An upset stomach is one of the things you’ll have to accept as a fact of life when you’re a dog owner. Dogs can gobble their food, grab potential harmful ingredients when they’re dropped on the floor, or go scavenging on walks and eat something that turns their stomach, carries parasites or both! Fortunately, most of the time it’s not too serious – while you might complain “my dog keeps throwing up and has diarrhea” to a friend, you don’t have to rush to the vet unless your dog doesn’t recover within a couple of days or shows other worrying symptoms like loss of appetite, lethargy or blood in the vomit or stool.
Today we’re taking a look at what you can do to help treat a dog with an upset stomach – to keep them comfortable and happy until they’re feeling more like their usual self.
Feeding
A dog suffering from vomiting and diarrhea still needs to eat. Indeed, one of the causes of vomiting in dogs is not eating! If they don’t have anything to digest, bile can build up and may be vomited as a greenish froth.
When your dog is feeling under the weather, you need to find a meal for them that can tempt them to eat, will keep them nourished and not challenge their digestive system any further!
One of the best options is chicken – a chicken breast boiled till cooked through, chopped up and served with plain rice is a tempting and nutritious treat for a sick dog that should help them stay healthy until they recover.
A Sick Bed
If your dog is sick they might not want to venture far from their bed, or at least a spot where they feel comfortable and safe. Don’t make them tax their energy more than they have to – try and bring the things they need to them, from toys with familiar odours that make them feel safe, their food bowl and most importantly water.
Keeping Hydrated
Dehydration can be a serious problem for a sick dog – if they’re vomiting regularly then they’re losing lots of water from their system and could easily slip into a dehydrated state. Try to make sure they have easy access to plenty of fresh water and encourage them to drink regularly and check for signs of dehydration like a dry nose, excessive panting, and sunken eyes.
Clean Up
A sick dog inevitably means cleaning up, and it can be as distressing for them as you to have to share a space with the results of their upset stomach. Try an enzyme cleaner – these break down the chemicals that cause odours and staining, to help prevent lingering reminders of your dog’s bout of sickness.
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