There is really nothing worse than a sad, sickly dog. Any sad, sickly animal brings tears to the eyes of any good human. Sick animals don’t speak our language, so they can’t always communicate what they need. If you’ve ever seen the ASPCA commercials on television that feature dogs and cats in pounds, you know that sick animals are about as horrifyingly depressing as it can get.
No one ever wants their beloved pet to fall ill, but the good news is that if your pooch does get sick, there’s medicine to help him or her feel better! Just like people have to go to the doctor when they’re feeling sick, dogs and cats have to go to the vet when they’re not well. Veterinarians know how to diagnose sick animals – even though animals can’t talk, vets know to look for the signs and signals of an ailing animal, and even better, how to make them feel well again!
Allergies
Allergies are one of the most common ailments that a dog can suffer from. Since dogs live outdoors at least half of the time, they’re often vulnerable to all sorts of allergies, from pollen to grass to anything they might accidentally eat that isn’t good for them.
Often, allergy medicines make dogs sleepy and lethargic, so they’re often also prescribed by vets for long car trips. If your dog tends to get sick to his stomach when he’s in the car, consider Chlorpheniramine, which is an antihistamine that has been prescribed to pets to prevent motion sickness. It also works as a slight tranquilizer. This medicine is totally safe, and you can look for signs of relief within an hour.
You can give this medicine to your dog (with your vet’s advice and permission, of course!) for the following reasons: acute inflammatory and allergic conditions such as snake bits, vaccination reactions, blood transfusion reactions, bee stings and bug bites, and the management of itchy skin.
This medicine is also sometimes used in the treatment of mast cell tumors and is useful, as mentioned above, for motion sickness. It’s also sometimes used in cats to treat feline asthma and dermatitis. This medicine does cause drowsiness, but it’s great, as it’s readily available and relatively inexpensive.
Diabetes
While it’s rare that your dog will suffer from diabetes, there are some dogs that unfortunately, have to live with this disease. However, diabetes is treatable, and with the right medicine, your dog can live a happy and healthy life! If your dog has diabetes, chances are that your vet will prescribe insulin, which is an injectable medication that’s used to control your dog’s blood sugar. Human diabetics also take injectable insulin; this is the same medicine, but in the case of animals, your vet will prescribe the correct dosage.
Insulin is a hormone that is naturally produced by the pancreas – it helps to regulate blood sugar. If your dog’s body doesn’t produce enough insulin naturally, he or she will suffer from diabetes. Giving your dog insulin injections will release insulin into his or her body tissue. While insulin is not a cure for diabetes, it’s a tool to control blood sugars and alleviate clinical signs of the disease. Insulin is also sometimes prescribed by vets to control hyperglycemia in dogs.
Antibiotics
Just like humans, sometimes your pooch needs antibiotics to help him battle a bad sickness. A common oral medication often prescribed by vets, Cephalexin is used to treat many common bacterial infections in both dogs and cats, such as urinary tract infections, skin and soft tissue infections and bone and respiratory tract infections. This medicine is available in capsules and should be given by mouth. It’s generally given to your dog two to three times a day, and missed doses reduce the drug’s effectiveness. This drug is a widely used antibiotic, and is generally prescribed for common and uncomplicated infections. It’s especially useful against Staph infections (such as deep skin infections), and may be given with food or shaken into a liquid.
Another common antibiotic prescribed by vets to dogs is Simplicef, which is a tablet that is given for the treatment of skin infections, such as wounds and abscesses that just don’t seem to heal on their own. It’s important to know that this medicine can upset your dog’s stomach and cause vomiting and diarrhea; if this occurs, try giving the medication with your dog’s food. If the symptoms and side effects continue, you’ll need to contact your vet. However, these adverse effects aren’t common and generally, the antibiotic does its job.
As you can see, just as there are many medications given to human patients, ailing pooches have their pick of the litter when it comes to medicines to clear up their infections and viruses. Do not assume that you can correctly prescribe medicine for your pet after reading this article – always contact your vet if your dog is unwell!
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