When your dog's tummy becomes upset, you'll want to resort to a special, gentle diet to quell his aching intestinal tract. Dogs often get diarrhea if they consume rich food, foreign objects or are taking a medication. Dog diarrhea is characterized as any unusual forming stool---watery, soft or oddly formed. Always call your veterinarian if the diarrhea is chronic (occurring often), you find blood in the stool or if the diarrhea lasts for more than one week.
Bland Food Diet
If the diarrhea develops acutely (for a short period of time), a bland food diet is one way to get your dog back to a normal, healthy digestive state. Remove the dog's usual dog food and cook all of his meals while on this diet. Include low-fat meat, such as boiled skinless, boneless chicken. Do not sauté in sauces, butter or olive oil, which will further upset the dog's digestive system. Provide boiled white rice or cottage cheese. One-third of the dog's total diet should consist of the boiled chicken; two-thirds should be either the rice or cottage cheese. Keep your dog on this diet for at least 48 hours or until the stool returns to normal.
As your dog's condition improves, you can add other foods to her bland diet. Add 1 to 3 tbsp. of yogurt to each meal or 2 to 4 tbsp. of boiled sweet potato as a "side dish." You can also add a probiotic. WellVet.com recommends Healthy Flora.
DogAware.com suggests other diet treatments, such as adding pumpkin to a dog's diet because it adds fiber, absorbs liquid and makes stools firmer. Cabbage juice and ginger are other recommendations from Dog Aware, as well as enteric coated peppermint. You can find enteric coated peppermint in health food stores. Give the peppermint to the dog 15 minutes before the dog eats her meals.
Diet Strategy
How often and how much you feed your dog when he has a bout of diarrhea will make a difference in how fast it clears his system. When you initially detect that the dog has diarrhea, let him fast for 12 to 24 hours, existing on liquids only. For puppies, only conduct the fast for 12 hours. Provide lots of water so the dog doesn't become dehydrated. Once the fast is finished, feed the dog small and frequent meals throughout the day. Continue to keep the dog well-hydrated because he lost fluids while he had diarrhea. Once your dog's diarrhea clears up, keep him on the diet for a few additional days to ensure he has eliminated all the toxins or irritants from his system.
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