Home Care · Cypress, TX
What to Do for Minor Pet Illnesses at Home
Sometimes your pet isn't right, but it isn't quite an emergency. Here's what you can safely try at home first. This is for mild symptoms only and doesn't replace an exam if things persist or worsen.
Reviewed by Dr. Steve Pelton, DVM · 26 years in practice
Vomiting or diarrhea (just started)
🐕 Dogs
- Withhold food for 12 hours (small amounts of water are okay every few hours)
- After 12 hours, offer a bland diet: boiled plain white chicken (no seasoning) + plain white rice, or ground turkey and rice
- Small portions (¼ cup small dogs, ½ to 1 cup medium/large)
- Do this 1 to 2 days, then slowly return to regular food
- Pepto-Bismol: 1 teaspoon per 10 lbs every 6 to 8 hours (never in cats)
🐱 Cats
- Do not withhold food entirely, offer small meals more often
- Offer bland food like boiled chicken or a little plain chicken baby food (no onion or garlic)
No vomiting or diarrhea should last more than 24 hours. Puppies and kittens should not go without food for long, call us.
Minor wounds or scratches
- Rinse with warm water to remove dirt or debris
- Apply Neosporin or a generic triple antibiotic ointment 2 to 3 times a day
- Hydrogen peroxide only ONCE to first clean it, not repeatedly (it delays healing)
- Keep your pet from licking or chewing the area, use a cone if needed
Mild itching or allergies
🐕 Dogs
- Zyrtec (cetirizine): one 10 mg tablet per 30 lbs once daily
- Benadryl (diphenhydramine): 1 mg per lb every 8 to 12 hours (25 lb dog = 25 mg)
🐱 Cats
- Zyrtec only, NOT Benadryl: ½ tablet (5 mg) for a 10 lb cat once daily
- Always check with us before giving meds to cats
- Rinse itchy paws or bellies with cool water after walks
- Try a colloidal oatmeal rinse or an aloe and oatmeal pet shampoo
Coughing (especially after boarding)
- Common in recently boarded dogs: kennel cough, a dry "honking" cough that's worse with excitement
- If eating, active, and no fever, it can usually wait 2 to 3 days
- A humidifier near the sleeping area or a few minutes in a steamy bathroom can help
- Cough suppressants may help but need to be prescribed
Call us if your dog has nasal discharge, stops eating, or gets lethargic, or if your cat is coughing (cats rarely cough, it could be asthma).
Constipation
🐕 Dogs
- Add plain canned pumpkin (not pie filling): 1 tablespoon for small dogs, 2 to 3 tablespoons for large dogs
- Make sure they're drinking water and getting regular exercise
🐱 Cats
- A small spoon of pumpkin, or try a hairball gel/laxative
🚨 If your male cat is straining in the litter box, especially with no urine coming out, go to the ER. It can be a life-threatening urinary blockage.
Don't wait on these
When to call us or go to the ER
- Vomiting or diarrhea over 24 hours
- Blood in stool or vomit
- Weakness or collapse
- Difficulty breathing
- Swollen abdomen
- Straining to urinate (especially male cats)
- Any worsening symptoms
- Your gut says "this isn't right"
Not sure? Just ask.
We're always happy to help you figure out whether something can wait or needs to be seen.