What to Feed a Dog With Diarrhea - Understanding Your Dog's Needs

Thankfully, not every dog owner will have to deal with the unpleasantness of diarrhea with their dog However, for those that are unfortunate enough to have a dog with diarrhea, we are going to help you to know what to feed a dog with diarrhea to reduce the discomfort for your dog. Keep in mind, if your dog has persistent issues with runny bowel movements you should contact your veterinarian and set up an appointment.

Understanding what to feed your dog with diarrhea is important because you want to reduce his discomfort and eliminate the soft and runny stools. By feeding your dog the wrong foods you could essentially be adding to his distress and discomfort. Here are some tips to help you:

1. You can continue feeding your dog his regular dog food (as long as you know it is not the cause of his diarrhea) in smaller portions. Typically, reduce his portion amount by half.


2. Boiled potatoes are good for dogs with loose bowels movements.


3. Pumpkin in a can is high in fibers and has been linked to assisting with the elimination of diarrhea in dogs.


4. Boiled chicken and white rice combined can also assist the dog in feeling better.

Here are a few things you should watch for:

• lethargy


• loss of balance


• noticeable weight loss


• dehydration


• vomiting


• inability to stand


• bloody diarrhea


• blood in urine


• blood in vomit


• symptoms last for more than 24 hours from onset of first symptom (unless blood)

Immediately bring your pet into your local veterinarian's office for further evaluation and testing. Unfortunately, it is possible a dog is suffering from something more serious than loose bowel movements if any of the above symptoms are experienced with the diarrhea.

Paying close attention to your dog while he is not feeling well is going to be the key if he has something more serious wrong with him. Prompt action can be the difference between a successful course of treatment and an unsuccessful treatment.

Be careful to not overfeed your dog while you are treating him for diarrhea. Knowing how much and what to feed your dog with diarrhea is going to help him recover faster. Keep in mind, you should reduce the amount he is being fed daily, but be sure to not feed him less than half of his normal intake daily. If you feel more needs to be done for your dog, you can discuss the possibility of adding supplements to his food with your veterinarian.