How to Care for Dogs With Certain Symptoms or Conditions
When your dog is ill, youll want to do anything to make it feel better. However, its not always easy to tell if youre on the right track. When dogs are sick, sometimes it can be a touch of the flu, or they are experiencing allergies. However, there can be more concerning symptoms that may require more attention.
If the dog has been coughing or has difficulty breathing, it could be a sign of a respiratory problem. A humidifier placed near the sick dog may help the animal breathe easier. However, if the animal develops severe breathing problems, it could be a sign of a respiratory infection, and you should take it to the veterinarian right away.
Keeping your sick dog in a warm, dry area would be best. Maintain a clean environment and make the dog comfortable. While the dog is recovering, try not to disturb it too much by keeping its surroundings calm and peaceful. Give the dog as much attention as the situation requires.
Often, a dog may vomit as a reaction to a minor stomach upset. During such times, it is best to avoid feeding the animal for several hours while keeping it hydrated.
If your dog vomits once and then seems fine, you can feed it as usual in six to twelve hours or when the next meal is due.
Talk to your vet if your dog keeps throwing up or having diarrhea and its condition doesnt get better. You should also contact your veterinarian if the dog refuses to eat for two consecutive days after the vomiting has stopped.
Chronic illnesses are a real possibility for dogs, especially as they age. You will need to consider in-home care for ESA-certified dogs. Ensure you have sufficient medication for holidays and weekends when your veterinarian is unavailable.
Excessive activity may cause stress in older, ailing dogs, so limiting exercise and interaction with other dogs is essential.
You should also ensure that the dog relieves itself regularly. A dogs strength may deteriorate due to a long-term illness; thus, you might need to offer support while it reduces itself and cleans up feces or urine. Trim long hairs to prevent waste from sticking to the dog, taking care not to tear the dogs skin.
Arthritic dogs require a great deal of quality rest. Massage their muscles to alleviate any tension or discomfort they may be experiencing. Providing a soft place to lie down will aid in relieving their pain. Remember that you should never give your dog human arthritis medication; instead, consult your veterinarian for the proper remedy.
Sore skin may get worse if the dog licks the wounds. It will help if you devise strategies to prevent your dog from licking or scratching its wounds. You can, for example, put socks on its feet to keep it from scratching. Bathe your dog in saltwater or apply an ice pack to the affected areas to relieve itching.
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The most important thing you can do for a sick dog is to take them to a veterinarian. A veterinarian can diagnose a dogs condition, prescribe medication if necessary, and tell you what you need to do to make your dog feel better.Â
Make sure to inform the veterinarian of every symptom youve observed. You may want to write down or mentally record the signs in the order in which they appeared. Having the symptoms on record when they happened can aid the veterinarian in better diagnosing the problem.
For example, if your dog vomited in the morning after eating food, record the time the sickness started happening and that it happened after eating food, as well as the specific brand of food. Or, if your dog is showing signs of dehydration, but has drunk water within the last few hours, record that information.
Any information you can provide your veterinarian can aid in the care of your dog.
Get the Right Medication for Your Dog
You should not administer medication to a dog without first consulting a veterinarian or other canine expert. If a veterinarian prescribes medication for your sick dog, be sure to adhere to all of the instructions strictly.
Giving your pet too much or too little could worsen its condition. Herbal remedies and other over-the-counter medications may be beneficial, but only a veterinarian can determine if they are appropriate for your dog.
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Recognizing Symptoms of Illness
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1 Monitor your dogs daily activity. Keep a notebook of when your dog relieves himself
How to Feed a Sick Dog
Feeding a sick dog is challenging. Decreased appetite, upset stomach, diarrhea, and vomiting make caring for a sick dog stressful for both you and your pet. A bland diet can help relieve some of these symptoms while also giving your dog the nutrition he needs to recover.
