Bad breath, hairballs, stiffness, and extra weight often look normal but can signal pain or illness. A veterinarian explains 8 signs worth a vet visit.
Common doesn’t always mean normal, especially when it comes to our pets. Symptoms such as bad breath, frequent hairballs, slowing down with age, or noisy breathing in brachycephalic breeds are often dismissed as harmless or inevitable. But as a veterinarian, I know that many of these seemingly normal issues can signal pain, illness, or an underlying condition that deserves attention and treatment. Here are eight symptoms pet parents commonly overlook, and why they’re worth discussing with your veterinarian.
Cats have a reputation for vomiting frequently and in the most inconvenient places. While occasional vomiting or hairballs in an otherwise healthy cat is often normal, it should generally not occur more than a couple of times per month. If your cat is vomiting frequently, or vomiting is accompanied by weight loss or other symptoms of illness, they should be evaluated by a veterinarian.
Vomiting is a nonspecific symptom that can have a variety of possible causes, ranging from mild to life-threatening. Possible causes include gastrointestinal problems such as parasites, inflammation, foreign objects, or tumors, as well as systemic conditions such as kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, diabetes, or toxin exposure. Diagnostic testing, such as bloodwork and imaging, is often required to determine the underlying cause, and treatment varies significantly. Your vet will also want to differentiate vomiting from regurgitation, or bringing up undigested food, which may be associated with eating too quickly or esophageal issues.
Hairballs are most common in long-haired cats or those who overgroom due to pain, stress, or skin disease; however, frequent hairballs may also be a symptom of underlying gastrointestinal disease. Additionally, if your cat is gagging or retching without producing a hairball, they may actually be coughing, a symptom often associated with respiratory diseases like asthma. If underlying issues are ruled out, hairballs may be managed by grooming your cat more frequently, increasing hydration, or using a hairball control diet, treat, or supplement containing fiber or lubricants.
Although incredibly common, “doggy breath” is not normal. It is often a sign of periodontal disease, an inflammation of the tissues surrounding the teeth that affects nearly 80% of dogs and 70% of cats by three years of age. The progression to periodontal disease is often easy to miss. It begins when bacteria form a sticky film on the teeth, called plaque, which then interacts with your pet’s saliva to mineralize into hard calculus (tartar). Plaque and calculus irritate the gums, leading to gingivitis. If inflammation persists, it can progress to periodontitis, causing loss of bone that supports the teeth, gum recession, pain, infection or abscess, tooth loss, and even systemic effects on major organs such as the heart and kidneys.
Signs of periodontal disease may include bad breath, tartar buildup, red or bleeding gums, drooling, pawing at the mouth, and difficulty eating or chewing. Because animals may not show signs of pain and disease can lurk below the gumline, some pet owners will not notice any symptoms even if periodontal disease is present. The good news is that periodontal disease is considered largely preventable with a combination of at-home dental care (such as daily brushing and VOHC-approved dental products) and professional dental cleanings under anesthesia when recommended by your vet.
Arthritis is especially common in senior pets, although it can affect animals of any age. Current estimates suggest that osteoarthritis affects close to 40% of dogs and more than half of cats. Arthritis can cause pain, limping, difficulty jumping or climbing stairs, reluctance to move, and behavioral changes. Cats may also present with eliminating outside the litter box or difficulty grooming.
Once diagnosed, often via physical exam and X-rays, treatment is multimodal and may include weight management, veterinarian-prescribed pain medication, omega-3 fatty acids, controlled exercise, and injectable monoclonal antibody therapy (newer medications such as Librela and Solensia). Your veterinarian can help determine which treatment combination is safest and most appropriate for your pet.
Maintaining an ideal body weight and keeping your pet’s toenails trimmed can also help them move more easily. Changes to the home environment, such as adding rugs or non-slip mats to hardwood floors and providing ramps or steps to help senior pets reach elevated areas, can also help improve comfort and quality of life.
