Give Special Attention to the Diet of Your Sick Pet Dog

Author: Kelly Marshall

When the body temperature of the dog rises above normal, the dog requires extra energy to cope with the illness. As you would know, the diet of the dog plays a very important role in the regulation of its health. The diet of the dog should be regulated accordingly.

If the diet of the dog is not improved, the extra energy requirement of the dog shall be met by the utilization of the reserves of the body. To prevent such a scenario, make changes to the diet of the dog immediately upon the discovery of the fact that the dog is ill.

The change in the diet can be calculated by estimating the additional calorie requirement of the sick dog. The general rule is that for every degree of temperature above normal, the dog should be given three calories per pound of body weight.

If the temperature is 1 unit above normal and the body weight of the dog is 25 pounds, the normal diet of the dog should be supplemented to provide for 75 calories of extra energy. The easiest way to enhance the calories supplied to the dog is to add corn oil to the diet.

A single tea- spoon of corn oil provides 45 calories of energy. Further, corn oil enhances the taste of the food and will also help the dog eat more despite its poor appetite due to the illness.

Fevers of prolonged duration result in a loss of body protein as well as energy consumption. The protein being lost can be replaced by adding three ounces of cottage cheese or one hard-boiled egg to every pound of canned food or every tour ounces of dry food.

A body of a sick dog not only requires extra energy to cope with the illness but also extra protein to restore the body protein lost due to the illness. The best way to replace protein is to add:

• 3 ounces of cottage cheese, or

• one hard boiled egg to

• every pound of canned food or

• every four ounces of dry food.

No changes need to be made to the diet on account of the illness except for the additions mentioned above. The supplements should begin as the illness begins and ends only when the fever subsides. Begin the protein supplement if the fever persists for more than 3 days.

If the fever is caused by an infection, the vet usually prescribes a course of antibiotics to cure the illness. The prescription of antibiotics for the dog will also lead to changes in the diet.

Humans are more vulnerable to bacteria as compared to other living beings including dogs. In fact, many beneficial bacteria living in the intestine of the dog produce essential vitamins like Vitamin B- complex. This vitamin is very important for the health of the dog

Antibiotic therapy, as the name suggests, destroys the bacterium causing the illness in the dog. However, the therapy will also result in the removal of many beneficial bacteria residing in the dog. This deficiency may lead to a fall in the production of vitamins.

Add water-soluble vitamins to the diet of the dog to enhance its vitamin intake. Further, add a gram of brewer's yeast per ten pounds of the weight of the dog. This will not only restore Vitamin B- complex in the body but also improve the appetite of the dog.