Is it a Trick or a
Treat?
As a pet owner you
may have been faced before with the occasional canine or feline sick tummy. Upset
stomachs can be just as uncomfortable for pets as they are for humans except
there isn’t an over the counter remedy that is safe for them like there is for
us. Or…is there?
One of our rescue
kitties, Ruby, had a severe, and I mean severe
case of diarrhea. Ruby was dewormed and checked out by the vet to make sure
there was nothing else wrong. The vet gave her an injection to help but within
12 hours it returned with a vengeance! Since it was then after hours, I called
our local emergency vet to get their suggestion. Since Ruby was stable and did
not show signs of dehydration, the vet tech told me to give Ruby a teaspoon of
plain canned pumpkin twice a day. Sure enough, by the next morning ‘business’
was getting back to normal!
Come to find out,
many people use canned pumpkin for their pets’ digestive upsets – whether it be
diarrhea or constipation. The plain canned pumpkin is full of fiber and good
stuff that helps to regulate the digestive tract. Of course, if your pet has
chronic tummy upsets they need to be seen by a veterinarian asap as this could
be a sign of something serious going on. However, for the occasional occurrence
or when nothing else seems to be helping, the plain canned pumpkin just might
do the trick.
For kitties it is
recommended to give 1 teaspoon twice a day until stools start to firm and the
recommendation for medium dogs is 1 – 2 tablespoons. A general guideline could
be 1 teaspoon per 10-15 lbs. of body weight. Be sure to use PLAIN canned
pumpkin, and NOT pumpkin pie filling, there is a big difference.*
The verdict is in - I
say Treat!
Michelle Brockman
Jonah’s Place
* Disclaimer: I am not a
veterinarian and this article should not be used as a replacement for veterinary
care or advice. This article is based solely on my personal experience and is
for informational purposes only. This Disclaimer serves as notification of
indemnity of Michelle Brockman and Jonah’s Place, Inc. for any results due to
following this article and any advice contained therein.
No comments:
Post a Comment