In the hot summer, it is common for dogs to suffer from dehydration. So do you know what to do if your dog becomes dehydrated? What are the causes of dehydration in dogs? Next, let’s take a look at the treatment methods for dog dehydration.
1. Causes of dehydration in dogs
1. Dog dehydration caused by food that is too salty or too spicy.
2. Dehydration caused by insufficient daily water intake in dogs.
3. Dog diarrhea, vomiting, fever, ulcers and other diseases can cause dehydration.
4. Long-term strenuous exercise and long-term exposure to the sun.
2. Symptoms of dehydration in dogs
1. Weakness of limbs, loose skin, and in severe cases, sunken or swollen eyes. Dehydration caused by frequent diarrhea requires rehydration as soon as possible.
2. Hair loss, poor energy, and darkening of coat color.
3. The dog has a loss of appetite or has been abandoned.
4. The dog’s nose, foot pads, and skin are all dry.
If you suspect your dog is dehydrated, take him to the doctor immediately. Of course, you can also do a simple test. Gently pinch the skin of your dog's neck or shoulders with your hands. If it returns to its original state quickly, the dog will not be short of water. If recovery is slow, your dog may become dehydrated.
3. Treatment of dog dehydration
Rehydration: Sick dogs often die of dehydration, so rehydration is the main measure to treat this disease. The ingredients and amount of rehydration to be added should be determined based on the dog's degree of dehydration and general condition. Generally, intravenous fluid rehydration is 60ml/kg body weight.
Intravenous rehydration: 5-40ml of 25% glucose solution, 2-10ml of vitamin C, 5-20ml of energy mixture, slow intravenous infusion once, 1-2 times a day.
5% sugar salt 50-500 ml, vitamin C2-10 ml, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) injection 0.5-2 ml, 5% sodium bicarbonate 50-100 ml, heparin, etc. , administered by slow intravenous infusion twice a day.
Oral rehydration method: When the dog does not eat and the heart rate increases, if there is no vomiting and there is appetite or desire to drink, the dog can be given oral rehydration salt, 3.5g of sodium chloride and 2.5g of sodium bicarbonate. , 1.5g potassium chloride, 20g glucose, 1000ml water, free drinking or deep enema.
Anti-inflammatory: Various broad-spectrum antibiotics can be used, but do not use them for a long time to avoid imbalance of intestinal flora and delay the recovery of intestinal digestive function. Antitoxic spirit freeze-dried powder and antitoxin 1No. 1 injection (produced by the No. 1 Veterinary Drug Factory of Heilongjiang Province) has a better effect on this disease. Generally, dogs under 15kg are given intravenous infusion of freeze-dried powder, 1 ampoule/day, and dogs over 15kg are given 2 ampoules/day, injection No. 1 or 10.
Antiemetics: For severe vomiting, intramuscular injection can be used 0.3-2ml emolol or metoprolol.
Anti-shock: For those with obvious shock symptoms, dexamethasone (flumetasone) 5-15mg or anisodamine hydrochloride injection 0.3-1ml can be injected intramuscularly.
Strengthen care: Pay attention to keeping the dog warm. Stop feeding high-protein and high-fat feeds such as milk, eggs, and meat when suffering from diarrhea. Give easy-to-digest feeds to improve the cure rate.