Methods To Stop Diarrhea In Dogs

Owners and veterinarians always look to dog feces as a benchmark for their health. Knowing how to stop diarrhea in dogs can help reduce its duration and limit its frequency.

When is it advisable to try to stop diarrhea in dogs? Although all dogs suffer from diarrhea at some point in their lives, its occurrence can be worrisome. For that reason, it’s no surprise that pet owners are looking for a way to alleviate the problem.

If your dog regularly has abnormal stools, this can be considered a case of chronic diarrhea, and you will need to consult your veterinarian to determine and treat the underlying cause.

Immediate care for acute diarrhea in dogs

It is very important that you know that it  is appropriate to contact your veterinarian for advice on dealing with diarrhea if your dog:

• You are very young or very old, or have a pre-existing health condition. Very young and very old pets can be severely debilitated, even when they suffer from relatively mild diarrhea.
• Consult your veterinarian if your dog’s diarrhea is frequent or runny, contains bloodstains, or is pitch black.

• If diarrhea is accompanied by severe vomiting and the dog appears lethargic, depressed or in pain,  all of these can be signs of potentially serious health conditions. 

1. Home treatment to stop diarrhea in dogs

In the case of healthy adult animals with mild diarrhea, without other symptoms, you can proceed as follows:

• Make sure the dog has  access to plenty of clean water to prevent dehydration. Encourage your dog to hydrate. If necessary, you can offer diluted chicken or beef broth, with little salt, or Pedialyte, in addition to water.
• If there is mild vomiting in addition to diarrhea, it  is recommended to remove all food for a period of 8 to 12 hours.
• Offer a light diet: give your dog a small meal of chicken cooked with white meat – without bones or skin – and white rice; you can also use sweet potatoes or pumpkin instead of rice; pumpkin and potatoes can also be added to your dog’s regular diet to increase fiber intake. You can maintain this diet for your dog until the stool consistency returns to normal. If your dog is allergic to chicken, you should replace the protein with a hypoallergenic option.

If the diarrhea continues for more than 24 hours or your dog’s condition worsens at any time, call your veterinarian right away.

If your dog continues to improve, stick to this light diet for 1-3 days  and gradually increase the amount of food offered with each meal.

This will prolong the time between meals until the stool consistency returns to normal. It’s important to keep in mind the need to gradually transition to your puppy’s usual diet in order to avoid another gastrointestinal upset.

2. Take action to prevent diarrhea recurrence

Once intake is restored,  a light diet will help prevent diarrhea from recurring.

In addition to the traditional white rice dish and a source of cooked protein, you can also consider bone broth as this is another light and nutritious option. It provides a mix of vitamins and nutrients, but is easy for dogs to digest. Consider offering supplements with probiotics and prebiotics to rebalance the gut microbiome.

How to prevent diarrhea in dogs

Here are several ways to reduce the occurrence of diarrhea in dogs:

• Don’t change your dog’s diet abruptly.
• Don’t feed your dog scraps of food or let him rummage through the trash.
• Keep your dog’s vaccination and deworming schedule up to date.