doing well, and needs an examination from the veterinarian.
Since your dog cannot alert you to problems, you are responsible for looking for any warning signs your dog is feeling unwell and needs to be seen by a vet. If the dogas infection doesnat seem to get better, despite your efforts, then itas time to visit the vet. When your dog is injured or does not seem well, it can be difficult to decide whether to take him or her to the vet, or to wait and watch his or her condition progress.
Your dog may just feel hurt or tired as the weather gets warmer, but if this continues for more than two days, you should take your dog to the vet. If several seizures occur in a 24-hour period, or your dog has an epileptic fit lasting longer than a few minutes, call the vet immediately. Once the seizures are over, keep your dog warm and call your primary care vet for guidance.
If your dog is having an epileptic seizure, do not try to snare the animal. I should also reiterate that, if you cannot tell whether or not your dog needs immediate care, taking them in is always the safest option. If the dogs skin is burned, blistered, or seems extremely itchy, bring the dog in for an emergency veterinarian.
If your dog is showing visible signs of distress, like yelling, panting, drooling, or profoundly limping, do not allow your dog to suffer unnecessarily. If your adult dog has a bout of diarrhea or vomiting once or twice, then seems to rebound without any further symptoms, it might not be an emergency.