Feeding a Dog with Diarrhea: Causes, Care, and Feeding Tips

Dogs can have diarrhea for a variety of reasons, from improper diet to underlying health conditions, and diarrhea can cause severe dehydration. As a pet owner, it is important to understand the possible causes, recognize the signs of gastrointestinal discomfort, and know how to feed your dog properly during this sensitive period.

This article describes the main causes of dog diarrhea, causes of stomach upset, and feeding tips to help recovery.

What causes dog diarrhea?

Common causes of dog diarrhea include improper diet, food allergies or intolerances, parasites, bacterial or viral infections, bad mood, and underlying chronic diseases. Pet owners need to consider many reasons, whether it is a new companion who is not adapting to the new home or a sudden acute gastroenteritis in a dog that has been fed for a while.

• Improper diet: When walking the dog outside, the dog may be curious to eat things that should not be eaten, such as spoiled food, garbage or foreign objects, or even eating grass and eating dirt. These will irritate their digestive system and cause diarrhea.
• Dietary changes: When we want to change the dog’s dietary structure, we need to pay attention to gradual changes. Changing the dog’s food too quickly may make their stomach upset.
• Food allergies or intolerances: When pet owners add some grains, dairy products or specific proteins to their food, please pay attention to whether your dog is sensitive or intolerant, which may cause diarrhea.
• Parasites: Intestinal parasites (such as roundworms, hookworms or giardia) can disrupt the dog’s digestive function and cause loose stools. This is easy to happen when the dog is on the go.
• Infection: Bacteria (such as salmonella) or viral infections (such as parvovirus) can cause severe diarrhea.
• Stress or anxiety: The dog’s emotional anxiety can cause gastrointestinal dysfunction, which can cause diarrhea. Dokoo dog camera relieves dog anxiety and connects owners and dogs with voice.
• Side effects of drugs: When dogs take certain drugs (such as antibiotics), they can also disrupt the dog’s gastrointestinal balance.
• Underlying health conditions: Some chronic diseases (such as inflammatory bowel disease or liver and kidney problems) can manifest as diarrhea.

Basically, 80% of dog diarrhea is caused by gastrointestinal discomfort. When we find that the dog’s stomach is uncomfortable, we need to pay more attention to the dog’s diet and make changes to help the dog recover.

What should you feed a dog with diarrhea?

In most cases, it is best not to provide any food for dogs with diarrhea more than three times a day for 12 hours. Fasting can fully expel harmful substances from the body.
However, for puppies (under 3 months old), elderly dogs, and dogs with known other health problems, please call your veterinarian for advice before fasting.

How to feed a dog with diarrhea?

When your dog has diarrhea, please first pay attention to the dog’s mental state and dog stool to determine whether it is caused by mild, acute or chronic gastroenteritis, and then adjust the correct feeding to support the dog’s recovery.
Understanding dog diarrhea: Mild diarrhea refers to soft or loose stools that last less than three days, and the dog is still active and eats and drinks normally, and has no other symptoms. Acute diarrhea is sudden onset and is accompanied by vomiting, mental fatigue, and blood or mucus in the diarrhea. Chronic diarrhea is long-term and continuous, which may be the result of an underlying disease.
Dogs should not be fed too much food after diarrhea, and clean, fresh water should be provided to prevent dehydration.

What should I do after my dog ​​has diarrhea?

Normally, when a dog has diarrhea, the owner should fast, introduce a light diet, gradually restore regular food and summarize the cause to prevent the dog from having diarrhea again.

1. Fasting

When your dog starts to have diarrhea, consider fasting for 12-24 hours, which includes any food, snacks, bones and other canned food, but do not fast water. This step is to let the dog’s intestines clear everything and then rest.
For puppies or small dogs, elderly dogs, or dogs with health diseases, please consult your veterinarian if fasting is necessary. Fasting will make them lack nutrition and affect their health.

2. Introducing a light diet

After a period of fasting, we can start to prepare some light diets for dogs instead of dog dry food kibble, etc.
The best food for dogs with diarrhea is pumpkin, turkey and white rice. Foods that are light in taste, rich in fiber and protein help the intestines regulate digestion, replenish nutrition and restore health.
Cooked white rice: easy to digest and helps to make stool harder. Cooked chicken or turkey: skinless and boneless fat-free chicken provides lean protein. Plain mashed potatoes: avoid adding butter, salt or seasonings. Pumpkin (plain, sugar-free): rich in fiber, helps regulate digestion.
After introducing a bland diet, keep eating small and frequent meals (3-4 times a day) to avoid overloading the stomach. If the dog still has multiple episodes of diarrhea within 48 hours after we fasted the dog and introduced a bland diet, you need to take the dog to the veterinarian for examination and treatment.

3. Rehydration

Diarrhea can cause dehydration. Make sure your dog has access to fresh water regularly. Dogs with diarrhea will suffer from severe loss of sodium and potassium in the body, which can be supplemented through foods such as pumpkin puree and mashed potatoes. You can also consult your veterinarian for approval to add electrolyte solutions to the water to replenish the lost minerals.

4. Avoid high-fat foods

The stomach of a dog with diarrhea is very fragile, and high-fat foods will aggravate diarrhea and should be avoided during the recovery period.

5. Gradually resume regular food

Mix the dog’s regular food with the bland diet for 3-5 days until they are fully adapted.

Should dogs see a veterinarian for diarrhea?

When a dog has only mild diarrhea, owners can usually control it at home, but some cases require professional care. Contact your veterinarian if:

• Diarrhea lasts for more than 48 hours.
• You notice blood or mucus in the stool.
• Your dog shows signs of severe dehydration (e.g., sunken eyes, weakness and lethargy).
• Repeated vomiting while having diarrhea.
• Your dog has a fever, is in pain, or refuses to eat.
• Coarse or dull fur
• Symptoms of abdominal pain, such as groaning, bloating, unwillingness to be touched, panting, or long periods of “praying posture” with front legs and head on the ground and hips hanging in the air.

As much as we hate to see it, dog diarrhea can sometimes be a sign of poisoning or medication. Please do not give your dog over-the-counter medications on your own, and contact your veterinarian immediately in an emergency.

How to prevent dog diarrhea?

Dog diarrhea can affect dog health and damage the stomach and intestines. To minimize the risk of future diarrhea, keep your dog on a consistent diet, monitor their living environment, deworm them regularly, limit table scraps, and vaccinate.

It is impossible for the owner to be at home 24 hours a day. Work and socializing will separate the pet and the owner for a period of time. The existence of the dog camera can well check the dog’s home status. The two-way voice call can divert the dog’s attention and prevent the dog from eating randomly at home.

How to prevent the dog from diarrhea again?

Understand the main causes of diarrhea this time to prevent the dog from diarrhea again.
For example, ensure that the dog’s diet is nutritionally balanced, do not feed the dog raw food, spicy food or table scraps, stop the dog from eating randomly, insist on exercise, keep healthy, regular physical examinations and deworming, find out the food and allergens that the dog is intolerant to, and maintain a happy and positive mood.
Owners should spend more time with your furry children and pay more attention and love.

Conclusion

Dog diarrhea can usually be controlled with proper care and feeding. Understanding the underlying causes and taking measures to soothe the dog’s digestive system can help them recover faster. By providing a light diet, ensuring adequate water and using Dokoo dog cameras to monitor their condition, you can provide your dog with the support they need during this uncomfortable period. For persistent or severe cases, always consult a veterinarian to ensure the health and well-being of your furry friend.