Our new pup Bruno had a stomach bug last week. We found out at the vet that there is a dog flu going around New Hampshire. Apparently one of the newspapers have even done a story about it. We have had dogs and cats since we were kids, and we had never heard of it before! It seems like most of the dogs in Bruno's obedience class have been sick also. Thankfully, it comes and goes ( sorry about the pun) in twenty-four hours.
It turns out that dogs and people can use some of the same home remedies. Bruno was put on a limited diet of cooked chicken and rice. Portions were very small, but he was fed every couple of hours. We could not get an appointment with the vet till the next morning, so it was going to be up to me to help him get better. Our vet gave me instructions over the phone, and I followed them to the letter. It turns out that a child's dose of anti-diarrhea medicine can be very helpful.
By the next morning our dog seemed much better, and his plumbing was working perfectly! I decided to keep the appointment for a couple of reasons. Our puppy had all his shots when we got him, and so our vet had never examined him, and they wanted to check for parasites. All the tests came back normal, which was a huge relief. The vet prescribed a medicine that came in a tube, and smelled like peanut butter. This was going to calm down the stomach, and help regulate things again. The dosage was measured in C-C's and the dog is supposed to eat it from the tube. Bruno spit it out, then ate it off the floor, so we just put it in his dish.
I'm happy to report that everything is much better, but there is still work to do. Apparently Bruno needs to cut down on the calories. He came to us underweight and so we may have over fed our pup. He gained more than twenty pounds in fifteen weeks. He no longer needs three meals a day, and so he will get fed morning and evening. We have found a few types of low-calorie training treats, and Bruno can have all the ice cubes he wants. Unfortunately, he takes after me, because he just looks at food and he gains weight! Hopefully daily walks and portion control will take care of those five extra pounds that he is carrying around.
Bruno has short hair, and is all white with a large brown patch around one eye. His ears are pink and he has freckles on his belly. Our vet thinks he is very fair, and will need sunscreen if he spends a lot of time outside. I've never heard of any dog needing sunscreen, and I cannot believe that my dog may get sunburned! I'll update you all during pool season ....and the beat goes on.....the beat goes on.......
It turns out that dogs and people can use some of the same home remedies. Bruno was put on a limited diet of cooked chicken and rice. Portions were very small, but he was fed every couple of hours. We could not get an appointment with the vet till the next morning, so it was going to be up to me to help him get better. Our vet gave me instructions over the phone, and I followed them to the letter. It turns out that a child's dose of anti-diarrhea medicine can be very helpful.
By the next morning our dog seemed much better, and his plumbing was working perfectly! I decided to keep the appointment for a couple of reasons. Our puppy had all his shots when we got him, and so our vet had never examined him, and they wanted to check for parasites. All the tests came back normal, which was a huge relief. The vet prescribed a medicine that came in a tube, and smelled like peanut butter. This was going to calm down the stomach, and help regulate things again. The dosage was measured in C-C's and the dog is supposed to eat it from the tube. Bruno spit it out, then ate it off the floor, so we just put it in his dish.
I'm happy to report that everything is much better, but there is still work to do. Apparently Bruno needs to cut down on the calories. He came to us underweight and so we may have over fed our pup. He gained more than twenty pounds in fifteen weeks. He no longer needs three meals a day, and so he will get fed morning and evening. We have found a few types of low-calorie training treats, and Bruno can have all the ice cubes he wants. Unfortunately, he takes after me, because he just looks at food and he gains weight! Hopefully daily walks and portion control will take care of those five extra pounds that he is carrying around.
Bruno has short hair, and is all white with a large brown patch around one eye. His ears are pink and he has freckles on his belly. Our vet thinks he is very fair, and will need sunscreen if he spends a lot of time outside. I've never heard of any dog needing sunscreen, and I cannot believe that my dog may get sunburned! I'll update you all during pool season ....and the beat goes on.....the beat goes on.......
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