Sick Dog Care

When your dog becomes sick, you will have to give it plenty of attentive care and immediate medical treatment, along with nutritious diet, to make it healthy and playful again.

• If your dog is vomiting or has diarrhea, you may need to change its diet.
  
  
  
  Never give your dog leftovers, and if it does not touch the food you have given it, take it away. Don’t allow it to eat stale food.
  
  
  
  
• Always give your dog fresh food and sufficient clean water to drink.
• De-worm your dog regularly.
• If your pet has an itchy skin with sores, apply soothing creams or lotions. Put socks on its feet, and an Elizabethan collar around its neck so that it does not scratch itself.
  
  
  
  
• See that your pet is vaccinated regularly.

Caring for Dog

When you bring a dog home as a pet, there are many things you need to do to ensure that it remains in good health. Books are a good source of information on how to care for dog. Other friends who have dogs of their own, and vets will also be able to guide you about a proper nutritious diet and exercise. But in spite of all this, it is quite normal that your dog may fall sick at some time. This could be due to an injury or a bacterial, viral or fungal infection, or may be some psychological problem or stress.

Sick Dog Symptoms

It is very important for you, as an owner, to be aware of sick dog symptoms. This will allow you to take immediate sick dog care, either by trying some home remedies or consulting a vet. Diarrhea, vomiting, weight loss, lack of appetite, difficulty in walking, blood in the urine, or persistent coughing, are a few sick dog symptoms.

• If your dog is vomiting, or passing repeated watery stools, or if it is constantly eating grass, it may indicate some gastrointestinal problems, or a worm infestation or a case of food poisoning.
• Dog constipation or any other problems with defecating could have a simple cause like a recent change of diet or insufficient drinking of water, or a more serious indication of an intestinal blockage.
• If your dog is shaking its head, or if there is a strong smell from the ears, it could indicate ticks, mites or a yeast infection.
• If there is blood in the urine, it could be symptoms of some kidney disease, a urinary tract infection or a kidney infection or injury.
• While a dog may occasionally suffer from a minor cold and cough, which will have symptoms such as a runny nose and eyes, accompanied by a cough, be on the look out for a persistent cough. This is more serious and could mean either pneumonia, heart disease, heartworm or kennel cough.
• A sick dog may also show unusual lethargy, unwillingness to eat or take part in any activity. If this is accompanied by difficulty in walking or disorientation, the cause could be serious, and it is best to consult your vet immediately.