How To Treat Dog Diarrhea

Diarrhea is a common issue in dogs so knowing how to treat dog diarrhea can help prepare you for when the problem arises. Typically diarrhea can occur suddenly due to changes in diet or if your dog has eaten something that could have upset his stomach. Treating dog diarrhea is easy enough to do on your own and at home to help alleviate the symptoms and stop your dog’s diarrhea.

1. Put your dog on a fast. As soon as you notice your dog has diarrhea, you can help treat the diarrhea by removing her food. Put your dog on a twelve to 24 hour fast where you avoid feeding him until the symptoms are alleviated. By stopping your dog from ingesting any food, it can prevent any further irritation in her stomach to help you treat dog diarrhea.
2. Feed your dog bland food. If the diarrhea seems to be getting better after the fast, you can start feeding your dog again. Instead of putting him back on his regular diet of dog food, you want to start off slow with bland food to help treat the dog diarrhea. Prepare some cooked white rice and boil boneless skinless chicken or hamburger to feed your dog. To further help in treating the dog diarrhea, you can also include some pumpkin which adds much needed fiber; or plain yogurt that will help calm your dog’s stomach. Give your dog small portions every four hours rather than one or two huge portions that may upset her stomach.
3. Slowly re-introduce your dog’s regular food. After continuing the bland food diet for two days to treat the dog diarrhea, you can slowly re-introduce regular dog food as the diarrhea symptoms improve. Start by adding about ¼ of his normal dog food to mix with the bland food and add more gradually over the next couple of days until he is completely on his regular dog food diet again.
4. Keep your dog hydrated. When treating dog diarrhea, make sure your dog has enough water. Keep a fresh bowl of water available for your dog to drink throughout the day. Empty the bowl and change the water regularly to ensure the water is kept clean. Diarrhea can lead to dehydration if your dog is not well hydrated so to make sure you treat the dog diarrhea properly, your dog must drink lots of water daily.
5. Limit activity. While your dog is recuperating from diarrhea symptoms, make sure to limit her activity levels. When treating dog diarrhea try to keep your dog’s exercise levels low by reducing walks to short distances and for less time. Do not allow your dog to be overactive with long playtime sessions or running around, as this can cause your dog to be overly tired and hinder the treatment for diarrhea.

While most dog diarrhea is not serious, if your dog experiences diarrhea for longer than two days, you should visit your veterinarian. You should also watch out for more serious symptoms that may be occurring with the diarrhea such as: vomiting, blood in stool, fever, loss of appetite, lethargy, unexplained weight loss, and straining to defecate. If your dog has any of these symptoms, you should stop trying to treat the dog diarrhea yourself and contact your veterinarian immediately.