Pet Health Information

The following home treatments ARE NOT intended to take the place of a visit to your veterinarian. If possible, please call our animal hospital at 325-653-1391 before instituting any of the below treatments to determine if the treatments are appropriate in your case. These home treatments are meant to be more convenient in the middle of the night, when money is tight, or any other time you are unable to bring your pet in. If at any time the problem persists, or your pet’s condition worsens, please call us.

• If your pet is vomiting, remove the food and water bowls. Offer nothing by mouth for 12 hours. Then offer small amounts of Pedialyte or water. If your dog is able to hold the liquid down for four to six hours, slowly reintroduce food in small amounts. If your pet is still unable to keep food down or at any time vomits blood, please contact us.
• For diarrhea in dogs, you can give Pepto Bismol or Kaopectate (NEVER GIVE PEPTO OR KAOPECTATE TO CATS). The dose is one teaspoon per 5 pounds or one tablespoon per 15 pounds every 2 hours. If diarrhea does not improve after 3-4 doses, or at any time you notice blood in the diarrhea, please contact us.
• For an allergic reaction (Such as hives, sudden puffy swelling of the face and/or feet, or excessive itch), give Benadryl at a dose of 1mg per pound every 4-8 hours. (25 mg tablet for 10-25 pounds, liquid Benadryl give one teaspoon per 5 pounds) If your dog continues to swell up or begins to have difficulty breathing due to the reaction, please contact us immediately.
• For the relief of mild to moderate pain, you may give Aspirin (Bayer’s Aspirin is okay) – one tablet (325mg) per 30 pounds every 12 hours, or baby (Children’s) Aspirin – one tablet (81mg) per 7.5 pounds every 12 hours. NEVER GIVE IBUPROFEN, TYLENOL, MOTRIN OR ALEVE TO YOUR DOG. NEVER EVER GIVE ANY PAIN MEDICATION TO CATS!
• For a persistent, nonproductive (does not cough up any phlegm) cough, you may give Robitussin DM at a dose of 1cc per 2 pounds, one teaspoon per 10 pounds, and one tablespoon per 30 pounds. Give every 4 hours. If the cough does not subside or becomes productive, please contact us.
• For red or watery eyes, you may use the normal ophthalmic solution (regular contact solution is fine), 2-3 drops every 4 hours. DO NOT USE ANY SOLUTION WITH A STEROID IN IT UNTIL THE EYES HAVE BEEN EXAMINED BY A VETERINARIAN. If their eyes continue to stay red or become painful, please contact us. If a foreign object is present, contact us immediately.
• In the case of a seizure, it is important to remain as calm as possible so as to not further stress your pet. Reduce lighting, turn them on their side, and wrap your pet in a blanket or place them on something soft until the seizure stops (usually 1-3 minutes) KEEP YOUR FINGERS OUT OF THEIR MOUTH, THEY WILL NOT SWALLOW THEIR TONGUE. Please contact us if the seizure does not stop or in the event of multiple seizures.
• You may apply 1% Hydrocortisone cream every hour to any “rash.” Rub in well. If the rash spreads or if the skin becomes broken from excessive licking/scratching, please contact us.
• Likewise, you may apply a triple antibiotic ointment (Neosporin) to minor wounds and abrasions. If the wound becomes inflamed or begins to drain, please contact us.
• For constipation problems, give Dulcolax; 1 tablet every 8 hours (max four doses), or mineral oil: 1 teaspoon per 5 pounds every 4 hours. If your pet is still unable to have a bowel movement after treatments, please contact us.
• To induce vomiting, give Syrup of Ipecac (1 teaspoon per 5-10 pounds – should work within 30 minutes) or give Hydrogen Peroxide (1 teaspoon per 5-10 pounds every 10 minutes until effective). Inducing vomiting is not always the best idea. If you have any concerns about whether or not it is the right decision, please contact us first.
• If your pet has bite wounds or traumatic wounds, approach cautiously. Injured animals are often afraid and may act out of character, biting even their trusted human companions. Consider restraining him by tying a strip of fabric around his muzzle. Clean the wound with water and wrap it to keep it clean. Apply pressure to wounds that haven’t yet stopped bleeding. As bite wounds can become infected if not cleaned and treated professionally, please call us.
• Flush burns with cold water. Apply an ice pack wrapped in a light cloth and call us.
• In the event of overheating (heat stroke), wet your pet with cool, but not cold, water, and use a fan in the area to help evaporate and make the cooling more efficient. Call us immediately.
• If your pet can bark or cry, he is getting air into his windpipe, and a hacking noise means a cough, and he is not choking. If your pet is struggling to breathe and can make no noise open the mouth, pull the tongue forward, check your pet’s mouth for a foreign object, and try to remove it to clear the airway, being careful not to push it farther down the throat. Place the animal on its side and strike the side of the rib cage firmly with the palm of your hand three or four times. Repeat this procedure until the object is dislodged or you arrive at the veterinarian’s office. If your pet swallowed something that got caught in his esophagus but not his windpipe, he can breathe and make noise, but he may have trouble swallowing, and he will drool. In all these scenarios, call us to determine what else needs to be done.
• If your pet stops breathing, first make sure your pet isn’t choking due to a foreign object blocking its airway. If the animal is still not breathing, place it on a firm surface with its left side up. Place your ear to the chest and listen for a heartbeat. To locate the heartbeat, gently bend your pet’s elbow just until it touches the ribs. If you find a heartbeat but no breathing, close the animal’s mouth and breathe into his nose until you see his chest rise. You need to do this about 20 times a minute. If there is no heartbeat, you can also add chest compression. If the animal is less than 15 pounds, lay him on his side and press on his chest wall until you depress it by 1/3, then let up. Place one hand below the heart to support the chest. Place the other hand over the heart and compress gently. Cats and tiny pets receive heart massage by compressing the chest with the thumb and forefingers of one hand. If the animal is larger, place him on his back and do the chest compressions as you would on a person. Alternate heart massage with breathing. You need to perform 80-100 compressions per minute. Transporting your pet to a veterinary hospital as soon as possible is essential.
• A normal pet’s blood will clot within 5 minutes if a nail is cut short, and he will not lose enough blood to be medically significant. You can hold a cloth firmly on the cut surface to avoid a mess until it clots. You can pack cornstarch or flour on the bleeding nail to speed clotting. If you regularly trim your pet’s nails at home, keep a jar of Qwik Stop at home. It is a powder that you apply to the cut nail that helps the blood to clot faster.