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I used to work at a vet. While there, I learned a few "home remedies" for some common pet ailments, including diarrhea.
Instead of their usual dog food, give your pet small servings of a bland diet 4-5 times throughout the day. Choose from:
Continue to feed several small servings of this bland diet for a few days in gradually increasing amounts until a formed stool is passed. Then, start to wean your pet back to its regular food over the course of a week by gradually working in small amounts of their regular dry dog food.
Do not give your pet bones, snacks, or table scraps, because they may irritate the intestinal tract during this time.
Dogs can also be given a dose of Pepto Bismol every 6 hours. (Dosage depends on your dog's weight: 1 ml per 10 lbs.) Bonus, the Pepto Bismol also works to stop vomiting.
Two other over-the-counter medicines can be given to dogs with diarrhea: Imodium AD (1 ml per 10 lbs. every 8 hours) and Kaopectate (Dogs: 0.05-0.1 mg/pound by mouth every 8 hours. Treatment should only be needed for 1-2 days.
If diarrhea persists or worsens, contact your veterinarian.
Vet or No Vet? Fortunately, episodes of doggie diarrhea have sudden onset, are easily cured, and occur infrequently. However, diarrhea becomes clinically significant after 24 hours. Therefore, if the diarrhea has lasted a few days, or your dog is weak and listless, or there are additional problems (such as vomiting or blood in the stool), then it is time to have a veterinarian examine your pet.
While home remedies could save you a small chunk of change in a pinch, you should always consult with your veterinarian - at least via telephone - at the onset of any "symptoms".
Here's another valuable tip that I wasn't aware of until I started working at the vet:
You don't always have to lug your pet to the vet to obtain a diagnosis (and medications if there's a problem). With diarrhea, for example, you could simply take a recent sample of your pet's stool to the vet. The "fecal test" is generally very inexpensive ($10-$15) and works wonders for giving you peace of mind.
By Lynnette
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
My 4-months-old Schnauzer puppy has digestive problems (diarrhea) every time we try to feed him dry puppy food.
He came to us from the breeder with a sample of Eukanuba Small Breed Puppy, and from the first day his poop was soft/liquid and he was gassing profusely (very bad smell). We had to put him on home cooked chicken and rice blunt diet that stopped diarrhea. After that
I have been told they can not eat food with corn products in it. We get ours food at the farm supply and it says no corn on it.
My mother has a small Westie and he also has problems with dog food and most people food. For the last 6 years she has been cooking chicken, rice and beans for him. The chicken is roasted, all skin and fat removed, and chopped up small. She boils the rice and veggies. Freezes this mix up in 1 cup portions for her pup. He eats 1/2 cup a day and has had no problems. The vet called it a sensitive stomach, common in some small breeds. During his 'episodes' he also had vomiting and was very lethargic. Any other food, he gets sick. If it works for you, keep cooking the chicken for him. Good luck.
I have a standard Schnauzer that had the same sort of problems at 4 months (he is now 7 months). I kept contributing it to eating dirt (although he didn't eat much of it). The only thing that seems to have worked is FortiFlora by Purina.
Also, adding canned pumpkin to the food helped keep it firm
I have two mini Schnauzers and both have bad stomach problems. My vet told me the reason for my dogs' problems is because they are eating too much fat. She explained to me that their body can't break down fat and that is what caused all the problems. Well it cost me over 500.00 dollars to find this out so I hope I can help someone out. So with my Schnauzer I have to feed a low fat food and if I give a treat to them it also has to have low fat. This is why Schnauzers do well with chicken products and lamb because of the low fat. Well hope this helps someone.
My dog has diarrhea. She has had it for 3 days. I am giving her Pedialite. What should I do? Why is this happening?
By Jo
Take the dog to a veterinarian immediately. Diarrhea for three days is as serious in an animal as it is in a human.
My dog had a easily upset stomach, so started using yogurt a couple tablespoons a day. Good luck with everything. A trip to the vet would be the first thing I would do also.
Another treatment for diarrhea in dogs is to mix canned pumpkin in with the dog food. It has to be canned pumpkin which has no other ingredient in it. It is available. I keep a couple of cans of it just in case. Good luck. Consider calling a vet as well.
Give her Pepto Bismol. Dosage depends on her weight. It's on the side of the bottle. Give it to her no more than every 6 hours and it'll clear it right up, depending on the severity usually within 1-3 doses. I originally got this from a vet many many years ago. Since that time I've been told this by other vets countless times.
