Cures for Dog Ailments

By Shannon M. Beck

Instructions

Constipation

Step 1:
Dog's digestive systems work very similarly to that of humans. Just like with people, the easiest way to correct the problem is to add something to your dog's next meal to soften his stool. Psyllium (Metamucil) and mineral oil are good choices. If you use mineral oil be careful about dosage. An excessive amount can easily cause diarrhea. A good dosage for a medium-sized dog is two teaspoons twice a day.

If you are not comfortable adding to your dog's diet, simple exercise can also help. A simple walk around the neighborhood may help stimulate a bowel movement. Just remember to bring along a bag to clean up her mess or you may not make friends with the neighbors.

If these approaches do not solve the problem within a day or two, it is time to talk to your veterinarian.

Diarrhea

Step 1:
Diarrhea is perhaps one of the most unpleasant things that can happen to your pet, for both you and your beloved canine friend. There are two ways to help you and your pet get through this event, diet and medications.

Temporarily changing your dog's diet can help get his diarrhea under control. Rather than large meals of dog food, switch your dog to several (four to five) portions of bland human food through the day. Rice, boiled poultry with no skin, scrambled eggs and baked or boiled potatoes with the skin removed are all good options. Once your dog has produced a normal stool you can reintroduce her to her regular food.

If you prefer to solve the problem with medication there are several over-the-counter human medications that are both safe and effective for dogs. Pepto Bismal and Imodium AD can be given at a dosage of 1 ml per 10 lbs of your dog's weight every six to eight hours, and Kaopectate can be given at a dosage of 0.05mg to 0.1mg per pound.

Regardless of which method you choose, contact your veterinarian if your dog is not back to normal in one to two days.

Vomiting

Step 1:
Vomiting is another one of those hard-to-deal-with things that dogs do when they are sick. Not only do you feel terrible for your dog, but if he is an inside dog you also have a mess on your hands.

The first thing you want to do is check your dog for fever using a rectal thermometer. If your dog's temperature is above 103 degrees you need to contact your veterinarian immediately. You will also want to contact your vet if the dog is lethargic, has diarrhea, appears dehydrated, has blood in her stool or shows a loss of appetite.

If the vomiting is the only symptom then you can try and treat it with a dose of Pepto Bismol. Give your dog 1 ml of Pepto Bismol for every 10 lbs of his weight every six hours until the vomiting is not longer a problem. If this continues for more than 24 hours talk to your veterinarian, and in the meantime be sure that your dog has plenty of water.

Resources

Over-the-counter medications that can be given to dogs

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