PawLux.com:. a day in the life of an eco-dog: Quench Your Dogs Thirst : How to Care For A Sick and Dehydrated Dog

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Quench Your Dogs Thirst : How to Care For A Sick and Dehydrated Dog

Got Water? Water is essential to humans and pets living a healthy & happy life. When dog's becomes ill it is so easy for them to become dehydrated & lethargic.

Canine dehydration is a serious issue that can become life-threatening if not properly treated. It is important that you constantly hydrate your dog back to health. Here are some simple tips on how to care for a dehydrated sick dog and get him on the road to recovery & back to his old tricks again.

1. Seek help of a certified vet. Your dog may be too ill or dehydrated for you to nurse her back to health and made need vet observation of emergency assistance.

2. Ready Set Hydrate! Place your dog on a strict water diet by hydrating your sick dog every 1/2 hour to an hour. If your dog is refusing to drink it is important for you to be persistent. Your dog may be to weak to drink on his or her own so bringing your sick dog water throughout the night is important.

3. Electrolytes to the Rescue! Make your dog a 5o/50 mixture of Gatorade & water. Gatorade contains sugar and electrolytes that help your dog's body hydrate better.

4. Hydrate with a dropper. You can use a store bought plastic dropper to administer fluid. Your dog may be to weak to suck on the dropper. So one trick is to place the dropper in the corner of her mouth and push it in about 1/2 an inch. Squeeze the dropper and release the fluid in the back of the throat. Hold your puppy's head up for a second or two after each squirt to make sure she gets all of the fluid.

5. Chicken & Rice Diet. Stick to a very simple diet of rice that has been really saturated with chicken or beef broth. Giving your puppy regular food could cause him to develop diarrhea and become even more dehydrated.

6. Revisit the vet if health does not improve. If your dog 's condition worsen make sure you go to the vet immediately as a precaution.

Here are some Frozen Treat Ideas to Keep Your Sick Dog Hydrated

1. Ice is not only a nice cool, fun & delicious treat for your dog it is also a great way to hydrate your sick pup. So, get out your ice trays!

2. If your sick dog is not a big fan of ice cubes then you can substitute in frozen chicken stock ice cubes in place of water.

3. Frozen banana slices

Need Help!

Don't forget to use our Is Your Dog Sick? easy drop down menu on our www.pawlux.com homepage to find eco-friendly, healthy, all natural products that with help with your dogs specific ailment.