Numerous dog illnesses can cause some of the same symptoms. A dog owner may think that a symptom is caused by one dog illness when it may be due to another dog illness. Dog illnesses can cause physical and behavioral symptoms.  The dog may exhibit a behavior that a dog owner may not realize that the behavior is related to a dog illness. For example, if a dog that is usually active and tireless suddenly stops running and playing after a brief time, the dog owner may consider it a sign of aging when it could be due to a serious dog disease.

Changes in behavior should be taken seriously. A dog owner should notify the veterinarians office when there are observable changes in the dogs behavior to determine if the change in behavior could be caused by a dog illness or injury.

While a dog owner may recognize some symptoms as being related to a condition, a veterinarian should be consulted for a proper diagnosis and treatment. For example, if a dog has difficulty urinating, the dog owner may think the dog has a urinary tract infection. This could be correct, but it could also be due to other dog illnesses.

The dog owner is still important for dog illness diagnosis. The dog owner can let the veterinarian know of the physical and behavioral changes in the dog. This helps the veterinarian get an idea of what may be wrong with the dog.

The veterinarian uses the information provided by the dog owner about the dogs symptoms when determining the cause of the symptoms. The veterinarian may do some tests on the dog to identify the dog illness. Veterinarians often have to do several tests to rule out dog illnesses that can cause the same symptoms.

Blood tests are only one type of diagnostic test that veterinarians use. The dogs urine and feces are sometimes used to identify the dog illness. X-rays and other testing may be done.

After the veterinarian has reached a dog illness diagnosis, the veterinarian may provide the dog owner with treatment options. Dog owners may need to ask questions about the illness and the proposed treatments. The dog owner should feel comfortable in gaining information from the veterinarian.