Dog owners can be pretty neurotic. Now, before you get all upset and indignant, think about it. Do you consider your pooch part of your family? Of course. Do you want only the best for him? Of course! Do you bathe him, feed him, and pamper him like one of your children? Of course. See? It’s not such a bad thing to be neurotic about your dog, it just means you care. In some cases, however, that neurotic nature can mean preemptive trips to the veterinarian and overmedication. Your dog has an amazing body with an amazing ability to heal itself without any outside help. Once in a while, it’s a good idea to give your dog’s body that chance to strengthen its immune system and work things out on its own. You can help, of course, and if your pup ends up needing more intensive treatment you can help that along, too. All it takes is some basic knowledge.

My dog seems a little more out of it than usual, but he’s still pretty active and seems to be generally fine. I should get him to the vet right away, shouldn’t I? I mean, there has to be something wrong.
Didn’t you read the first paragraph? Sheesh! Yes, there’s probably something wrong. Whoa there, Speed Racer, put down the car keys! Do you go to the doctor every time you sneeze or sniffle? No. A dog’s immune system will be completely incapable of beating any illness if it’s overwhelmed by drugs every time there’s a little problem. Your dog may have picked up a little virus or problematic bacteria somewhere along the way, and now his immune system is doing battle to try and get rid of it. Because his insides are working overtime, he’s probably just feeling more tired and somewhat slower than usual. This is normal. His body needs to divert all of the energy it can to the immune system.

You can help by – no, not by going to the vet. You’re not paying attention at all, are you? You can help by setting up a nice nursing area for him. Bring his bed closer to the family’s areas of activity so he can feel closer to the people he loves and pick up on some of their good energy. If he doesn’t already have a big, cushy bed, make a big pile of some old pillows, blankets, and sheets for his bedtime. Keep track of how much water he’s drinking and keep that level up, but also make sure he’s getting a good, brisk 15-minute walk each day to help keep his body strong. Of course, the easiest way to help him feel better is to sit with him, stroke his head, talk to him, and let him know you love him.

If he’s not feeling better after a couple of days, then you can be as neurotic as you want and get him to the vet to eliminate more severe causes of his fatigue.

My vet wants me to give my dog medicine every day. How am I supposed to get him to take it?
Some dogs are easy to convince when it comes to medication. If you have a natural born chowhound, a piece of lunchmeat or cheese wrapped around a pill can go down without a second thought. Liquid medicine can be mixed right into his food – if he picks up on that trick, try mixing it with peanut butter and spreading it on bread. Nobody can resist a peanut butter sandwich!

In the most drastic (or stubborn) situations, you may have to get your dog to swallow the pill itself. This is never fun. Have your dog sit with its back against the wall or another person’s legs. Use your fingers to pry the jaw open, then place the pill as far back in the mouth as possible. Close his mouth and tilt his head up at a slight angle. Using one hand to hold his mouth closed, use your other hand to stroke his throat. If he hasn’t yet swallowed, try blowing directly on his nose and watch for signs that he has swallowed.

For liquid medication, ask your vet for a needleless syringe. You can place the right amount of medicine directly into the syringe, then place the syringe into the mouth and between the teeth. Don’t worry about getting it to the back of the throat as with pills. Squirt the medicine in, hold his mouth closed, and make sure he swallows. You’re done!

The unlucky dogs who need injections have equally unlucky owners. Nobody likes needles, and even fewer people want to use a needle on their precious pooch. Your veterinarian should be able to give you a quick demonstration of how to handle injections, but here’s a quick rundown:
• Use the syringe to pick up the required amount of medicine.
• Hold the syringe needle up and tap on the side to help any air bubbles travel to the surface.
• Depress the syringe plunger until the air bubbles are no longer present in the barrel and a small amount of medicine comes out of the needle.
• Use your non-dominant hand to gather a fold of skin covering the shoulder blades.
• Insert the syringe, making sure you don’t run into much resistance. This should mean the needle is positioned between the skin and the muscle.
• Pull the plunger back slightly and check for blood in the barrel of the syringe. If you see blood, this means you’ve hit a vessel and need to reposition the needle. Pull the needle out and reinsert it.
• Once you’re certain there’s no blood present in the syringe, press the plunger and administer the meds.

See? That wasn’t so bad. Remember, pups who go through daily injections deserve some recognition. Talk to your dog the entire time and let him know what a good boy he is even if he’s squirming, then give him a treat when he’s finished.