How to give your dog home-made enema

By Linda Kajda

Sometimes, you may need to do more than just giving solid or liquid medication to your sick dog. Depending on his condition and symptoms, you may also have to provide other kinds of nursing care, such as giving enemas. Below is an effective way to use this procedure: The use of enemas can be beneficial for dogs that has the following conditions; constipation, during fasting, dehydration, excessive vomiting, bowel irritation caused by bone fragments or the presence of spoiled food or garbage in the digestive tract. Before administering this procedure, make sure that you only use pure water that is warm but not hot (test it on your wrist to make sure). Use about two tablespoons for a small dog and up to a pint for a large dog. Add a few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice to the water and administer the mixture with a plastic or rubber syringe for about 2 to 3 minutes. For large dogs, you can use and enema bag and a nozzle. Here is how to do it: You must lubricate the end of the syringe with vegetable oil. Have someone help you hold the dog gently while he stands in a tub or on the ground. Insert the nozzle carefully into the rectum. Using gentle and consistent pressure against the anus (to prevent the fluid from leaking out), slowly fill the colon. If the solution does not flow in easily, pull back on the nozzle or syringe and slightly adjust the angle. Expect a bowel movement to begin within a few minutes. You may administer the enema once or twice a day for a couple of days. In many cases, dogs that are dehydrated are simply retaining the fluid. This occurs when the colon absorbs the fluid which the body needs. Therefore, enemas are an excellent way to administer fluid therapy. Under these circumstances, administer the enema about every four hours or until fluid is no longer retained. If a dog is having difficulty keeping water in his stomach due to heavy vomiting, an enema can help introduce the fluid and salts that are needed to replace those lost through vomiting. Using the solution as described earlier, add a pinch of sea salt plus a pinch of potassium chloride. The same solution can also be used to help a dog suffering from prolonged diarrhea. In this case, administer the enema every four hours or until fluid is no longer retained.

Nurturing and Caring for your sick puppy

By John Stevens
Nurturing and Caring for your sick puppy Now a day’s our pets are just like our children. They are very precious to us and when one takes ill can cause us great concern. When puppies get sick it can be even more of a concern because just like young children the illness can take a harder toll on the young sick pup. Finding out why he or she is sick can be very hard to diagnose because unlike children they can not tell you were it hurts. This article will help you learn some of the basic first aid items so your puppy can make a quick recovery. First we must mention that if your sick puppy is vomiting blood or defecating blood please call your vet right away. This can be a very serious case. Ways to tell your dog is sick. All dogs have cold and wet noses. When a puppy or adult dog becomes sick they will have a dry and warm nose. This will let you know your dog is having a fever. Fevers are not bad per say because it is a natural body reaction and the increased body temperature is a sign the immune system is fighting of the sickness. You can also take your dogs temperature but this can be very difficult to do so feeling the nose is the best way for a quick answer. When ever you notice your dog vomiting or not being itself feel the puppies nose and if it is warm then you should call your vet and ask what you can do. Be sure and follow the vet’s advice. I was visiting my brother just last week and his wife noticed their 9 moth old boxer had baseball size bruise on its side. The bruise was noticeable up close but not far away. My brother thought it might just be a bee sting and gave it no more thought. His wife felt the dog’s nose and it was dry and warm. To make a long story short she called the vet and the next morning took the dog in. It ended up being a huge infection from something and the vet said if she did not take him in he probably would have died in a matter of days. The moral here is to always call a professional when in doubt. When your puppy is ill give him a quiet place to sleep and make it a comfortable as possible. Taking care of your sick puppy is just as simple as taking care of a sick human. IN most cases you should only give the dog water and no food for that day. It has been proven that puppies respond to love more then they do food. Try and give them lots of it. Pet the dog and let him lay in your lap. This will comfort your sick little pet. Often times a vet will tell you to crush half an aspirin and feed it to your dog with water. Please call your vet first before ever giving your dog any medicine because what is good for humans may kill your pup. When you go to bed at night let the puppy sleep in your room. This really does a lot for the pup because he knows you are there. This will also let you keep a close eye on him so you can monitor his condition and be able to tell if he gets any worse. If the dog is still sick in the morning you should bring him into a vet clinic. Puppies are normally not sick for a long period of time. In most cases it will only last a day. If it lasts longer please call your vet because something may be very wrong. If follow these common puppy care tips your pup will be running around your home in know time at all.