As many did, my family traveled during the holidays. My husband, Archie (our pup), and I flew home to Illinois for Christmas. It was a bit of a whirlwind trying to visit everyone and celebrating the holidays, but good to be back home for the holidays.
Archie was a trooper, as usual, and slept on the plane rides like a champ, visited family members - 2-footed and 4-footed, and braved the very cold Illinois weather.
At one point it was 20 degrees below zero with windchill that made it feel like -35 degrees F.... so when I say very cold, I mean it.
If you follow me, you know that Archie is an 11lb, very fit, chihuahua mix; he has no fat on those bones and on top of that is used to the North Carolina weather when we left which was about 70 degrees.
We did everything to keep him warm and he had no complaints putting on his winter coat and sweater to make the quick trek outside to do his business.
We all survived that and made it back to NC, but the long travel days, severe weather change from below zero back to 60s, and overall just worn out from the holidays - it all took a toll on our immune systems.
I had a stuffy nose. Archie had an actual cold.
The day that we got back to NC he was sneezing like crazy, sniffling with a runny nose, and overall just super tired.
He refused to eat for about half a day, but I was able to entice him with some canned food I keep on standby in case I run out of his regular raw food or for instances like these.
Besides allowing him to rest and giving him extra cuddles, I also started giving him the following supplements to support his immune system and help him fight off whatever it was he had.
I added all of these right to Archie's food and mixed in so he couldn't taste/smell it for his Morning and Evening meals.
Probiotic:
alternate options -
Immune Supporting Herbs:
Amber Naturalz Vibactra Plus - works with the body to fight off infections without disrupting the microbiome as antibiotics do.
Earth Animal Daily Herbal Drops - has garlic, goldenseal, and other antimicrobial &
astringent properties.
Other recommended item:
Rescue Remedy for pets - For mental support and to boost morale and reduce stress.
I ordered this, but it didn't come in time. However, I would have used it if I had it on hand at the time. Amber Naturalz Numo Care - since it specific for respiratory health. this one is for Dogs and this one is for Cats.
It is important to note that besides the sneezing, lethargy (tiredness) was his main symptom.
His reverse sneezing worsened due to his congestion and they always scare him a bit and stress him out. He reverse sneezes every once in a while - it is when muscles in the back of the throat spasms and he sucks in air instead of breathing out, but it was worse during this time.
Besides the lethargy, this limited our ability to go for walks (his favorite) since he would immediately start reverse sneezing when he tried to sniff with a congested nose.
He wasn't himself - didn't want to play, beg for food, and that kind of thing, but who does when you're sick?
He had normal stool, was peeing normally, was back to eating after that first day, and drank the water that I added to his food.
He didn't really improve for the first 4 days, but then I started to notice his energy was coming back, he wanted to go for his walks, and by day 5/6 he was fully back to himself...doing his little dance on his back legs when he wants something :)
Just to note: On Day 4 when he hadn't yet improved, I did end up reaching out to his vet to make sure I was doing all the right things. She said that as long as he wasn't getting worse to let him rest. So that is what we did.
TIPS & TRICKS:
Let your pet rest, but make sure you take them outside at regular intervals to get some fresh air, some sun, and to go potty. They may be like Archie, and not want to get off of the couch, but once they are outside they realize they had to go pee, lol
Keep them hydrated! If they don't want to drink, try adding extra water (warm is best) to their food. Or you may need to try and syringe some in if they won't do that.
Archie is cold often, so we used a heated blanket on the couch for him on low. He was able to get off of it if he chose. Don't use for a pet that isn't able to move off of it on their own, unless you check on them regularly.
Try feeding smaller more frequent meals throughout the day. This also makes sure that your pet gets more water throughout the day.
If after a day or two your pet worsens or isn't getting better, consult with a veterinarian. They will let you know if they think you should bring them in or if you can treat at home.
DISCLAIMER:
The information offered by The Balanced Companion is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to replace regular veterinary care. I strongly encourage you to seek the professional advice of a holistic veterinarian that supports your efforts to incorporate species appropriate nutrition and holistic lifestyle choices into your pet’s life. To locate a holistic integrative vet, please visit www.ahvma.org or ask me for a referral. This blog post contains affiliate links for purchases of pet food on Amazon that I may receive commission for. Thank you for your support.
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