How to handle Your Dog in an Emergency (2)
Few dogs pass through life without at least one illness during which the owner must give nursing care, and very often the animal’s recovery or the reverse depends to a large extent on the quality of the attention he receives. Canine patients differ from humans in that they cannot be kept in bed unless they are too weak to get out, and their co-operation has to be obtained by persuasion rather than by request.
A human patient will submit to the unpleasantness of constant intramuscular injections of penicillin, for instance, because he knows it is for his own good, but a dog cannot be expected to reason in this way, and as some treatments given to sick dogs (inhalations, for example) are not welcomed by the patient the attendant may have a difficult time. On the whole, however, dogs- even very young ones-make good patients provided they have confidence in their nurse and, not less important, in the veterinary surgeon. If a dog trusts his attendant he submits with quite good grace and often astonishing resignation and stoicism to many unpleasant measures, and even shows gratitude in a touching fashion.
When an animal is sufficiently ill to require nursing he should be put in a separate room or kennel, even if the malady is not infectious. The general hubbub of the kitchen or living-room is not restful, and every sick animal needs plenty of sleep and peace. This is particularly the case with distemper and hard-pad- some dogs spend most of their time sleeping during the early stages of the former-and, in addition, the nervous system is often affected in both diseases and a
noisy, restless environment may result in the dreaded distemper or hard-pad fits.
Best greetings
Angela
http://www.my-dog-training.biz
