You’ve probably noticed your pup having a not-so-fun time while pooping, and you want to help them as soon as you can! A vet trip may not be necessary for your pup’s condition, so here are a few tips and tricks for what you can do while at home!
Causes of Diarrhea
There could be various reasons why your pup isn’t feeling too hot. It may be something as simple as they ate something off, all the way to a chronic disease. Here are some common causes of diarrhea in your pup:
- Spoiled food
- Poisonous Foods (like onions, chocolate, etc.)
- Ate a small item (like game items, hair accessories, other small items, etc. )
- Change in Food (like switching your dog’s food)
- Food Allergies
- Bacterial Infections
- Viral Disease/Sickness
- Parasites
- IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)
- Kidney or Liver Problems/Disease
Symptoms of Diarrhea
- Black, tar-like stool
- Blood in stool
- Loose stool
- More frequent bathroom breaks
- Loss or lack of appetite
- Vomiting
If these symptoms persist for over 2 days or if your puppy is younger than 8 months, you will need to consult your vet to see if it may not be just a simple stomach bug. It may be a chronic problem and may require more than just home remedies!
Home Remedies
Rice-water Diet
One of the first things many vets recommend to do is to put your dog on a rice-water diet. All you have to do is boil white rice and water to a 1:4 ratio, and boil the rice until the water turns white. You should avoid brown rice and boxed or packaged rice, as brown rice can cause more digestive issues and boxed rice tends to not be made out of high quality rice.
Rice-water is meant to help rebalance your pup’s gut by reintroducing probiotics to help their digestive system. It will also help re-harden their stool! 24-hours of rice-water should be able to help your pup get back on track and feel much better.
Bland Foods
Another diet recommendation to help your pup is giving them bland foods. Try making broth-based meals for them by boiling a couple of chicken thighs or other meat in a pot of water, then boiling several vegetables, like carrots, pumpkins, celery, and yams, in a separate pot. Strain both items, putting the chicken aside. Next, mash the vegetables together and mix in the broth. This meal should be able to help settle any upset tummy, especially for your pup.
Pure pumpkin is also a wonderful aid for your pup’s upset stomach! Pumpkin is chock full of vitamins and fiber that can help your furry friend’s stomach bug pass. You can mix pumpkin into your pup’s regular food or rice, or just feed it to them plain.
If your pup isn’t fond of vegetable based foods, consider using meats without bones, cooking them, and shredding them up as finely as you can. Add broth to help your pup digest.
Yogurt
One more trick many people recommend is yogurt. Since yogurt is full of probiotics, it should be able to help your dog’s stomach rebalance into a more healthy state. When giving your pup yogurt, make sure it is completely unflavored and has no added sugars. Those ingredients could make your puppy’s stomach worse!
Water
Water is critical in keeping your pup healthy when they’re dealing with diarrhea. Like humans, diarrhea can easily lead to dehydration due to the loss of water when going to the bathroom. Always try to coerce your pup to drink water by giving them access to water at all given times, and to remember to refill their bowl.
Once again, if your pup seems to be avoiding water, try to add broth to their meals at the very least to get more water into their system. Hydration is important while your pup is sick!
OTC Medicine
If you’re running out of options, consider getting probiotic medicine for your pup. These can be commonly found in pet stores, or on websites like Amazon or Chewy. Even if your pup doesn’t have diarrhea, probiotics can help your pup feel more energetic if they’re prone to stomach problems!
Diarrhea medicine is also available in pet stores or on online sites like Amazon and Chewy. Loperamide is the most commonly used diarrhea medicine for dogs, and should be able to help your pup get healthy as soon as they can! The most common brand is called Imodium. Your pup should only take 2mg per 25-50lbs, up to 3 times a day. While this is normally used for humans, your pup should be able to take it!
In the end, taking care of your furry friend’s diarrhea shouldn’t be hard to do at home! While a vet trip should never be necessary, if it gets too bad, don’t be scared to call for your dog’s health!