The following five recipes are intended for use for dogs with mild stomach upset, including gas, nausea, constipation, and diarrhea. As these symptoms are occasionally signs of a more serious problem, always check with your vet before taking treatment into your own hands. Only use these recipes once you have ruled out other health risks and discussed your plan with your veterinarian; and remember that dogs with existing health conditions like diabetes, cancer, allergies, and senior dogs might need additional nutrition to stay healthy.
Chicken and rice are prime ingredients in many dog foods, and these mild foods sit well on upset canine stomachs. Plus, this bland meal is easy to prepare. All you need are boneless, skinless chicken breasts and rice. White rice is lower in nutritional value than brown rice, but its blandness makes it more suitable for upset stomachs. Oils, butter, and added seasonings can irritate your dog’s stomach and make the problem worse, so stick with plain boiled chicken and rice and save the extra stuff for your own meal. Make sure the chicken is cooked thoroughly and cut or shred it into small, bite-sized pieces for your dog, since enthusiastic canines might choke on this unexpected treat. You can also purchase many bland chicken and rice foods if you prefer not cooking.
Shredded chicken is easy on upset stomachs and acts as a huge eating incentive for dogs with decreased appetites. Plain, unseasoned, boiled, shredded chicken is easy to digest and is packed with essential vitamins, minerals, fats, and amino acids, making it a great snack for dogs feeling under the weather. Chicken keeps in the fridge for three-to-four days, or you can freeze it for two-to-six months. Packaged shredded chicken is available to buy online.
Pumpkin and sweet potato have similar digestive health benefits. Like sweet potatoes, pumpkin is also high in fiber, which helps regulate canine digestive systems. Cooked, peeled, unsalted, and unseasoned pumpkin contains vitamin E, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, riboflavin, potassium, copper, and manganese, giving your dog a nutritional boost along with a little digestive help.
Adding pumpkin to your dog’s meal usually helps regulate mild constipation. Veterinarians recommend one to four tablespoons of pumpkin, depending on your dog’s size. Canned pumpkin is a convenient alternative to preparing pumpkin yourself, as long as it is unseasoned. Feeding your dog a can of pumpkin pie filling might end up sending you back to the vet, as the spices and sugars could irritate your dog’s stomach and cause further complications. There are also many pumpkin powders you can buy to add to your dog’s food.
Bone broth is a very mild, liquid meal that sits easily in upset canine stomachs. It is also a nutritious and delicious way to add moisture and flavor to dry food and encourage dogs with reduced appetites to eat. To make a bone broth for dogs, fill a crock-pot with beef marrow bones or bones with plenty of joints, like turkey and chicken legs. Cover the bones with 2-3 inches of water, cover, and cook on low for 20-24 hours.
Let the broth cool for 2-to-3 hours in the fridge to let the fat form a hardened layer at the top. Scoop it off and store the jelly-like broth in the refrigerator. If you want to use the broth to add moisture to dry food, microwave the broth just long enough for it to go from a semi-solid jelly to a liquid, but not long enough to get hot, as hot broths can burn your dog’s mouth. Freeze the broth in small containers like an ice cube tray for later use.
While bone broth is full of healthy bone marrow, cooked bones themselves are incredibly dangerous for dogs. Make sure you remove all of the bones from your broth before serving. Save yourself a trip to the emergency room and strain the broth just to make sure no small bones escaped your notice. For convenience, you can purchase a bone broth safe for dogs online.
Veterinary emergency hospitals often use certain types of baby food to feed the dogs in their care. Baby food is very easy to swallow and digest and is a great way to give oral medications. Veterinarians recommend feeding Stage II meat-based baby foods like chicken, lamb, and turkey, as long as the baby food does not contain any garlic or onion powder.
While none of these recipes should be used as a replacement for proper medical care, feeding a bland diet can alleviate some of your dog’s intestinal discomfort while also providing him with foods he’ll love. These five recipes for dog digestive health also make delicious treats for when your dog starts feeling better, so consider saving some for later to reward your canine patient. https://www.akc.org/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php Get Your Free AKC eBook
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