A friend’s dog has been feeling under the weather lately, thankfully she’s doing better now. It got me thinking - do any of you have tips for taking care of a sick pup? I thought this could be a great chance to share how you keep your furry friends comfy and help them bounce back.
I know the most important thing to do is visit the vet, but I’d love to hear your stories and any tips you have for caring for a sick dog. If you’re a sitter rather than a pet parent, please feel free to get involved as well, as I know you’ll also have lots of experience to share.
Not sure what kind of sickness you refer to but previously, when dogs have upset stomachs, then 24 hour starvation usually puts them back in order.
Its the first thing to try, then a light diet of chicken and rice initially for the next couple of meals
Our rescue dog used to barf and eat grass a lot. We took him to the vet and they recommended giving him chicken and rice for a few days, as mentioned above, because it was easier to digest than regular dog food.
We also gave him pumpkin and later pumpkin powder mixed into his food. And we switched between homemade food and fresh food that we got locally at a dog food maker when we lived nearby.
He got much better. When he’s occasionally sick now, we stop feeding him treats for a few days.
Sometimes he scarfs up something he finds on the ground on walks, so that might be the problem. We can’t always get it away from him in time. He’s suspicious when he finds something, though, because suddenly he walks perfectly, instead of meandering and sniffing everywhere. It gives him away.
When dogs are sick (stomach-problems) we usually give them what we refer to as “white food”, small amount of rice, fish-pudding in small pieces and other easily digestible food that also “hold fluid”. Small portions. If for some reason a pup doesn’t drink enough (could also be just warm weather) we add a little water in food.
Cottage cheese is another good food for dogs with upset tums, because it contains probiotics. Small meals, but frequent. Filtered water-if available-is sensible, and providing a quiet, comfortable place, for them to sleep, out of draughts.
We did a sit where a Lab cut her pad when out on a walk (there was a lot of flint in the nearby fields and it was apparently not the first time it had happened, according to the pet parent). We cleaned it thoroughly with clean, running water, ensured there was nothing in the wound, and rested her, checking frequently for signs of infection. The pet parent informed us this happens frequently, and told us to keep walking her, but there was no way we were walking her on muddy ground with that wound so it was garden toileting only for a while and we washed her foot every time she came back into the house. It was quite a deep cut but there was very little blood and, thankfully, she didn’t lick it very much.
On another sit, the dog had a very sore patch on the end of his tail, which was actually bleeding. On further inspection, we found he had a very big matted hair patch in his tail, which was actually pulling the tip of his tail upwards and and the skin back. We trimmed back the hair and bathed his tail tip in cool, running water. It then started to heal nicely.
It’s important on sits to observe the pet behaviour and also to know what’s ‘normal’, so talking to the pet parents about any concerns is necessary. You’re not just ‘cuddling’, but running your hands over animals to feel if anything seems amiss. Looking for signs of distress or change is something which I think anyone who has ever had pets does automatically.
I had a dog for several years with chronic health issues (not a pet I would have used THS for, BTW). Once I became familiar with her health patterns, it wasn’t useful to take her to the vet all the time - it stressed her out and they couldn’t do anything most of the time.
When she was feeling low, the most important thing was keeping an eye on her to see how she was doing hour to hour, day to day. Tried to keep her close, and talked to her even when I wasn’t giving pets. I would make rice with chicken broth, which she LOVED - if she wasn’t eating, this would usually get her to. I also used to not cook meat in the home, so the smell of chicken broth cooking would get her into the kitchen with the tail a-waggin!
It really depends on whatever has the dog feeling under the weather - but generally, knowing their person is nearby and caring is helpful. And paying attention, especially if it’s something stomach-related, is always a good idea.
