When your Dog is not too well

Dog owners can be pretty neurotic. Now, before you get all upset and indignant, think about it. Do you consider your pooch part of your family? Of course. Do you want only the best for him? Of course! Do you bathe him, feed him, and pamper him like one of your children? Of course. See? It’s not such a bad thing to be neurotic about your dog, it just means you care. In some cases, however, that neurotic nature can mean preemptive trips to the veterinarian and overmedication. Your dog has an amazing body with an amazing ability to heal itself without any outside help. Once in a while, it’s a good idea to give your dog’s body that chance to strengthen its immune system and work things out on its own. You can help, of course, and if your pup ends up needing more intensive treatment you can help that along, too. All it takes is some basic knowledge.

My dog seems a little more out of it than usual, but he’s still pretty active and seems to be generally fine. I should get him to the vet right away, shouldn’t I?

Yes, there’s probably something wrong. Whoa there, Speed Racer, put down the car keys! Do you go to the doctor every time you sneeze or sniffle? No. A dog’s immune system will be completely incapable of beating any illness if it’s overwhelmed by drugs every time there’s a little problem. Your dog may have picked up a little virus or problematic bacteria somewhere along the way, and now his immune system is doing battle to try and get rid of it. Because his insides are working overtime, he’s probably just feeling more tired and somewhat slower than usual. This is normal. His body needs to divert all of the energy it can to the immune system.

You can help by setting up a nice nursing area for him. Bring his bed closer to the family’s areas of activity so he can feel closer to the people he loves and pick up on some of their good energy. If he doesn’t already have a big, cushy bed, make a big pile of some old pillows, blankets, and sheets for his bedtime. Keep track of how much water he’s drinking and keep that level up, but also make sure he’s getting a good, brisk 15-minute walk each day to help keep his body strong. Of course, the easiest way to help him feel better is to sit with him, stroke his head, talk to him, and let him know you love him.

If he’s not feeling better after a couple of days, then you can be as neurotic as you want and get him to the vet to eliminate more severe causes of his fatigue.

Temperatures

Just as in babies and adult humans, taking temperatures is a vital part of detecting the severity of a dog’s illness. Unfortunately, it’s not quite as easy as placing it under his tongue or arm – dogs’ temps have to be taken rectally.

First, use a rectal thermometer. Don’t grab your old oral thermometer from the medicine cabinet (um, ew). Oral thermometers can break off when used rectally. Smear petroleum jelly over the end of the thermometer. To make this as easy as possible for both you and pooch, get an assistant and have them hold the dog on a table or elevated surface. The assistant can also hold the tail out of the way if it’s overly fluffy or furry.

Now insert the thermometer using a slight twisting motion until it is halfway into the rectum. Reassure and pet your dog for at least 90 seconds while the thermometer is inside, then remove and wipe before reading. A normal temperature should not be over 39 degrees (103 F).