COOL DUDE: A dog dressed as a German policeman rides on a remote-controlled motorbike in Cologne. (Reuters)

I was in my chamber on a Friday in February this year when a person stepped in with a golden retriever puppy. The dog was breathing its last and it died before I could do anything. But from what the owner narrated to me, I realised the cause of death. Only two days ago, the gentleman had returned home after a short tour. The moment he entered the house, the puppy jumped on him, fell to the ground and hurt himself. Without consulting a vet, the owner administered Combiflam to lessen the puppy?s pain.

After three doses, the puppy began to walk normally, but started vomiting from midnight. In the morning, he began throwing up blood. That was when the gentleman brought him to me, but it was already too late. Self-medication was the cause of the golden retriever?s death. Before you give any medicine to your pet, always ask your vet, otherwise it could turn fatal for your loved one.

Painkiller: Certain drugs are very harmful for pets. Common painkillers like Combiflam, Diclofenac, Valcox and Aceclofenac cause severe gastric irritation if given in overdose, on an empty stomach or without an antacid. This could cause severe vomiting, even leading to death.

A tip: In case of an emergency, you can administer Arnica (homoeopathy) or paracetamol and then see the vet.

Deworming: Periodic de-worming is very essential for your pets. Some people administer de-worming medicine without consulting vets. An overdose can damage your pet?s liver and trigger vomiting, while an under-dose can develop a resistance to the drug.

A tip: Albendazol reduces roundworm infection, while Praziquantel is effective for tapeworm infection.

Growth: Vitamins and minerals are essential for your puppy?s growth, but too much calcium intake can cause resorption of calcium from bones, leading to bending of bones and weakening of skeletal muscles.

A tip: Give medicines that have a calcium phosphorus balance of 2:1.

Body odour: Some hairy dogs suffer from bad odour during the monsoons. People usually try to give their puppies a bath with shampoo to get rid of the smell. But the more you bathe the dog, the stronger the stench will be because the high humidity doesn?t allow the hair roots to dry. So, fungal infection forms easily causing bad smell and hair fall

A tip: In such cases, use a dog shampoo or a herbal shampoo. Use anti-fungal powder and stop bathing them frequently.

Ticks: Ticks are one of the major problems for pets during the rainy season. Pet owners usually use Asantol, Cypermethrin, Sevin to remove ticks. But if your pet licks itself and swallows some of these medicines, it turns poisonous. The symptoms in such cases are severe salivation, convulsions and vomiting. If your pet shows any of these, take it immediately to the vet and get an Atropine injection administered.

A tip: If your pet shows these symptoms, feed him the white of raw eggs.

And please don?t give chocolates to your pet. Chocolate contains Theobromin that causes vomiting, restlessness and cardiac failure.

For queries on pet problems, write in to goutam3@hotmail.com or to ttmetro@abpmail.com