As an owner it is important to know what to do when your dog is ill. There are many different things that can cause your dog to be ill, and many different things you can do based on the illness to help them feel better. If your dog is not feeling well, it usually makes an uncomfortable situation for both the owner and the dog alike.

A fever is common to many illnesses, so it is important to know how to treat a fever. When the dog has a fever its body uses more calories and energy than normal. This increase in calories and energy used is to fuel the fever. Since the amount of energy and calories used increases, so does the amount of calories that are taken in. If the amount of calories that are taken in are not increased, the only other place to take them from is the dogs body. If this occurs the recovery time is much longer.

Due to the increased burning of calories, the amount of calories that are taken in should also increase. A good rule of thumb is to increase the calories by three per pound of body weight for each degree that the temperature is above normal. The higher the fever, the more calories that are needed to replenish what is being taken away.

This increase in calorie intake is not always easy, as when a fever or illness occurs, the appetite usually decreases. One easy way to get the increase in calories needed is to add corn oil to the dogs regular dog food. Corn oil has 45 calories in each teaspoon.

Since energy is also used, protein will be needed to keep the dogs energy level up. Cottage cheese, usually three ounces to one pound of canned food, and four ounces to dry food, and one boiled eggs added to the food is sufficient. Do use the same food that is used on a regular basis. A change in dog food may cause even more illness.

The increase in calories, and protein should be started as soon as a fever is detected, and stopped as soon as the dog is feeling better. It is important to start the increase right away to help speed the recovery along. The sooner your dog feels back to normal the better.

If the dogs fever persists, a visit to the vet may be necessary. The fever may be caused by a virus, and this may require an antibiotic to kick it, and get your dog back to normal. Your vet will know how to treat your dogs illness, and may have further suggestions on how to speed the recovery process. In addition to the antibiotic a vitamin may be a good idea.