When your dog is sick, it will start to behave oddly. The usual symptoms of dogs being sick is vomiting and diarrhea. But your first approach when you observe your dog being sick is recognizing the signs and their severity.
Recognize Symptoms
Observe your dog’s behavior. Vomiting and diarrhea can be common among dogs whenever they feel unwell. An abrupt shift in diet, scavenging—eating human foods, motion sickness, or even eating too much or too soon are common causes. However, dogs can also be sick for other severe reasons, like infection, worms, swallowing foreign objects like socks or toys, or ingesting or licking specific flowers, herbs, or poisons that are harmful to dogs. Other serious complications may lead to critical medical issues like cancer, kidney, liver, or pancreatic diseases.
Noticing behavioral changes in your pets can already help a lot when talking about their health. In addition, just pointing out the symptoms can tell us about their situation’s severity.
Treatment
Simple treatments at home can be done when your dog’s health concerns vomiting and not eating. If that does happen, you can remove your dog’s food for 2 hours. If they keep vomiting, not giving them any food for 24 hours is fine as long as your dog still has access to water. If your dog’s vomiting has stopped, but they still choose not to eat, you can change your dog’s meal to a bland diet. For example, consider boiling some skinless and boneless chicken and pair it with rice. Grass is also suitable for dogs, especially if their stomach isn’t doing well. According to studies, fewer than one in ten dogs get sick before eating grass, and fewer than one in four dogs vomit afterward. The next day, your pet can gently transition back to regular food if there are no new symptoms. Give the food in 4-6 small meals and introduce it gradually by mixing it with a bland diet. Then, with each next meal, increase the amount of the typical diet.
However, if cases don’t go well, don’t contemplate calling a professional. Not everyone might have a vet nearby, but some veterinary clinics are open for online consulting. If you live in California, the best vets in Sacramento are actually available for online booking. Going through social networking sites, you can quickly check their information and contact them. Besides the pandemic happening, and we mostly do everything online now, it is also more practical. But remember not to think twice when getting a vet. It is better to consult a professional than just assume things about your pet.
Prevention
“My dog already went through this; it won’t get sick again, right?” But unfortunately, dogs can still get sick, especially if they have complications. So it isn’t a promise that their future will now be okay, but you can do prevention.
How to prevent your dog from getting sick? Well, for starters, changing their diet is good. You may lessen the possibility that your dog will swallow a foreign item or consume anything dangerous by eliminating potentially harmful foods, bones, or objects from their surroundings. Of course, avoid drastically altering your dog’s diet and work to keep them from foraging and consuming trash or leftovers. But for serious issues, if you have consulted a professional, it is better to follow what they said. It is also better to have your pet regularly checked.
Conclusion
A dog is a man’s best friend, and it is no fun seeing your best friend feeling ill. We should all treat our pets like people and take care of them like our loved ones. Showing your love for them can also be demonstrated through the act of caring. Changing your pet’s environment and giving them a comfortable space can also help in treating their health. Treatment at home is only a help. Seeking professional aid might be better, especially in ensuring your pet’s life.
