What Can I Give My Dog for Diarrhea?

by Sundays

When you’re sick, your tummy cannot handle much more than bread and water, but is that okay for dogs, too?

It’s the one sentence you never want to find yourself searching:: “What to feed a dog with diarrhea.” It’s not fun for your dog, and definitely not fun for you, especially if they have long hair that catches everything in it.

Our first word of advice: get some potty pads and hope that your dog makes it to them in time. Aside from the mess, though, you need to know what you can give them or feed them when they have diarrhea.

Before we talk about what to give dogs for diarrhea, make sure your dog doesn’t have any emergency symptoms that mean that they should see a veterinarian.

What to Give Dogs for Diarrhea

The first thing you’ll want to know is whether you can give them any over-the-counter supplements or medicines to help stop their diarrhea. You should never give them anything made for humans, whether prescription or not.

As far as dog products, you can give probiotics to dogs suffering from diarrhea. There are probiotic supplements made specifically for dogs. They typically come in a powder form that you can add to food.

The supplement should include a strain of good bacteria that supports the right balance of microflora for a healthy gut. It’s good to keep these packets around for cases of dog diarrhea.

Check for Emergency Signs Before Feeding a Dog With Diarrhea

Dog diarrhea can actually be an emergency, especially if your dog becomes dehydrated.

Then, all sorts of bodily functions get messed up, and things can go really bad really fast. Diarrhea can also be a symptom of a serious underlying disease.

If you see any of these signs along with the diarrhea, get your pup to a vet as soon as possible:

Vomiting
Acting sluggish or lethargic
Dark and/or bloody poop
A lot of diarrhea at once
Very frequent diarrhea
Diarrhea that lasts more than 24 hours
Shivering or shaking
Mucus in the poop

Should I Wait to Feed a Dog With Diarrhea?

If your dog is relatively healthy, you should wait about 12 hours before feeding them anything. But if your dog fits into any of the following categories, they need the nutrients in their food, so you should not stop offering it to them:

Dogs with chronic illnesses like diabetes or cancer
Senior dogs
Small or toy breed dogs
Puppies

If they refuse to eat, call your veterinarian right away and do not force them to eat.

What to Feed a Dog With Diarrhea

When you’re dealing with a dog that has a mild case of diarrhea, you can try feeding them the following easy-on-the-tummy options after fasting them.

Boiled Chicken and Rice

Vets recommend a simple homemade meal of boiled chicken and rice for minor tummy upset in dogs. Your pup is going to feel very special and may even be a little suspicious when you put down this home cooked meal for dinnertime.

There are a few guidelines, though:

Get lean, skinless, boneless chicken breast or ground chicken
Do not add any seasonings (not even salt or pepper)
Boil the chicken and make sure it’s cooked thoroughly
Choose quality white rice

Adjust the quantity of chicken/rice according to your dog’s size or if you want to make a lot and then store it for the next few days. The ratio should be 1/3 chicken to 2/3 rice.

Steps:

If the chicken is frozen, defrost it first following directions on the package.
Cover the chicken with water in a large pot.
Boil on high for about 15 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the water, allow to cool, and cut into bite-size pieces. Save the broth.
Rinse the rice. Pour the rice into the broth from the chicken and make sure you have twice as much broth as you do rice. If not, add some water.
Bring the rice to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and let simmer for 16 minutes.
Remove from heat and allow to sit with the cover on for 10 minutes.
Fluff the rice and combine with the cut chicken.
Once cool enough, serve it to your pup.

Canned Pumpkin

Pumpkin is another favorite recommendation for what to feed a dog with diarrhea. It’s easy to digest and full of soluble fiber that can absorb water. And it acts as a prebiotic (food for probiotics), so it stimulates the growth of good bacteria in the gut while discouraging the bad kind.

Make sure you get 100% canned pumpkin, and not the pumpkin pie filling that has a lot of sugar and spices that aren’t good for dogs.

Mashed Potatoes

Potatoes, whether they are white or sweet potatoes, are also gentle on a dog’s tummy. You can’t feed them raw though; they also need to be boiled and then mashed. You can use these as a substitute for rice in the chicken and rice meal.

Steps:

Peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes.
Put them in a pot and cover the cubes with water.
Boil the cubed potatoes for around 15 minutes, or until they are soft.
Remove from heat, drain, and cool.
Mash the potatoes, but do not add butter, salt, milk, or any other ingredients.

Boiled Eggs

Eggs are great sources of animal protein, which your dog needs, but they’re also easy on the stomach. Be sure to boil the eggs instead of frying or scrambling them. One egg is plenty for small or medium dogs, but you can offer two boiled eggs to large dogs.

Let the egg cool and chop it up before you serve it to your dog. This can also be used as a substitute for chicken in the chicken and rice recipe.

Mashed Carrots

Tons of vitamins, plus fiber and potassium make cooked carrots another safe bet for dogs with an upset stomach. You can also boil this bland veggie and then mash it and let it cool.

What Not to Feed a Dog With Diarrhea

You should also know what not to feed dogs with diarrhea. Stay away from:

Dog treats (while your pup still has diarrhea)
Seasonings and spices on human foods that you cook
Fruit of any kind
Milk and other dairy products
Butter and cooking oils
Fatty foods and table scraps
Human foods that are toxic for dogs (garlic, grapes, onion)