The dog and the snow: intestinal problems…
The snow has made a comeback, much to Musher's delight. Last week, seeing the mountains behind my house whitening slightly, I jumped into my wetsuit and moonboots. I love going to the snow with my dog: I don't know which of us was the crazier between Musher and me when I opened the doors.
We both had a great time at the montains. When active, Musher does not fear the cold. Its coat guarantees protection and waterproofing. Some dogs, with short hair or with fragile health, for example, will need to be covered. Opt for a dog coat. When it's really cold, I cover her up during our breaks or on the car ride home with the Explore coat by Trixie. It is perfect for large dogs. Even though Musher wasn't cold that time, when we got home, her stomach was gurgling strangely and she wasn't in good shape… What happened?
Even though I offered him water regularly during the walk, my dog ate fresh snow. Have you ever tried it? For humans and animals alike, eating fresh snow is synonymous with spray poop… When water changes state and goes from liquid to solid, i.e. flakes, its properties change and consuming it can have harmful consequences for health such as acute diarrhea! Yum… and the diarrhea in dogs It's not easy to manage. You have to listen to your pet to avoid accidents in the house...
Musher was therefore sick all night… Before running to the veterinary the next morning, I adopted a few simple gestures. As soon as she asked to leave, I quickly opened the door for her so that she could relieve herself quickly. As her intestine was inflamed, I put her to rest with a fast: she went to bed without eating… On the other hand, I left her a bowl of fresh water so that she could hydrate herself at will.
Musher had no fever, had an appetite, normal lips…his symptoms were not those of a veterinary emergency. So I decided to see how she was the next morning before taking see my vet. I can tell you that I had an awful night: as soon as something happens to him, I get stressed… In the morning, I gave him a very small portion of kibble and watched his gurgling and his stools closely.
Musher was not sick after her morning ration. I divided her daily ration into small portions to monitor after each meal how it was going for her. In my case, the visit to the veterinary did not impose itself. Going to the vet is often very expensive… The last time I went for a rabies booster and a box of dewormer, the bill was steep… I paid €57,30! It’s an expense that you can’t cut back on, so how can you reduce the bill a little when you have a sick dog?
My doggie had a stomach ache because of the snow but not her paws! I had been foresighted on that side! I had not anticipated our snow outing so it was too late to apply some Solipat, a tanning solution to strengthen the pads of the dog. So I chose to put some dog boots or slippers. It's a simple trick to avoid worries about snow pads!
Have you ever thought about insurance or mutual insurance for dogs? They promise a refund of all or part of the costs of your animal in the event of an accident, hospitalization or unforeseen circumstances. THE medical expenses of our animals can quickly become very (very!) expensive. Depending on the formula and the level of guarantees, reimbursements may be different... The best way to find your way around is to compare pet insurance on the Assurland website.
I filled out their little form (dog's name, breed, date of birth, etc.) and I chose the "comfort" offer to get an idea of the price of the formulas for the different insurance companies of the market.
I was then able to view the insurers' offers live and I received two emails: the first with my email identifiers and password to return to my personal space on Assurland and the second with a summary of what I was offered online. If I want to have more information on the proposed offers, I can ask to call or be called back by an adviser or I can ask to receive the quote by email.
Online, you can compare the details of the offers displayed and find out what is covered by each and the annual reimbursement ceiling in particular. It is necessary to compare to find the most advantageous contract according to his animal and his health needs.
I let you do your dog insurance comparison: it's worth looking at it at least once!