Stress is not good for the human digestive system, and the same is true for dogs. If your dog is experiencing diarrhea after a time of stress such as a trip to the vet or a stay in a strange place, that could be the cause of the problem. Once the stress has been alleviated, the symptoms are likely to stop.
If the diarrhea, regardless of the cause, does not stop, you will need to take some action. The first thing you should do is try to adjust what you are feeding the dog. Switching to a bland diet is often all it takes to resolve any problem in the digestive system.
Here is how to properly put your dog on a bland diet.
First, withhold all food for 24 hours. This will allow your dog’s system to clear before beginning the new foods. A bland diet typically consists of the following:
Low-fat, cooked meats such as chicken or lean hamburger with the fat drained off
Boiled white rice
Cooked oatmeal
Boiled sweet potatoes
Plain yogurt
Feed a mixture of about 50/50 of the meat and either rice or oatmeal. You can also include small quantities of the sweet potato and/or yogurt. Simply add either of those ingredients into the meat/rice or meat/oatmeal mixture. Be sure that at all times, including during the 24 hours in which you withhold food, that fresh water is always available to your pet.
Another food that many pet owners swear by for the treatment of diarrhea in their pet is canned pumpkin. It must be 100% pure pumpkin and not a flavored pie filling. Interestingly, pumpkin may help with constipation as well as with diarrhea.
If the cause of your pet’s diarrhea is fairly minor, it is likely that feeding a bland diet will clear it up. Once the stools are no longer loose, you may begin to slowly reintroduce the dog’s regular diet.
As mentioned earlier, there are times when it is important that you get your dog to the vet right away. This is true the diarrhea is accompanied by any of the following symptoms.
Lethargy
Appears to be in pain
Is sleeping a lot more than usual
Has runny or watery eyes
Has a fever
Appears to have abdominal pain or is bloated
Seems to be dehydrated.
Any of the symptoms listed could be the sign of a very serious condition. Getting your pet to a vet or medical hospital quickly is important in such cases. When visiting a vet or emergency pet hospital, it’s a good idea to bring a fresh stool sample. This can assist in diagnosing any medical problems.
So what should you feed a dog with diarrhea? The answer is a bland diet, but only if no other symptoms are present. If there are other symptoms, then a visit to the vet is a good idea.
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