Often times a dog, or puppy, owner will panic when they think their pet is sick, they wonder “what should I do?”. Some owners turn to the Internet for help with their sick canine companion. If you have a sick dog, or a sick puppy, this guide will offer you basic help.

If your dog, or pup, is not feeling well the first thing you need to do is consider what symptoms it has.

• Is the dog eating?
• Is the dog drinking?
• Does it have diarrhea, bloody stool, or is it constipated?
• Has the dog vomited?
• Is the dog lethargic?
• Does the dog have a fever?
• Is the dog coughing?
• Any other symptoms, such as disorientation, or seizures?

You also need to consider the factors in the dog's life that are relevant to diagnosing the problem.

• How old is the dog?
• Is the dog vaccinated?
• Is the dog spayed or neutered?
• Has the dog been sick for long, when do the symptoms occur?
• Do you have other dogs?
• Is the dog pregnant?
• Have you made any pet food changes lately?
• Did the dog eat anything it should not have?
• Are there any other factors that could be important?
• Is your dog on any medication, including flea/tick medication?

From these lists you need to consider that vaccination is not a 100% protection against disease, but does lower the risk. Puppies who stay indoors are still at risk from some diseases such as the Parvovirus, which you can even bring home on the bottom of your shoes. Fully vaccinated dogs can also spread Parvo, and pups can even be born with a cardiac form of Parvo if the mother was not vaccinated.

Once you have listed the symptoms, and the contributing factors, the next step is to call your veterinarian. Sometimes only one symptom can be a sign of an emergency, but two is certainly more of a concern, and waiting may risk your dog's chances for survival. You can look for help on the Internet, but in many cases you are asking strangers, who might not really know what they are talking about (myself included, although I claim to have knowledge and experience with dogs, how do you really know?). Again, call your veterinarian for their advice.

Quick Tips to Help a Sick dog – Emergency Care when you cannot get the dog to a Veterinarian

• If the dog is vomiting, remove food for 12 hours and slowly reintroduce the food in small helpings.
• If the dog has diarrhea make sure it is drinking or it is at risk for dehydration, you can treat it with Pepto Bismol (you cannot treat cats with this).
• If the dog is constipated give it some canned pumpkin (not pie filling) 1 teaspoon for small dogs, 1 tablespoon for larger dogs.
• If the dog is sneezing keep in in a warm area, with food, water, and its litter box. Give it several small helpings of canned dog food (preferably a chicken mush type food, not chunks) per day.
• For more severe symptoms, or when a dog has more than one symptom, call your veterinarian, or even call a vet in another area for help, since some problems (such as poisoning) require instant help. Most veterinarian are available 24 hours a day. If the dog is very young, or very old, getting it the right help as soon as possible is very important.
• If the dog is wearing a flea collar get rid of it, if you treated the dog for fleas or ticks, using an over-the-counter flea medication, bathe the dog at once. Call the vet immediately as some dogs have toxic reactions to the chemicals used.
• Keep the dog inside, warm, rested, fed and watered.  Do not let it near other dogs.  Wash your hands, and change your clothing before going around other dogs.

Overall the best thing is to get the dog to the veterinarian, especially if it is a young pup, or old dog, because they can go down hill fast, and if left for long they may not recover.

Note that all veterinarians provide 24 hour emergency care.

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