Tips and Tricks - Dealing with Sick Pets (Illness)

Vomiting  

If your pet is vomiting, I recommend that you withhold food but not water. You can give them water in small amounts frequently – we don’t want them to gulp down a bowlful of water and then regurgitate it back up, but we don’t want them to get dehydrated either. If it’s just a one-time vomit and they seem fine, you can feed them half their meal that night.  If they continue to vomit, it is best to continue to withhold food and contact your vet.  

Diarrhea  

If your pet has diarrhea, you don’t need to withhold food. In fact, withholding food may make them more dehydrated or sicker.  If your pet has diarrhea, try changing to a bland diet, such as congee, rice or chicken (boiled, skinless, and boneless) for a few days to see if that helps.  You can also add some fiber to their diet, such as green beans or other vegetables, or sprinkle fiber on their food (Psyllium husks or Metamucil).  If the diarrhea is persistent for more than one day, your pet is acting lethargic, or there is fresh blood in the diarrhea, they should be evaluated by a Veterinarian as soon as possible. 

Chronic Illness   

If you have a chronically ill pet, it is important to pay attention to little things – are they jumping as much as they used to?  Are they eating?  Have their bowel/bladder habits changed? I recommend that you keep a log of daily clinical signs so that you can share it with your veterinarian and track trends. 

If your pet has arthritis or an orthopedic disease, and your vet recommends cage rest, it is very important to follow those directions.  You should keep them in a crate or a small room or bathroom, and only carry them outside to go to the toilet.  Do not allow them to walk up and down stairs.   If their food is on a different floor of the house, or kept up high, move it to an area close to them so that they don’t have to walk or jump to get to it.