Occasional scratching, chewing, and licking is expected in dogs, but excessive pruritus (itchy skin) is most often associated with a skin condition such as external parasites, skin infection, or allergies. Like people, pets can be allergic to a variety of things, including ingredients in their diet, fleas, or other environmental factors. Constant itching or frequent and recurrent skin and ear infections are not only uncomfortable for your pet, but they can also be incredibly frustrating for pet parents.
If you see your vet for a concern about itchy skin, they will first gather a detailed medical history, including questions about diet, seasonality, and severity of the pruritus. Recommended tests may include skin cytology to look for bacterial or yeast infection, skin scrapings to check for mites, flea combing, and ear cytology if ear disease is present. In some cases, bloodwork or referral to a dermatologist for allergy testing may be recommended. Treatments also vary and may include topical or oral medications to treat secondary bacterial or yeast infections, a strict elimination diet trial if food allergies are suspected, consistent flea control, anti-itch medications such as steroids, Apoquel, or Cytopoint for dogs, or allergen-specific immunotherapy for environmental allergies. For chronic allergic skin disease, the goal is often to reduce the severity and frequency of flare-ups rather than achieve a permanent cure.
Increased thirst and urination is known as polyuria and polydipsia (PU/PD), and is a common symptom associated with many possible medical conditions. Pet parents may notice that the water bowl empties more quickly, a dog asks to go outside more often, or a cat produces larger or more numerous clumps in the litter box. Because causes can include kidney disease, diabetes, hormonal disorders, medication side effects, and more, a persistent change should always be evaluated with a full veterinary exam and workup, often including bloodwork, urinalysis, and imaging. It is critical to determine the underlying cause because treatment and prognosis vary significantly.
Snoring, snorting, and persistently loud breathing often heard in flat-faced breeds such as Pugs and French Bulldogs are not cute quirks: these sounds can be a sign that air is moving through a narrowed or obstructed airway. Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) is a condition affecting flat-faced dogs that may consist of several components: stenotic nares (narrow nostrils), an elongated soft palate, everted laryngeal saccules, and a hypoplastic trachea (narrow windpipe). Dogs with BOAS are predisposed to respiratory distress, pneumonia, heat stroke, and other significant medical conditions. Reputable breeders may help select away from severely affected dogs, and additional management strategies include maintaining a lean body weight, limiting exposure to excessive heat, avoiding strenuous exercise, and discussing airway surgery with your veterinarian. Any signs of respiratory crisis require immediate emergency care.
Never assume a lump is harmless based on how it feels. Just like in people, lumps and bumps on or below the skin are common in animals, and they can be benign or cancerous. It’s always worth having any new mass examined by your veterinarian and a sample collected and evaluated with a fine-needle aspirate. A biopsy may be recommended if the aspirate is inconclusive or more information is needed. If a lump is cancerous, your veterinarian may recommend staging, surgical removal, referral to an oncologist, or other treatment based on the tumor type and location. Even if a lump is benign, it may still cause problems for your pet based on the size or location.
According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention 2022 clinical survey, approximately 59% of dogs and 61% of cats in the United States are overweight or obese, and yet another large survey in 2023 found that only 17% of dog owners and 28% of cat owners acknowledged that their pets were overweight. Excess weight is associated with numerous health problems, including arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, anesthetic complications, and loss of up to 2 years of typical lifespan.
Veterinarians usually assess whether a pet is at a healthy weight by using a Body Condition Score (BCS), but pet parents can also monitor this at home. Tracking your pet’s food intake, treats, weight, and activity can help them maintain a healthy body condition. Unexpected weight gain or weight loss can also be an early sign of an underlying medical condition and should be discussed with your vet.
When a health problem is extremely common, it can be easy to assume that it is simply part of living with a pet or growing older. However, addressing these issues can actually result in a healthier and more comfortable life for your pet. Nonurgent concerns can be discussed at a routine wellness appointment, while repeated vomiting, a persistent increase in thirst or urination, rapidly changing masses, or any difficulty breathing warrant more prompt attention.
