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Sick Puppy
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IN HOME TREATMENT PLAN
Puppies often experience vomiting/diarrhea. Once parvo and internal parasites have been ruled out as possible
causes, the following regime may be followed as an in home treatment plan.
1. The puppy should be kept in isolation from other dogs. An easy-to-clean surface or kennel is best, with newspapers to help catch vomiting/diarrhea messes.
2. A heating pad set on "low" can be put under a few layers of newspaper with room to move off of it in case it gets too warm.
NOTE: The pad almost never seems too warm to the touch, but prolonged skin contact can cause burns.
3. Lots of gentle cuddling is good, but resist the urge to feed a nauseous puppy. They not only lose fluid when they vomit, but also valuable electrolytes. Warmth and adequate blood sugar level and hydration are the most important supportive care a pet owner can provide.
4. If vomiting, no food or water is offered to the puppy for 24 hours to "rest" the stomach and intestines. If the pup seems dizzy or disoriented, a tiny amount of Karo or Pancake syrup can be smeared along the gumline, to raise the pup's blood sugar
level without upsetting the stomach.
5. Gatorade ice cubes may be used after the puppy fasts for 24 hours. Fruit punch flavor seems to work well. Offer one of these cubes every 45 minutes (or a portion of the cube for little puppies). If the puppy vomits again, wait 4-6 hours before resuming the Gatorade cubes. If no vomiting, continue the Gatorade cubes for 24 hours before offering any solid food.
6. When the pup is ready to eat solid food again, Prescription Science Diet I/D (dry or cans) is our first choice. A bland homemade diet may be made using 3 parts cooked white rice to 1 part lowfat cottage cheese. Feed about a teaspoon every 30 minutes as long as no vomiting occurs. If the puppy goes 4 hours without vomiting, the size of the bland diet serving can be
increased. It is important to observe any stools for diarrhea & prevent grass eating if pup is walked outside.
NOTE: diarrhea may last longer than vomiting and we should check stools under the microscope for worms & other
parasite.
7. Over the next 2 or 3 days of no vomiting, meal sizes can be increased and offered 2-3 times per day. After 5 days, eating nothing but bland diet, we start mixing in 50 % of a high-quality puppy food, Science diet growth is our first choice. Over the next 2-3 days, the bland diet amount is decreased while the puppy food is increased.
Puppies often experience vomiting/diarrhea. Once parvo and internal parasites have been ruled out as possible
causes, the following regime may be followed as an in home treatment plan.
1. The puppy should be kept in isolation from other dogs. An easy-to-clean surface or kennel is best, with newspapers to help catch vomiting/diarrhea messes.
2. A heating pad set on "low" can be put under a few layers of newspaper with room to move off of it in case it gets too warm.
NOTE: The pad almost never seems too warm to the touch, but prolonged skin contact can cause burns.
3. Lots of gentle cuddling is good, but resist the urge to feed a nauseous puppy. They not only lose fluid when they vomit, but also valuable electrolytes. Warmth and adequate blood sugar level and hydration are the most important supportive care a pet owner can provide.
4. If vomiting, no food or water is offered to the puppy for 24 hours to "rest" the stomach and intestines. If the pup seems dizzy or disoriented, a tiny amount of Karo or Pancake syrup can be smeared along the gumline, to raise the pup's blood sugar
level without upsetting the stomach.
5. Gatorade ice cubes may be used after the puppy fasts for 24 hours. Fruit punch flavor seems to work well. Offer one of these cubes every 45 minutes (or a portion of the cube for little puppies). If the puppy vomits again, wait 4-6 hours before resuming the Gatorade cubes. If no vomiting, continue the Gatorade cubes for 24 hours before offering any solid food.
6. When the pup is ready to eat solid food again, Prescription Science Diet I/D (dry or cans) is our first choice. A bland homemade diet may be made using 3 parts cooked white rice to 1 part lowfat cottage cheese. Feed about a teaspoon every 30 minutes as long as no vomiting occurs. If the puppy goes 4 hours without vomiting, the size of the bland diet serving can be
increased. It is important to observe any stools for diarrhea & prevent grass eating if pup is walked outside.
NOTE: diarrhea may last longer than vomiting and we should check stools under the microscope for worms & other
parasite.
7. Over the next 2 or 3 days of no vomiting, meal sizes can be increased and offered 2-3 times per day. After 5 days, eating nothing but bland diet, we start mixing in 50 % of a high-quality puppy food, Science diet growth is our first choice. Over the next 2-3 days, the bland diet amount is decreased while the puppy food is increased.