Self Medicating

With the holiday season upon us, I thought I would share some common household medications that can be used for dogs as well.  As always, you should contact your vet before giving any medication to your dog long-term but these are pretty safe to use in situations where getting to your vet right away is not an option.

Product	Common Use	Canine Dosage
Buffered Aspirin	Pain relief, anti-inflammatory	18-12 mg per lb every 12 hours.
Benadryl	Treats allergies, itching, etc.	½ mg per lb every 8 hours. Max dose 2 mg per lb.
Hydrogen Peroxide 3%	Used to induce vomiting after accidental ingestion of toxic items.	1-3 tsp by mouth every 15 minutes until vomiting occurs.  DO NOT induce vomiting if it has been more than 2 hours since ingestion.
Dramamine	Reduces motion sickness.	Up to 50 mg every 8 hours.
Pepto Bismol	For diarrhea, vomiting and anti-gas.	1 tsp per 5 lbs every 6 hours.

Hopefully, you won't have to use any of these this holiday season.  Also, as The Chronicles of Cardigan pointed out, pureed pumpkin is also an excellent way to treat diarrhea and/or constipation but typically works a little slower.

Bogey's Tips for the Upcoming Holidays

If you're looking a little shaggy...

Make an appointment with the groomer.  Tell her to take a little off the sides...

And top, and bottom.....

If you'll be dining with family, it never hurts to dress up a little.

But be sure to bring along your favorite fan wear to change into for the big game.