Making sure your dog is healthy and happy is important as a pet owner. Since he has no speaking voice or ability to make doctor's appointments himself, you as his owner have to be his voice. There are obvious signs if a dog is unwell, such as vomiting, shaking and diarrhea. However, before you take your dog to the vet, try some dietary tricks that may help cure your pooch.
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Possible Causes of Diarrhea
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A dog can suffer from diarrhea for many reasons but the most common is a sudden change in diet. This could be as simple as feeding a dog a different brand of food or treat than usual. Feeding your dog from the table can also be extremely harmful to a dog's stomach. Since human food is so rich compared to most dog foods, a dog's system cannot handle the sudden change which can then cause vomiting and diarrhea. Another cause could be the amount of stress that a dog is facing. This might be from a change in schedule or environment (i.e. due to moving).
Keep Hydrated
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Since a dog loses a lot of water when suffering from diarrhea, it is extremely important to make sure she is constantly drinking water and lots of it. This should be one of the first steps you take when you notice that your dog is not well. The first day is crucial for hydration. Bigger dogs will need more water than smaller ones. This should be the only thing your dog consumes in the first day. Any food could upset your dog's stomach more.
Bland Food Diet
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After your dog has had one day to dehydrate and detox from any food in his system, start him off with a bland diet. It is very important that you only give him half the amount of food you were giving him before. Some bland food that is good for your dog to eat while in recovery are cooked chicken, white rice and cottage cheese. All of these will be calming to their stomach.
Slowly Build Up
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After a few days of the bland diet, it is important to slowly reintroduce regular dog food. This change in your dog's eating habits should occur over the course of a week or so. In the beginning, try feeding your dog one-fourth of the new dog food mixed in with about three-fourths of the food you were feeding her before. Monitor your dog's bowel movements to see how this combination works. If your dog is is not bothered by this, try half of the new dog food and half of the old food for another couple of days. If the mixed food is still agreeing with your dog, mix one-fourth of the old food and three-fourths of the new food for a couple of days.
Veterinarian
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If the bland food diet and extra amount of water does not make the diarrhea go away, contact your veterinarian right away. Diarrhea is never a healthy situation and could be the sign of something much worse than an upset stomach. Dogs can carry parasites like Coccidiosis or Cryptosporidia which cause diarrhea. Loose stool is also a sign of bacterial infections such as E. coli.
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