See a vet. They will probably recommend a bland diet which is boiled chicken, ground up, and white rice.
I have a teacup Yorkie puppy who's going to be 8 weeks old next week. She weights 1 pound 4 ounces. She has diarrhea. Want could I give her so she could poop normally?
By Negrita D.
Take the puppy to the vet ASAP. Diarrhea can mean any number of things, and in a puppy, it can be quite serious. This is not something you want to treat with home remedies.
Hi, it would be a good idea to take your pup in for a fecal exam. Sometimes pups can have intestinal parasites- completely treatable. Make sure your pup is drinking lots of water and some organic canned pumpkin could help temporarily. Good luck with your new puppy :)
Once a month after being spayed my miniature Dachshund gets diarrhea. I was wondering why?
By Ernest from Vancouver, WA
See your Vet.
As with humans, intestinal bacteria can become imbalanced (e.g. using antibiotics) causing diarrhoea or constipation. You can try giving the pup 1/2 teaspoon of plain unpasturised unsweetened yogurt daily. You can also give your dog acidophilus pills. The live acidophilus in the yogurt keeps the good bacteria in your dog's intestines in balance - dogs love this treat.Daily yogurt dose:
1/2 tablespoon - small sized dog
1 tablespoon - medium sized dog
2 tablespoon - large sized dog
Choosing a good yogurt: unpasturised unsweetened yogurt with live active cultures and no added fruit or sugar. The less ingredients, the better the quality for humans and pets.
Most dog treats/ snacks are not good for them. Give the pup a piece of carrot as a toy/ snack. Introduce vegetables with chow (spinach. carrots, small pieces of lettuce, lentil peas). Do not feed with milk - soak puppy chow in water if it is too hard to chew. No added seasonings, oil or sugar.
Our dog is passing loose stools and also I have noticed a patch of hair loss by her ear?
By Nicola
I just got a 10 week old Pit Bull puppy. He had been dewormed and had his first shots about a week ago. He started getting diarrhea yesterday and now I am seeing a little blood in his stool.
I'm going to mix a little white rice in his food and give him Pedialyte. Should I be too worried?don't give him pedialyte or any liquid besides water until a vet has seen him, the blood is a sign of a problem that pedialyte won't fix
I would definitely take him to the vet for a check-up. In the meantime, boiled white rice and boiled unseasoned chicken should be fine, along with Pedialyte to rehydrate him.
This could be the beginnings of parvo, a virus that is often fatal. Your puppy needs to be tested by a Vet and may need supportive care to pull through. You need to see the Vet like yesterday. Time is very important with this virus. Get him tested asap. The test is easy and not expensive. Good luck.
Why does my Jack Russell have diarrhea after being in the sea? His belly does a rumbling sound then water comes out of his backend.
By K Hughes
I did a Google search. So easy to do. I typed in "diarrhea salt water," and this was one of the results:
www.ehow.com/
If you need more information, you can do a search, too. And if your dog doesn't improve soon, you should contact his vet.
Depends on where you live. I live in the Pacific Northwest, and a few years ago, my dog got Salmon poisoning at the river near the coast. Apparently there is a bacteria that lives on a parasite that lives on the fish. If your dog ingests the bacteria, it can kill them - even if they lick the ground where someone cleaned a fish previously. Midnight had diarrhea and wouldn't eat. He was extremely lethargic. He ended up spending several days on IV liquids and antibiotics at the vet, then he was fine. I researched afterword and it is a disease where they have a near 100% chance of survival if they are on an IV, but a greater than 50% chance of dying without. We get Salmon at the coast in Oregon. Anyway, if it doesn't get better within 24 hours, I'd call the vet.
It's the salt water. A lot of dogs will also get diarrhea after swimming in chlorinated water if they swallow a lot.
Get plain yogurt and a can of pumpkin mix several tablespoons of yogurt and add a tsp or 2 of pumpkin to it. Give it to the dog multiple times a day. The squirts will go away.
I have a mix Poodle. She just had her first period and is acting very differently. She does not want to eat and she has been having diarrhea for two days. Is this OK? What I can do?
By Jammi
Make sure she is drinking water. Dogs can go for several days without eating. She should be spayed, very important. There are too many unwanted dogs in this world. If diarrhea continues another day, get her to the vet. And have her spayed.
