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Dogs aren’t just man’s best friend, they are a part of the family. So when they get sick, you want to look after them just as well as any other family member. But what are the best methods for treating your furry patient?
Water Little and Often
If your dog is being sick or has diarrhea, they will want to drink a lot. The problem is that they might want to drink too much at once. You should give them cooled boiled water little and often so that they drink enough over the day, but not all at once. Boiling the water first makes sure that it is free of any potential bacteria but make sure it is cold before your serve!
Keep an Eye Out
Changes in your pet’s behaviour could be a sign of illness.Pet MD have a symptom checker you can use to see what the causes could be. If your dog is under the weather for more than one day, you should take them to the vets for a check up. The vet will be able to do some tests to find out exactly what is wrong and prescribe some medication to help with your dog’s recovery.
Finish the Prescription
Like humans, it is important that your dog finishes any medical prescription given by a vet. Though it can be difficult to persuade dogs to take pills, it is well worth the effort to ensure they return to their normal selves without a relapse into illness. One trick to get even the most resistant dogs to take a pill is to use a sneaky pill treat like Pawsiq. These are hollow treats that mean you can fill them with the pills for easy administration. Your dog won’t even realise what he’s begging for!
The Right Bed
Like us, dogs have an instinct about how and where they want to sleep off an illness. It might be tucked underneath a blanket nice and warm or they may prefer somewhere a bit cooler. Follow your dog’s lead and let them decide where they should be sleeping. You might need to relax the house rules for a day but once he’s better, you can reinstate the ‘not on the couch!’ rule.
Be Ready For an Emergency
It’s not likely to happen, but if your dog is unconscious and not breathing, you may need to perform canine CPR. This is much like performing CPR on a human but you need to close their mouth and breath down their nose in between compressions.
Staying Healthy
Once your dog is back up and running circles around you and your family, it’s important to give him the best chance of staying healthy. Dogs are just like us and they will get ill from time to time naturally, but a good diet, plenty of exercise and lots of love should keep them healthier for longer. And don’t forget that human foods like chocolate can cause real trouble for our canine friends.
With these five tips, your dog will be on the road to recovery and back to his happy self soon.
