What To Feed a Dog With Diarrhea

A big concern for pet parents is realizing their dog has diarrhea. It’s also during this time that a pet parent may be wondering is it OK to feed a dog with diarrhea and more importantly, what should they feed a dog with diarrhea? 

Should You Feed a Dog with Diarrhea?

Depending on the underlying cause of your dog’s diarrhea, a few dietary recommendations are made by most veterinarians.  

Most of the time, as long as your pup is not vomiting, feeding a bland diet is best along with probiotics to help keep the digestive system healthy. If a dog only has diarrhea and is not vomiting, there is no need to withhold food because it may make them not want to eat when you start to feed them again. 

For very young puppies (under 3 months old), senior dogs, and those with other known health problems, call your veterinarian for advice before fasting.  

Fasting for Dogs With Diarrhea 

Sometimes a 12–hour or even shorter fast might be advised, such as the case with dogs that might have eaten something they shouldn’t have. When in doubt, contact your veterinarian. 

If recommended, fasting can get all the bad stuff moving down and out of a dog’s system. This gives your dog’s system a short rest, like rebooting a computer. This can be helpful in cases of frequent episodes of profuse diarrhea.  

Do not give treats but keep plenty of fresh water available to them. It’s important to ensure your dog always has access to water and to never withhold it from them. 

If your dog seems ill, is vomiting or still has diarrhea 24 to 48 hours later, call your veterinarian.  

Does a Bland Diet Work for Dogs With Diarrhea?

Yes, a bland diet can be extremely helpful for dogs with diarrhea. A bland diet for dogs can also be helpful after the fasting period, as long as they haven’t had any additional episodes of diarrhea and have no other symptoms. 

A bland diet is very important, because you don’t want to upset their system all over again. Probiotics and fiber additives such as canned pumpkin are great for diarrhea as well.  

The fasting-plus-bland-diet plan is most appropriate for dogs that simply got into something that upset their system, not for longer-term concerns like chronic conditions. 

How to Give Your Dog a Bland Diet for Diarrhea 

If your dog seems to be OK and does not have an ongoing health condition or chronic diarrhea, offer a small amount of a bland diet. Bland food is easy for the system to digest and more likely to be tolerated. Small amounts given more frequently are also easiest for the body to process. 

For most dogs, an appropriate bland diet would consist of boiled lean white meat chicken or boiled lean hamburger plus rice, to provide both a protein and a carbohydrate. Boiling is recommended to boil out as much fat as possible. The idea is to give your dog a very low-fat, easy-to-digest meal. 

It’s best to start with a very small amount—sometimes only a tablespoon or two—to see if your dog is up to eating and able to keep the food down. It is far better to give a small meal every two to three hours than a large one right away, even if your dog is begging for more. 

Most veterinarians will recommend a bland diet for three to five days after an episode of mild diarrhea, assuming your dog otherwise seems OK. Any animal that is still sick or vomiting needs additional care beyond the bland diet, so contact your vet. 

Food for Dogs With Mild or Acute Diarrhea

In most cases, vets consider mild diarrhea to be soft or loose stool that has lasted fewer than 48–72 hours, with the dog is still active and eating and drinking like normal and has no other symptoms. 

It is more worrisome if your dog seems to be feeling ill. You may notice that your dog is sleeping more than usual or is lethargic, is not eating well, is quiet, has vomited, has blood or mucus in their diarrhea, or seems sluggish. 

Acute diarrhea starts suddenly—in other words, your dog was perfectly normal on their 10 p.m. walk, and at 6 a.m., the floor was covered in diarrhea. Acute diarrhea can be mild or severe depending on additional signs of illness. 

When offering bland food for acute diarrhea: 

• Use a prescription bland food from your veterinarian or a home-prepared bland diet.  

• This bland diet should be a 1:1 ratio of boiled meat to rice  

• For example: 1 cup boiled chicken and 1 cup rice, using the leanest possible meat. 

• The most recommended options are boiled white meat chicken or boiled hamburger. 

• Begin by feeding 2 tablespoons of the mixture per 10 pounds of body weight. Offer these small meals every two to three hours during the first day. It is better to offer too little food than too much. 

• Over the next three days, gradually increase the portion size and decrease the meal frequency if the diarrhea is improving.  

• Between days three and five, start to blend in some of your dog’s regular food. By day seven, most dogs should be back on their regular dog food and feeling fine. 

If at any point your dog has more diarrhea, is vomiting, or is not feeling well, call your vet. After the initial fasting period or change to a bland diet, you should see steady improvement in your pet’s condition. If you notice setbacks, contact your vet immediately.  

What To Feed Dogs With Chronic Diarrhea

If your dog is having chronic diarrhea, with ongoing episodes over time, there is probably an underlying medical condition at play.  

Before you can settle on an appropriate diet, the health condition needs to be identified, diagnosed, and addressed—and diet is likely only part of the treatment plan by your veterinarian. 

Prescription diets designed for dogs with diarrhea might be more appropriate if your dog has a long-term problem with diarrhea or a health problem such as inflammatory bowel disease.  

Prescription foods can help with long-term gastrointestinal problems because they are made to meet all nutritional needs over longer periods. These are fully balanced and complete diets and can often be fed to other healthy dogs in the home too (talk to your vet first!). 

Although a homemade diet like the bland diet is useful in the short term, it is extremely deficient in many of the nutrients necessary to keep a dog healthy over time.  

Many prescription foods are available through your veterinarian, with some of the most common diets including: Hill’s Prescription Diet i/d (intestinal diet), Purina EN (gastroenteric nutrition), and Royal Canin Gastrointestinal. 

Many other brands and formulas are available, and your veterinarian will help you sort out which is most appropriate for your dog depending on their underlying condition.