She is not eating anything. We gave her Flagyl or gravinate syrup.
By Kholla
If your dog continues to have diarrhea, after your attempts to help her have not worked, and she is not eating, she needs veterinary help now. Your dog is suffering and needs help now.
My Yorkie has had just a little bit of diarrhea, but she is still drinking water and eating a little. She has done this for 2 days. I asked my vet and she said to give her Immodium; I have. What could be wrong? She is still playing and running around.
By JC
Dogs, like humans, can get stomach bugs. You don't have to worry unless she stops eating, has worms in stool, blood in stool, acts lethargic or wobbly, or loses weight.
My dog has diarrhea; what is a cheap effective method of cure? I love my dog, so please help. Thank you.
By Reis
I have found what helps is a can of chicken rice soup helps. The broth has sodium to help retain fluids in the dogs body since they are loosing so much with the diarrhea and the rice helps to 'clog up' the system (so to speak). If it doesn't start to help within the day, I would contact the vet. The dog may become dehydrated and also the dog may have come into contact with a bug in water that is making them ill.
My dog has diahrrea. He's had it before and responded to antibiotics and everything was "coming out" fine, but it started out again, I got antibiotics again from the vet and it's been four days and he still has loose stools.
Talk to your Veterinarian about "Scourban" and if they have never heard of it change your Vet. Good luck
This is a page about remedies for a puppy with diarrhea. Diarrhea can be a very serious condition for your puppy. It needs prompt attention to protect your pet's health.
ThriftyFun is one of the longest running frugal living communities on the Internet. These are archives of older discussions.
My dog has diarrhea. He's had it before and responded to antibiotics and everything was "coming out" fine, but it started out again, I got antibiotics again from the vet and it's been four days and he still has loose stools.
Sorry to talk about something so non-pleasant, but I'm resorting to taking him off solid foods as that is what my dog book suggested. Anybody out there have any good ideas? My vet said he has colitis and
It's awfully hard to stop the cycle. And don't suggest cottage cheese as I'm a non-dairy eater and I come from the school of thought that dairy encourages diarrhea, so I wouldn't want to give that to my dog.
Margie
Try 1 tablespoon Pepto Bismal; our vet says it's safe for dogs. Also with the rice try a little bit of browned hamburger, but make sure to rinse it under some water to rinse off the grease as to not upset the dog's stomach any further. Our vet had us do this with our dog when she got cancer and was unable to eat dog food. (05/31/2005)
By imaqt1962
You should definitely take your dog to see a different vet if diarrhea does not clear up within 48 hours. There are many causes of diarrhea including, but not limited to: change in diet, stress, disease, illness, and parasites. The diet and stress-inducing life changes would only cause temporary diarrhea, but anything longer than 48 hours would more likely be from illness, disease, or parasites. It is crucial that your pet see a vet for these causes, as delaying treatment could allow the dog to become severely dehydrated, or worse. Please consider taking the dog to a different vet, if the one you are currently using doesn't seem to be doing anything helpful. It may not be the most "thrifty" solution, but it may be the safest. (05/31/2005)
By Karen
Did dog have antibiotics for illness? Maybe like humans, you need to restore good critters to intestines and digestive track with active yogurt. (05/31/2005)
You can give canned pumpkin (not pie filling) just plain with nothing added. You can mix it with hamburger if your dog won't eat it. I would go to another vet, too. (05/31/2005)
By Donna
This just happened to us and this solution worked great. Give the dog either Imodium pills or generic equivalent. Be sure to look on the pack for dosage according to the weight of the dog. Good luck!
(06/01/2005)
By Susan M.
My vet says only use chicken or turkey with the rice. Boil it and then just feed a little at a time, until the diarrhea is gone do not give anything else except Pepto or the like. Yes you need to go to another vet if they don't seem to be concerned.
My dog likes anything I give her. Try Gatoraid or Pedialyte for the electrolytes. (06/01/2005)
By Sandy
First coat his bowl with Kaopectate. Then put in scrambled eggs with cream of wheat cereal with a little garlic powder, cranberry sauce, and a tiny bit of bacon fat if you have it. Just a tiny bit, a lot of
animals love it, I know mine do. You don't want to load poochie with grease. Smear it on paws and face if pooch won't eat it at first, he'll have to clean himself.
