COMMON AILMENTS

Little puppies and even adult dogs have sensitive digestive systems, triggered by a change in food, ingesting foreign bodies, unclean water, etc. The most common end result of the latter is diarrhea, constipation and vomiting. Non-vegetarian eating dogs are also more prone to worms, though this can occur even with a vegan dog. Then there are diseases brought about because of negligence from the owner side – not abiding by the vaccination schedule.

This section is not meant to scare you, but make you more aware and prepared to care for your dog better. Especially in the puppy explore stage, from 2 months to 1 year, when dogs feel, think and assimilate new objects and environments with their mouth, utmost care is vital. An occasional bout of diarrhea, constipation or vomiting is not unusual in a puppy or dog, and net not be cause for alarm. But, repeated bouts of the same with more occurrences in a day require the Vet’s attention.

DIARRHEA

Causes: Bacteria, viruses, internal parasites, toxic substances, food or psychological upsets like shifting home, change of owner, etc. Organ dysfunction, especially the liver and pancreas, can also cause diarrhea.

Mild Attack: Skip the next scheduled meal of your dog, giving its stomach time to recover. If the stools get firmer by the next potty, feed the puppy a small quantity of overly cooked rice mashed with either chicken stock (no meat pieces) or buttermilk. If the diarrhea persists or there is no sign of improvement, call the Vet.

Call the Vet: Call your veterinarian if stools are bloody, there is a very large volume of watery stools, your pet is debilitated, dehydrated or has other symptoms of disease or if the diarrhea continues for more than 24 hours.

On Recovery: Now your puppy can go back to eating its regular food. Start by feeding small amounts frequently, about three to six times daily.

CONSTIPATION

Causes: Ingesting substances such as hair, bones or foreign material, insufficient water intake and disease.

Mild Attack: Feed your puppy/dog a high fibre diet like vegetables. The roughage will help him pass stools. Exercise him adequately and change his water constantly, encouraging him to drink.

Call the Vet: If you pet is straining to pass stools, seems to be in pain call the Vet. Dogs arch their backs when in pain.

What to avoid: Table scraps, bones or other indigestible material.

VOMITING

Sometimes dogs bring out food, bone pieces, etc in a little white froth without actually vomiting. This is nothing to be alarmed about. The body is rejecting excess food or bone. This usually occurs few minutes after eating. Or at times your dog might vomit bright yellow liquid bile. This usually occurs when your pet’s stomach is empty. Feeding a couple of biscuits should solve the problem.

Actually vomiting is when your pet retching and appears to be bringing out food from his stomach.
Causes: Something ingested has disagreed with your pet’s digestive system.

Mild Attack: It is not uncommon for a pet to vomit occasionally, but frequent or persistent vomiting is not normal.

Call the Vet: If vomiting occurs more than five times in a few hours, large volumes are vomited, vomit contains blood or vomiting is accompanied by diarrhea or abdominal pain.