As long as you raise a dog, you will eventually face illness. Common problems such as colds, inflammation, and poor nutrition can all appear in dogs. To deal with these issues, some owners use medicines that people also take, such as cold remedies or anti-inflammatory drugs.
Bernese Mountain Dog With a Cold
In practice, medicines made for humans should be used with caution in dogs, because once certain ingredients enter a dog's body, it is hard to know what kind of reaction they may cause. If they must be used, some owners choose mild cold remedies, antiviral oral liquids, or traditional medicines intended for colds and upper respiratory infections.
Bernese Mountain Dog With Inflammation
If the dog has obvious inflammation, or more severe swelling or skin disease, some owners combine topical treatment with oral anti-inflammatory medication such as roxithromycin, which is considered relatively mild and not too irritating to the stomach. However, whenever giving medicine to a dog, the dosage must be controlled carefully and the condition should be clearly identified. Medication should never be given blindly.
Deworming the Bernese Mountain Dog
Puppies from 3 to 12 months old usually need internal deworming every 1 to 3 months, while adult dogs generally need it every 3 to 6 months. That means deworming medicine is essential. In summer, if the dog often plays on grass, it is also useful to prepare external parasite treatment. Some owners use common internal dewormers and apply external sprays directly to the dog's skin.
Nutritional Supplements for Bernese Mountain Dogs
Nutritional supplements should be chosen based on the dog's physical condition. Options may include calcium tablets, kelp powder, glucose powder, or nutritional paste. These can be useful for dogs with a poor appetite or dogs recovering after surgery. Goat milk powder can also be used as a nutritional supplement for mother dogs during postpartum recovery, or for puppies that are still unable to digest dry dog food well.
Keeping a few of these common medicines and supplements at home can reduce a lot of trouble when a Bernese Mountain Dog gets sick. Not every problem requires a hospital visit, and not every illness is severe. If you can handle a minor issue correctly at home, it can make care more efficient. Even so, when the condition is uncertain or worsening, veterinary treatment remains the safer choice.