Gradually add in a bit of regular food, could the food perhaps be causing this? Get another vet if all this one can do is give antibiotics, or are you demanding them when something else
might be better? Yes, dairy can give trots to some creatures, human and otherwise, but not all. Some do fine, others react the opposite way.
Never worry about posting "unpleasant " subjects. We are here to help each other and our animal family.
(07/05/2005)
By Linne
I would suggest actually going back to the same vet if this is a vet you have used and trusted in the past. "Colitis" is inflammation of the intestinal lining (from any cause), and often is a catch-all
diagnosis when no specific cause is found on the fecal, physical exam or blood work. Because many different things can cause it, there are many different things that might fix it. Meaning, your vet knows what he has already done to try to help your dog, and he very likely has a plan (in his head or written down) for what to do next if the illness persists. If anything has changed at all with your dog's condition, however insignificant it may seem to you, it just might be the one clue the vet needs to figure out just what is causing the colitis and what will fix it.
A new vet is like starting over. He will need to be told about everything that has already happened with your dog and the exact treatments given. Because the new vet may not be sure of the circumstances under which a laboratory test was performed, he might need to do it again, at your expense.
My advice is to give your vet another chance. Have him explain what he wants to do now, and what he plans to do if that doesn't fix it. Sometimes the owner is spared from having a zillion tests done on the first visit for a definite diagnosis for diarrhea, assuming the pet appears otherwise healthy because most of
the time the first treatment will work. Ask your vet if it is OK to fast your dog for 24-48 hrs (nothing but water, then gradually introduce small amounts of bland food like boiled chicken and rice "no spices or flavor added"). If your dog is healthy enough to go without eating for a day, it might give his poor intestines time to heal. (07/16/2005)
By A vet student
My puppy is almost 6 months old and for the past 2 months, he has had diarrhea on and off. We took him to the vet a couple times and they say that nothing is wrong. He just has a sensitive stomach. We put him on RX strength Eukanuba food. It cures diarrhea, but every time we try to wean him back to the regular food, he gets diarrhea again. The vet said we will just have to keep him on the RX food for a while. Try asking for the RX food. It is more expensive, but it might be all you need. It is a low residue food.
(08/09/2007)
By LAURA
I once had a dog with Colitis. The best thing for your dog is an all natural diet or even raw for that matter! Once my dog was diagnosed we went on a raw diet and then went to our local pet food stores and found raw diet dog food. He did very well with this! As far as dealing with diarrhea, try some bland cooked food such as a mixture of rice, oatmeal, and chicken, it works like a charm! (01/22/2008)
(submitted via email)
I know this is going to sound silly but cater to your dog. Give your dog extra loving and petting. Make sure you don't rile the dog up too much (i.e rough play or fetching) We have found that when our dog gets diarrhea that she is stressed or upset about something. Normally we give her boiled chicken and rice or just plain rice, and then start mixing the rice with her food to get her back into her own food (once diarrhea subsides). Try this out with your dog and let me know if it works! Good luck.
Melissa (02/28/2008)
By Jess
If your puppy has had diarrhea, has been vomiting, acting lethargic, and has had a loss of appetite, there is a chance your pup has Parvo disease. It is extremely serious and should be taken to your vet
immediately. The sooner it is caught the better of a chance your dog will survive. Good luck.
In memory of Alfredo. (01/08/2009)
By Brian
My dog had watery stools on and off. It could be the diet and I understand that the protein is what they are most sensitive to. So try changing the food to something completely different. A pet store owner also recommended that I add a medallion of freeze-dried frozen (Natures Variety) to her food. What an amazing difference! I actually panic if I run out of medallions! She has not had a loose stool since adding freeze dried raw to her diet! (approximately 4 months) (02/17/2009)
By Jamie
My Cavalier King Charles spaniel had loose stool. We went to the vet, he was pretty sure she had colitis, by the description of the stool. He said usually it looked mucusy, it did. He gave her Flagyl for 5 days. It cleared up but came back a couple of weeks later. No diarrhea, just loose once a day.
Another round of Flagyl, stool sampling for worms, and a 3 day round of wormer. Finally, an abdominal ultrasound for complete diagnosis. Yes, colitis. She was put on Iams Vet Formula, Low Residue dog food, and also one tsp. of canned pumpkin. You can look this up, it's the treatment of choice. She's good, so far normal. It's only a few days, but there's a distinct difference. Remains to be seen. (11/07/2010)
By Hilarie
