Yesterday I took little Miss Lucy to one of her favorite places. The veterinary clinic. She loves going there. She doesn’t even mind that they give her shots because she always makes a new friend and her veterinarian is really nice.
The last time we were there she got a rabies shot. It stung, and Lucy whimpered a wee bit but then went back to the veterinarian and started licking her. So it was okay.
Well wait. Actually there is a little more to that story.
Okay, so the vet had the needle in her hand, and I was holding Lucy. Then all the sudden Lucy whipped around and I was stuck with the needle. The vet almost passed out.
Mavis – “Did I just get a rabies shot?”
Vet Lady – “No. No. See I didn’t release the plunger {or whatever the heck the thing is called}.”
Mavis – “Okay.”
Vet Lady – “Hold on! ”
And then before you know it the vet lady came back in with an assistant who held Lucy {while I sat on the bench} while she administered the vaccine.
Good Times.
But that’s old news. Let’s fast forward to yesterday afternoon when I picked up Lucy at the clinic after her procedures.
Not only did Lucy the Puggle dog get a micro chip, but she also got spayed and had a manicure. The vet sent her home with a bag of pain medication {1 a day for the next 6 days}, and told us that we could expect Lucy to be out of it for the next few days, but she should be back to normal in 10.
We tried to feed her last night but she didn’t want to eat or drink anything. This morning though, she is doing much better after getting some food in her tummy. But she still doesn’t want to drink anything {which I think is kind of strange}.
I’m wondering if there is something I can give her {something juicy} since she doesn’t want to drink anything.
What do you think? Has one of your pets ever been on heavy meds before and not wanted to drink?
Any advice?
I’ll take all the help I can get.
~Mavis
Leanna says
A friend of a friend recommends pedialyte. I would def check with your vet first though.
Glenda Sessions says
Maybe some ice chips? Feel better Lucy! <3
Tanya says
Give her some juicy produce that she likes. Bell peppers are full of water 🙂
Crystal says
My dog never seems to want to drink anything when she is feeling sick. Whenever I get worried that it’s been too long without water I get an eyedropper or syringe and force a little water in her. I don’t give her much and she normally goes to her water bowl within an hour to get a drink herself!
Sarah says
Yeah the anesthesia can really knock them out for a couple of days. You can try giving her chicken broth or just adding extra water to some wet food to help her stay hydrated. Hope she’s feeling better soon! And thank you for getting her spayed 🙂
Darlene says
I agree with adding water to her chow. And yes, thank you so much for spaying Miss Lucy. My sister fosters rescue dogs and it’s not a pretty picture out there =(
kp says
if she eats hard food add some water to it to make a “gravy” or to soften it up. My vet told me to do that for my cat to make sure he does get UTIs.
Knitting with Olof says
If you feed her dry food then just make wet food out of it with some boiling water added to the food and then letting it cool to just warm and then feed it to Lucy. She will need liquids. Also maybe making a Popsicle out of some pedialyte and letting her lick it.
Madam Chow says
Or little ice cubes made out of chicken broth. My dogs love ice cubes.
Mavis says
I was thinking about ice cubes but wasn’t sure. I think I’m going to try that. Thanks!
Mavis says
It’s working!!!! 🙂
Madam Chow says
Yahoo! Sweet little pup!
Crystal W. says
When our dogs are not feeling well or we are traveling and they don’t drink enough water, we give them watermelon. They have never turned their nose up to that. And, as you know, watermelon is full of “water” so it helps keep them from getting dehydrated. Love that Lucy girl!!
Mom of 2 dogs says
Thank you for the Lucy updates, look forward to them. She’ll rebound before you know it!
Mary Beth says
My vet also told me to add water to my dog’s dry food when he’s not getting enough to drink.
Cindy says
You can try adding a little chicken broth to her food or water for some extra hydration.
Pam Lyon says
Pedialyte, the unflavored kind, can be used to moisten her food or given to her a little at a time in a syringe. Just like a baby, as long as she is peeing she’s ok. We use this with pups, baby goats, and I have even used it with weak baby chicks.
Angie says
When my dogs are not feeling well or during the hot summer months I make them “Pup-sicles”. I take an empty container(sour cream containers work well) fill it with ice, throw in a few pieces of dog food, meat, carrots, etc. Then use cold water to fill in the spaces and freeze. During the hot summer months my dogs will spend time licking the ice or chewing it to try to get the treats. Keeps them hydrated and distracted so they don’t do naughty things like dig. For a longer distraction just use a bigger bowl. Oh and when they are really dehydrated I will add a bit of tuna or chicken juice to really get them motivated. Hope this helps.
Carol says
Angie, this is a great idea….thanks for posting it for all of us!
Holly says
You can add water to their food, or sometimes I give my dog chicken broth. She thinks it’s the best ever. Chicken soup: good for humans AND dogs when they’re sick. Good luck!
Michelle Wright says
Hey, Mavis, feed her wet food with some water mixed in with it.
Jenn says
Completely off subject, but that picture of Lucy passed out in her pink bed is priceless. That one needs to be framed. Hope she feels better soon.
Maxine says
Looks like she’s taken to her new bed (or maybe isn’t noticing yet). Hugs to Lucy!
