Pet Health Concerns
You or your neighbor expresses concern about a pet's health, discussing symptoms, vet visits, or recovery.
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
sluggish
Means moving or acting slowly, often because of tiredness or illness. Use it to describe someone or an animal that lacks energy, like 'The dog looks sluggish today.'
lethargic
Describes a state of being very tired, lazy, or lacking energy. It's similar to sluggish but stronger; say 'My pet has been lethargic all day' when talking about health issues.
vet
Short for veterinarian, a doctor for animals. Commonly used in casual talk about pets, like 'Take your dog to the vet if it's sick.'
stomach bug
A mild illness affecting the stomach, often causing upset or diarrhea. It's informal; use it for minor digestive problems, such as 'I think it's just a stomach bug.'
antibiotics
Medicines used to treat infections caused by bacteria. In pet conversations, say 'The vet prescribed antibiotics for the infection.'
probiotics
Supplements with good bacteria to help digestion and health. Useful in health talks, like 'Probiotics can help after taking antibiotics.'
perk up
A phrasal verb meaning to become more cheerful or energetic. Use it positively, such as 'He'll perk up after some rest.'
positive vibes
Informal way to say sending good energy or well-wishes. Common in friendly chats, like 'Sending positive vibes your way!' to show support.
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
Hi John! Say, is Buster okay? I saw you taking him to the car earlier and he looked a bit sluggish.
This is a friendly way to start a conversation showing concern. 'Say' is like 'by the way' for introducing a topic. Useful for neighbors; it uses past continuous 'was taking' and 'looked' to describe observations. Practice to express worry politely.
Thanks for asking. No, he's not entirely himself.
A polite response to concern, meaning the pet isn't acting normally. 'Not entirely himself' is an idiom for not feeling well. Great for everyday talks; it shows gratitude and shares info simply without details yet.
Did you get him to the vet?
A direct question to check if medical help was sought. 'Get someone to' means 'take someone to.' Useful in health discussions; it's simple present perfect for recent actions and shows care by suggesting next steps.
They ran some tests and think it's a bacterial infection.
Explains a diagnosis casually. 'Ran some tests' uses past tense for completed actions. Practical for sharing medical info; teaches how to report what experts said using 'think it's' for opinions.
Mainly rest, plenty of water, and a bland diet for a few days.
Lists recovery advice using parallel structure with 'and' for items. 'Mainly' means 'mostly.' Useful for giving or receiving care tips; it's imperative form implied, easy to remember for pet health talks.
Keep me updated on how he's doing.
Requests ongoing information politely. 'Keep updated' is imperative for future actions. Essential in friendly relationships; shows interest and uses present continuous 'he's doing' for current status.
I'll send some positive vibes his way!
An informal, supportive expression of good wishes. 'Send... his way' means directing something towards him. Fun and modern; use in casual chats to end positively, building rapport.