Sometimes, it can be hard to tell when your pet isn’t feeling well. Especially if you’re not careful to look and listen for things that might be amiss, it can be easy to mistake their feeling unwell with them being tired, lazy, or disobedient. However, when your pet isn’t feeling well is when they need your love more than ever.
Because your pet can’t speak to you, you might be unsure what you can do to help them feel better when they’re feeling ill. So to help you with this, here are three ways you can help your dog when he’s not feeling well.
Consider Adjusting His Diet
In some instances, your dog might be feeling unwell due to something he ate. This could have something to do with eating food that he’s allergic to or simply something not sitting well with this system.
If you think that this could be the reason why your dog is acting sick or strange, Adrienne Farricelli, a contributor to PetHelpful.com, recommends that you try having him eat some very bland food until he starts acting like his normal self. In addition to eating bland dog food, you can also try feeding him things like canned pumpkin, some yogurt, or a probiotic to help get his gut health back to where it needs to be.
Watch For And Treat Dehydration
Just like with humans, dehydration can be very scary for dogs as well. But if you’re not aware of what the signs of dehydration are, you could easily miss them.
To help you determine if your dog is dehydrated, Lauren Leonardi, a contributor to PetCareRx.com, recommends checking their gums to see if they look dry or discolored. Another option is to see if their skin has lost some of its elasticity around the scruff of their neck. If you notice something weird when checking either of these things, try to give your dog some unflavored electrolyte drink to help everything get back into balance. If he won’t drink on his own, you can use a syringe to try to give him small amounts of water between his cheek and gums until he swallows some.
Plan Ahead For Giving Medicine
If your dog is sick enough that you need to give him some medicine, it’s best for you to plan ahead so that you can do it as effectively and efficiently as possible.
When doing this, Blue Cross For Pets recommends putting your pets bottom in a corner of the room so he can’t back away from you. You may also want to wrap his back legs in a blanket or towel so he doesn’t accidentally hurt you in case he tries to fight taking the medicine.
If you have a dog that appears to not be feeling well, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you in taking care of him.
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