Bonnie G Morrow says
Give her some beef or chicken broth. She will drink it right up. Had a dog that didn’t drink enough and the vet said to use broth and boy did it work.
LeeAnne says
Try not to use regular broth, way too much sodium. There is one called Kitchen Basics that is really rich and can be got with almost no added sodium. When our little guy wouldn’t drink I warmed the stock up. After a bit I diluted it more and more until he was ready to drink straight water again.
Noelle says
My dog loved cottage cheese whenever she did not feel well.
Hanne says
I add a little chicken broth or even jam to some ice cube trays (and water of course) and my dog loves them.
Heidi says
On a side note….make sure you are with her when she eats and make sure she swallows her food. We had a dog choke to death when I was younger because she had been sedated and couldn’t get the food down:(
jaime says
Sometimes, pain medication or a change in food can cause an upset tummy, so if you can moisten Lucy’s normal food with warm water or low-sodium, low-fat chicken or beef stock, that’s an easy way to get more liquids into her system without upsetting her stomach. You can also try a bland diet (boiled, well-drained hamburger or chicken mixed with white rice) to up the moisture content and calm her stomach. If she turns her nose up at those options, try some chicken or beef baby food to get her to eat and to get some moisture into her system.
Katie says
Watering down her food with chix broth or water is good. You could also try some fruit like watermelon or cantaloupe. Good Luck! Feel better Lucy!
Kristin says
Aww, poor girl! I remember when my dog was spayed – she was in so much pain the first day it was hard to watch. She didn’t want to eat or drink either at first, but by the next day she was already looking and acting more like herself. I hope Lucy feels better soon!
Mari says
Oh poor Lucy, she will come right mavis, but yes it is hard to watch.
When Maddy was ill, she would lick at ice. I would hold it and maybe rub it over her nose and lips and she would lick that, then lick the ice cube itself.
I see she is using her new bed now. xx
Vicki says
The Chihuahua Brothers both love watermelon and cucumbers, both of which have plenty of water. You could also add warm water or sodium-free chicken broth to her dry food and make a “soup”. Or just pamper her a little and make her doggie soup – a piece of raw chicken, some carrots and a little celery, maybe a few pieces of spinach and some peas, with a little rice, too. Cover with water and simmer until veggies are soft and chicken is cooked. Remove chicken from bone and then either chop up everything finely or hit it with a stick blender to make sort of a cream soup. My boys love it, and I like to look for reasons to cook this for them.
Vicki says
PS – I haven’t read all the comments yet, but I have skimmed through a few of them. I read somewhere lately that ice is bad for dogs for the same reason it is bad for people – when eaten it can crack the enamel on their teeth. We’ve stopped giving it to all the family dogs for this reason. Something to think about …
Mari says
I never said to give the ice to the dog to chew. A sick dog will not chew ice, but will lick the moisture off their lips initially, enjoy the cooling from it and then lick the ice too. If Lucy was fit enough to ‘chew’ ice,she would be fit enough to drink water. This ice licking trick was done by our vet when Maddy was so ill, so is a safe practice.
Mavis says
Yep, she is loving the ice cube trick. Thanks everyone. 🙂
Heid says
Ice can be a great treat. Not drinking water is very worrisome.
D'Anna says
My JRT got his chip when he went in to get snipped at about the same age as Lucy. He didn’t get pain meds though they sent him home higher than a kite and he didn’t eat or drink anything till the next day when he sobered up. Maybe the pain meds are making her feel not so spunky?
Crystal says
I highly recommend soaking her daily kibble in an equal part of water (ie, 1 cup of kibble soaked in 1 cup of water). About a half hour is normally long enough for kibble to soak up the water, or you can stick it in the fridge overnight to soak. Not only will it help keep her hydrated right now, but it is also great for long term use as well, since the extra moisture is more natural (kibble is way drier than any natural food a dog would eat) and is way kinder on the kidneys.
Helen in Meridian says
When Mungus the cat got declawed, the vet said not to use regular litter in his box for a week, until his paws healed. I shredded my dh’s jehovah witness book he was getting too attached to. The cat seemed to know it shouldn’t be used in a litter box, and went on the floor instead.
Brenda says
Ha!
The first time I read your comment, I thought your cat’s name was Mucus!
Note to self: stop watching tv and trying to read at the same time!
Mavis says
Oh Helen. I don’t even know what to say. Always the trouble maker!
Jamie says
I worked for a vet for years, you can add broth to her dry food, or just switch her to some wet food. There is enough moisture in wet to help until she starts drinking better. Ice is also a good idea if she will lick on it.
Twylla says
Make her a popsicle out of chicken stock. Saw that on Pinterest!
Aggie in Ohio says
Mavis, you are doing a good job caring for Lucy and being a responsible pet owner. When I had my very first cat spayed, I slept on the floor beside her. She tried to go in her litter box and just fell over on her side. I cried and slept beside her on the floor. She recovered in a day or two and was fine. Not much of an appetite for anyone after surgery.! Lucy will be fine too. ” Spay and neuter is cuter !”
Aggie in Ohio says
Mavis, that was a very smart thing to get Lucy microchipped. If she gets lost or stolen, every vet or dog pound has a microchip reader and she will be identified as yours always.