What To Do When Your Dog Has Diarrhea

What To Do When Your Dog Has Diarrhea

If your dog suffers from severe or long-term diarrhea, it’s best to bring him/her to the vet for an examination. For milder diarrheal cases, you can help your dog recover with the following suggestions.

Hydrate.

Diarrhea leads to dehydration if consequent water loss is not replenished. So, ensure that your canine hydrates while he/she is having diarrhea. If it’s hard to get them to drink water, drop a portion of a low-sodium chicken broth cube to encourage them.

Stop solid food for now.

Give your dog’s digestive system a break and cease feeding him/her solid food for 12 hours to one whole day. For very young or sickly dogs, you may skip this and proceed to the next.

Get him/her on a bland diet.

Consider giving bland food for young pups or sickly dogs. As a general rule, when your diarrheal dog is ready for solid food after 12-24 hours abstinence, don’t give the usual solid food right away. Allow the gut to recover and give your dog bland food, instead, that can provide enough protein and carbohydrates such as boiled chicken rice. Gradually increase and mix with his/her regular food to help the gut adjust.

Increase fiber intake.

Green beans and canned pumpkin are great sources of fiber, among others. Fiber can stop diarrhea by solidifying stools and helping them move in the digestive system.

Give probiotics.

This will help restore good bacteria and balance in the digestive system.

Consult your vet.

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