Question About Ground Beef And Rice Diet For Diarrhea

[Time4ANap]

Rocket has had very runny poop and extreme gas for several days. Vet says that the poop sample is negative and is putting him on Flagyl for 6 days along with the Boiled Ground Beef and Rice Diet after fasting him. He is completely normal other than this issue, and nothing has changed in his diet.

 

After searching GT and Google, I find thousands of results regarding the Ground Beef and Rice for treating the Big D, but nothing that says what proportions to use, or how to feed it.

 

(If Jeff or Trudy read this - is it possible to have this info somewhere on the site for quick reference? - Thanks)

 

We need to know the following:

 

1. What proportions to mix the ground beef and rice when cooking - or how many cups of rice per pound of ground beef?

 

2. How much of the mixture to feed and whether to feed it all at once (like a normal feeding time) or feed smaller amounts every couple of hours?

 

I realize that the frequency of feeding may vary depending on what the dog will eat, but in this case - his appetite is normal.

 

Thanks in advance for all help.

Edited January 6, 2010 by Time4ANap

[Burpdog]

I don't use rice or anything else except meat. I boil the ground meat (I buy 80/20 -- nothing more in fat) and rinse after boiling. Since this is a short term diet, I wouldn't worry about quantity. He should eat a couple of cups at a time.

 

If you want to add something, potatoes or pasta works better.

[Time4ANap]

I don't use rice or anything else except meat. I boil the ground meat (I buy 80/20 -- nothing more in fat) and rinse after boiling. Since this is a short term diet, I wouldn't worry about quantity. He should eat a couple of cups at a time.

 

If you want to add something, potatoes or pasta works better.

 

 

Thanks! It's funny that you replied first because my first thought was to PM you and ask instead of posting this.

[brandimom]

I don't use rice or anything else except meat. I boil the ground meat (I buy 80/20 -- nothing more in fat) and rinse after boiling. Since this is a short term diet, I wouldn't worry about quantity. He should eat a couple of cups at a time.

 

If you want to add something, potatoes or pasta works better.

 

Good information as I will do this next time.

[Guest FrostyBottoms]

Listen to Burpdog......here is My link to my thread on how beef & RICE turned into 3 months of diarrhea.

Good luck, hopefully it will be over soon!

[Time4ANap]

Listen to Burpdog......here is My link to my thread on how beef & RICE turned into 3 months of diarrhea.

Good luck, hopefully it will be over soon!

 

 

Thanks. I was reading this earlier but didn't realize that it went for 3 months. Glad you got it under control.

 

There is brown rice in his current food but it has never been a problem. Hopefully this is just a bug of some kind and will be over with quickly. He is acting completely normal, and the clock in his stomach is working fine also . He was quick to let us know that we had not fed him tonight.

[Guest FrostyBottoms]

I think the brown rice in the food may be fine...my problem was I wasn't cooking the rice with enough water until it was mush. I think mine could have been okay had I done that. I won't use the rice again, just the boiled beef, drained and rinsed to get rid of any fat. Others told me 6 days of flagyl isn't long enough......maybe ask the vet for 2 wks worth.

[Time4ANap]

Others told me 6 days of flagyl isn't long enough......maybe ask the vet for 2 wks worth.

 

Thanks! Will do.

[greysmom]

I think the main reason for adding the carb - rice, pasta, potatoes - is to keep the cost down by adding bulk. If you can afford to feed him all boiled ground beef for up to a week then you should do it that way.

 

It sounds like you're fasting him for tonight? Then begin with several small meals - 4 or 5 a day if you can, of 1-1 1/2 cups, for a couple days. You don't want to load him up with too much food all of a sudden. Decrease the number of feedings and increase the amount gradually till he's doing his normal number of feedings and eating about the normal amount of ground beef as his regular meals. If his poops are good, then begin slowly adding in his regular kibble and decreasing the ground beef. Again over several days.

[Time4ANap]

I think the main reason for adding the carb - rice, pasta, potatoes - is to keep the cost down by adding bulk. If you can afford to feed him all boiled ground beef for up to a week then you should do it that way.

 

It sounds like you're fasting him for tonight? Then begin with several small meals - 4 or 5 a day if you can, of 1-1 1/2 cups, for a couple days. You don't want to load him up with too much food all of a sudden. Decrease the number of feedings and increase the amount gradually till he's doing his normal number of feedings and eating about the normal amount of ground beef as his regular meals. If his poops are good, then begin slowly adding in his regular kibble and decreasing the ground beef. Again over several days.

 

 

Thanks! We gave him about half of his normal meal tonight as he was pretty insistent that we had forgotten to feed him (there is a very accurate clock in his stomach. )

 

We have since made up the boiled ground beef and will fast him tomorrow until late afternoon or dinner time as needed (this will be 22-24 hours since his last meal) and start the ground beef with 1 or 2 small meals romorrow night and increase it throughout the next day.

 

He will eat anything I put in front of him and appetite is not a problem. We thought it might be easier to fast him tomprrow since we are both around and can keep an eye on him. He never bothers anything and has never helped himself to anything in the kitchen, but I want to be able to monitor his output and also prevent him from deciding to feed himself if he feels the need.

 

He decided tonight that he likes Gatorade mixed in his water very much and where has this delicacy been all of his life?

