How to Care for a Sick Dog - Treating Illnesses at Home

1. Withhold food if your dog is vomiting or has diarrhea. For puppies and dogs older than 6 months who have previously been healthy, you can withhold all food for up to 24 hours if the primary symptoms are vomiting or diarrhea.
- This also includes treats and rawhides.

2. Make sure your dog has access to water. Never withhold water from a sick dog, unless he vomits it up. If this happens, contact your veterinarian for advice.

3. Introduce a bland diet for 1-2 days. After you withhold food for 24 hours, and your dog is behaving more normally, you can gradually introduce a bland diet for 1-2 days. A bland diet for a dog includes one part easily digested protein and 2 parts an easily digested starch.
- Typical protein sources include cottage cheese or chicken (no skin or fat) or boiled hamburger.
- A good starch is plain cooked white rice.[3]
- Feed your dog one cup daily (split into 4 servings 6 hours apart) per 10 pounds of weight.

4. Limit your dog’s exercise and play time. Make sure your dog gets plenty of rest by restricting how much exercise and play time he gets. Take him out on a leash to relieve himself, but don’t let him play while he feels poorly. This is especially important if he is limping.

5. Monitor your dog’s stool and urine output. Pay attention to how much your dog is defecating and urinating while he is ill. If you normally let him outside by himself, use a leash while he’s ill so that you can watch how much he urinates or defecates.
- Do not punish your dog if it has an accident inside the house—stool, urine or vomiting. They cannot help it if they are sick and may hide from you if they are punished.

6. Monitor your dog’s symptoms closely. Make sure you keep a very close eye on your dog, in case the symptoms get worse. Do not leave your dog on his own. Do not leave him alone for the day or weekend. If you must leave the house (for example, you need to go to work), have someone check on your dog every 2 hours.
- If you can’t arrange this, call your veterinary clinic to see if they do monitoring in the clinic. Symptoms can worsen quickly, or new or more serious symptoms can occur rapidly.

7. Don’t hesitate to call your vet. If you’re unsure about your dog’s symptoms, or if he seems to be getting worse, call your vet for advice.