Your dog is going to encounter a few health concerns over his lifetime. Some will be minor, although some could be major concerns. The minor (and major) concerns should still be brought up to your veterinarian, but to help your dog when you're at home if you aren't able to bring your dog in to the veterinarian right away, there are things you can do. Read on for some minor health concerns and what you can do about them to help your dog.
Broken Nail Or Nail Clipped Too Low
If you've been clipping your dog's nails and clipped them too low, then you've seen how much this area can bleed. The same goes if your dog rips out a toenail - it can be painful and it will bleed quite a bit. If this happens to your dog, don't panic. You can create a paste using baking soda and water and put it onto the affected area. This will help stop the bleeding, but you'll need to keep Fido from licking away the paste to prevent the bleeding from starting back up again.
Urinary Tract Infection
If your dog is going to the bathroom a lot more than usual, squatting without much urine coming out, and seems to be having discomfort, it could be due to a urinary tract infection. If this is the case, keep giving your dog water to drink to try and flush out his kidneys and help flush out the toxins causing the infection. If your dog doesn't want to drink, try adding something tasty to the water such as wet dog food.
Bee Sting
Bees can sting your dog as well. If this happens you can give your dog some Benadryl to help ease any pain associated with the bee sting and to reduce swelling. If your dog has had multiple stings and is showing signs of distress, you need to get your dog to the veterinarian right away from treatment.
Stress
If your dog is panting a lot, losing a lot of fur, and just seems stressed, try to figure out what is stressing him out — such as a new dog or other pet in the house — then keep your dog calm by giving him time to himself and separating the animals until your dog can get used to the other animal.
Minor health issues are going to happen from time to time with your dog. Know what to do to help keep your dog calm, safe and pain free until you can get him to the veterinary clinic for treatment.