[Guest IrskasMom]

Diane ( Burpdog) to the Rescue . Thank you

[cleptogrey]

my vet has always recommeded 20% ground beef, 80% over cooked white rice. he has told me at times that pasta can be added as well. you pup might need more than 6 days of flagyl. that suff is fantastic and will clean him up, but don't be shy to ask for more if the loose stools reappear in a couple of days.

 

boiled white potatoes, yams, turnip in a water and chicken soup stock are also excellent for binding a dog. but i have had dogs live on the rice/beef mixture for extended periods of time w/o any problems. i just hate the clean up of all those grains of rice on the floor.

 

please excuse my spelling errors, i can't seem to download the new spell check.

[Batmom]

Got some good advice above . Just a note here that all dogs are different -- all of mine will have horrible blowout diarrhea if given potatoes in any quantity, sweet potatoes go straight through, and some will upchuck pasta. So when bland diet is needed and we have no I/D or similar prescription food, we usually start with beef and very mooshy white rice.

 

To cook the rice, I add 30%-50% more water and simmer covered till all absorbed. Then for a little girl greyhound, @ 1/3 cup beef and 2/3 cup cooked rice for first meal or two after the fast; then @ 1/2 - 3/4 cup beef and a cup of rice for each of 2 meals a day. Maybe half again those quantities for an average-sized male. If feeding for more than a few days, I work out the calories to give @ the same they were getting in their regular food.

 

 

[Time4ANap]

UPDATE: -Rocket got 2 smaller meals last night after being fasted. 1 of pure ground beef, and one mixture of ground beef and pasta. This morning (here comes the poop report) - the poops bounced when they hit the ground .

 

We will continue the Flagyl as suggested, and give him about 4 smaller meals today. If that goes ok we will start slowly working his food back into the mix sometime tomorrow and see how it goes.

 

Thank you to everyone who responded, and especially to Burpdog for the lightning fast response to my original post.

[greyhoundgang]

Many diarrhea remedies at Greyhound Gang. Learn. Medical.Diarrhea.

 

the best - Slippery Elm Paste. open capsules of Slippery elm and put in boiling water. lower heat, mix until gel forms. can be refrigerated. I squirt in mouth. it soothes and coats tummies and fixes diarrhea quickly. can be added to food too.

 

I would not give rice. I've found many dogs to have allergies to it.

I would fast and then bland foods.

[Guest FrostyBottoms]

UPDATE: -Rocket got 2 smaller meals last night after being fasted. 1 of pure ground beef, and one mixture of ground beef and pasta. This morning (here comes the poop report) - the poops bounced when they hit the ground .

 

We will continue the Flagyl as suggested, and give him about 4 smaller meals today. If that goes ok we will start slowly working his food back into the mix sometime tomorrow and see how it goes.

 

Thank you to everyone who responded, and especially to Burpdog for the lightning fast response to my original post.

 

 

Awesome news!!!

[EllenEveBaz]

We need a bouncing poop emoticon.

 

He decided tonight that he likes Gatorade mixed in his water very much and where has this delicacy been all of his life?

What flavor?

[Time4ANap]

We need a bouncing poop emoticon.

 

He decided tonight that he likes Gatorade mixed in his water very much and where has this delicacy been all of his life?

What flavor?

 

 

Lemon-Lime. Actually he never touched his water yesterday until after I added some Gatorade. Then he drank the whole bowl over a few hours between dinner and bedtime. Good thing he has an iron bladder!

[MyCutie]

Poop report: Since going on the boiled ground beef/smooshy pasta diet Tuesday night, we've gone from runny poop to bouncing poop to not wanting to poop. Today's specimen's were more like jelly poop. This was his last day of flagyl. If he's not better by Monday, it's time for the vet. Any other thoughts?

[Guest StriderDog]

Poop report: Since going on the boiled ground beef/smooshy pasta diet Tuesday night, we've gone from runny poop to bouncing poop to not wanting to poop. Today's specimen's were more like jelly poop. This was his last day of flagyl. If he's not better by Monday, it's time for the vet. Any other thoughts?

 

If he's still got GI upset on Monday, the vet will probably want to give him some pills to reestablish the good bacteria in the gut (Metronidazole) and something to soothe and coat his GI tract (Sucralfate) as it is probably inflamed and adding to the bad poop cycle.

 

Until then, keep the meals bland and consistent and keep him hydrated!

Edited January 10, 2010 by StriderDog

[krissn333]

Hope your buddy is feeling better! Actually it sounds like he's FEELING fine, just has bad poop.

 

Personally my dogs have never had any trouble with the ground beef/rice/hardboiled egg mixture, but, EVERY dog is different so you have to do what works best for you. I should also mention though that using macaroni or mashed potatoes in lieu of rice will help a hungry dog feel more full than rice will (at least in my experience). Personally I'd choose macaroni over mashed potatoes, but again, things are differen for every dog

 

 

[Time4ANap]

Thanks Everyone!

 

We will be calling the vet in the morning and taking whatever appointment we can get.

 

He's FEELING fine. He was so ticked tonight when the "hoomans" had ice cream and he didn't. (He never gets much, but hasn't had any since all this started.) He normally has an iron stomach and his whole potty cycle could normally be timed with a watch. Currently he goes from pudding poops, to no poop, to jello poop, to no poop.

 

He's scarfing down the ground beef, but has definitely lost a few pounds this week. We can't find a logical reason for any of this, so it seems to be a medical issue. We'll update after the vet visit.

 

Thanks again for all of the responses. We really appreciate the help.