Even if you have given a healthy diet along with the recommended vaccination and routine medical care, there are chances that your pet can be sick. Just like humans, dogs can fall sick, even if, they receive the greatest of hygiene. There can be numerous types of illness which can range from mild or severe depending on their causes. The most important question is how to treat a sick dog so that it comes back to its normal healthy self. There are several steps you can take and the most important of them is giving a healthy diet.

Is my Dog Sick

Is your dog sick and how can that be determined? You need to observe the dog's behavior, besides its appearance. If your dog is ill, it would stop drinking and eating. Moreover, lethargy would creep into their daily activities as they would be dehydrated due to lack of water in the body. If your pet stops eating it means there is something seriously wrong, and you need to seek medical help immediately. You can also try to get a reading of its body temperature. Usually the body temperature of a dog is in the range of 100.2 to 100.5 F, and if the temperature is more than that, you need to take your pet to the vet.

If your pet is ill, take a look at its gums, normally the gums would be pinkish in color, but if your pet is sick, the color changes to yellow, blue, gray or white. If there is a change in color of the gums, it may indicate disruption in the flow of blood, anemia or internal bleeding. In addition to that observe if your pet is in pain. Restlessness, panting and drooling are some of the other sick dog symptoms which indicates pain.

Symptoms of a Sick Dog

There are several signs and symptoms which you can observe to determine a sick dog. Diagnosis would include some tests so as to determine the exact cause of dog illness. Some of the most common symptoms of a sick dog along with their causes include:
  • Bad breath and Bleeding gums - Periodontal Disease
  • Bloody Stools - Intestinal blockage, dog worms and cracks on the skin surface of the intestine
  • Blood discharged with urine - Internal injury, kidney disease or urinary tract infection
  • Brownish discharge from the ears - Ear infection
  • Lameness - Injury to the hip or elbow
  • Reduction in the Frequency of Urination - Kidney stones
  • Reduction in Frequency of Bowel movement - Partial Bowel Blockage and Constipation
  • Irritated Skin - Parasitic infection
  • Inflated Ears or frequent shaking of head - Ear Infection
  • Thirst - Excessive thirst in dogs may indicate Liver disease, kidney disease or canine diabetes
  • Loss of Hair - Dog allergies or parasitic infection
  • Diarrhea - Dog's upset stomach may indicate Infection by corona or canine parvo virus, dog flu, stress or change in diet
  • Coughing - Heart disease, heartworm, pneumonia or windpipe blockage
  • Lumps - Tumors, cyst, ulceration
  • Constipation - Intestinal blockage or change in diet
Sick Dog Won't Eat

Besides the above mentioned sick dog symptoms, you need to look out whether your pet eats enough or not. If it doesn't, it's a sure shot sign that there is something wrong. Many a time your pet would eat in your presence but may not eat when alone. So you need to be careful of that as well. Always remember that a sick dog will never do anything that would reveal its sickness, its you who have to find out.

What to Feed a Sick Dog

Whenever you find that your dog is sick, make sure that you give it a lot of water as it helps in keeping body hydrated. Most of the time it has been found that if a dog is ill, it won't drink, thereby reducing the amount of water in the body. So you need to give it enough water, but make sure that it does not drink too much at one go. Moreover, if your dog is sick never try to feed foods rich in complex proteins and fats. Cottage cheese and simple rice should be given so that they can easily be digested. You can also give it rice cereal and baby foods.

However, if you give such foods when your pet is sick, there will be times when it won't like it, so to make it more appetizing, you can add ground lamb or cooked hamburger with the rice. Canines love oatmeal, so you should provide it whenever possible, but make sure that cook it without adding sugar or salt.

Therefore a sick dog needs to cared for, so give it enough nutritious dog foods so that it can recover fast. Observe it carefully, especially its behavior so that you know that it's sick or else the condition may lead to dangerous consequences.