very sick dog

[sarah83]

my boyfriends boxer has a really bad cold. he took him to the vet and they gave him antibiotics. the problem is he has not eaten or drank anything all day. the vet then said to give him pepto bismol. he couldnt even hold that down. im afraid he is just really dehydrated. any suggestions on how to get him to drink some water or if need be force him to drink it? Thanks

 

[gmacleod]

Poor guy :( If he isn't lactose intolerant, putting a small amount of milk in his water may tempt him to drink.

You should watch him for signs of dehydration, and you could try giving him water via a syringe if necessary. If he appears to become excessively dehydrated though, don't hesitate to take him back to the vet.

 

[alyssakitz]

OK - I don't know about dogs, but when the kids are sick and can't hold anything down they tell you just to give them a small amount of fluid (ie. 1 tbsp) at a time every 15 min. - 1/2 hour. This way they will retain the fluid and not puke it up because giving too much at once can cause them to throw it up. Has worked for me with my skin kids - might be worth a try on your fur-baby too!

 

[dharmadoodle]

If he isn't lactose intolerant, putting a small amount of milk in his water may tempt him to drink.

What about Soya milk instead??

 

[fayebay1969]

He may eat ice. When Buddy wouldn't drink, at least he would eat the ice. Guess he thought it was a treat or something different. However, I thought I was going a little weird feeding him ice chips with a spoon like he was a baby.

 

[lafsalot]

How about trying a little chicken broth - he may drink that. ~ Cathy