Diet Advice For Pup With Diarrhea - What Do You Do?

[Guest Winnie2014]

Winnie woke me up last night to go out and had the squirts. This continued through this morning and again when the dog walker came in. No idea why - we haven't made any changes so it might be something she got a hold of outside.

 

I've been advised to at least withhold food tonight and possibly for 24 hours to let her system reset and give her 1 Imodium pill. Also recommended to me was pedialite in her water and then boiled chicken in rice in small amounts after withholding food. (1 cup in the morning according to GPA, other recommendations below)

 

Is this a good plan? Keep feeding the chicken and rice but how much? The plan is for 2 days and try and introduce her kibble back if her poop firms up (GPA). If the diarrhea continues, I'll take her to the vet.

 

What do you do when your pups get diarrhea?

 

Edit: Current plan is as follows (from the vet)-

-24 hour fast with water

-1 cup rice, 2 teaspoons pumpkin and 4oz of chicken over two meals for 2 days

-start adding her kibble back in 1/4 cup increments after the two days

-vet visit scheduled for Friday just in case. If Winnie starts acting lethargic and/or stops eating, bring her in earlier.

Edited February 17, 2015 by Winnie2014

[duncan41]

I don't disagree with any of the suggestions, but I would modify by:

 

1. Cook the rice in twice the recommended amount of water for twice the recommended time. It should be mush. Some dogs have a hard time digesting rice cooked according to package directions once their gut is inflamed. Pasta or instant mashed potatoes made with water can also be used.

2. I would not re-introduce Winnie's kibble until she has a solid stool for at least 24 hours.

3. Give her a probiotic.

4. Make sure she is adequately hydrated. Boil the chicken and give her the broth if she isn't drinking her normal amount. If she stops eating and/or drinking, take her to the Vet immediately. And my favorite recommendation:

5. Keep Olewo carrots on hand at all times. (olewousa.com) It is THE BOMB for loose stools/diarrhea.

 

Sure hope she feels better soon.

[Guest Winnie2014]

I boiled the chicken already and didn't save the broth. :/ I will cook the rice with double the amount of water/on the porridge setting so it's softer. Does the 2oz of chicken at each meal worth 1/2 cup rice sound about right?

 

I've used the carrots before with success but pumpkin gave her the runs before. Better to use the carrots with just water instead? No oil while she has the diarrhea? Her poop was firm enough without the carrots so I ended up taking them out as she didn't like them that much anyway.

 

My petsitter also recommended pedialyte - 1/2 water, 1/2 pedialyte in bowl to keep her electrolytes up.

 

She usually gets 1 cup kibble morning, 4 oz chicken in Kongs, 1.5 crackers (15kcal), a tablespoon of peanut butter, and 1.5-1.75 cups kibble evening with treats on walks. (Amount of treats depends on how much kibble she gets evening)

 

We've got the vet appointment if we need it and if her condition changes at all, she will go to the vet earlier. I've been a bit of a mess wanting to get home today with her being sick. It had to happen sometime. Anything I should bring into the vet if she still has diarrhea on Friday?

[MaryJane]

I usually don't withhold food if the dog is on a bland diet (rice/chicken or rice/hamburger). If no food is being given for 24 hours, they might get an upset stomach and start vomiting (usually bile). If you can and if the food is being held down, give less food each time but give more meals. I would probably up the amount to about 3/4 cup rice and 1/4 cup chicken/hamburger and do that 3 times a day. You might also want to add a few tablespoons of cooked oatmeal (5-miunte type) to the food as it contains fiber and helps to firm things up.

 

If vomiting starts, you should probably consider taking the dog to the vet within 2 days. If there is blood in either the diarrhea or the vomit, take dog in ASAP.

[Dawnnziggy]

I do not withhold food when they get the squirts. I make enough rice for a couple of meals and I just cook it the recommended time on the package. I use the chicken broth to cook the rice and I leave some shredded in it as it cooks. I also save out some chicken and cut it up very fine. My hound that gets this is pretty big. He weighs about 80 lbs. so I give him about 2 cups of rice in the evening's meal and only 1 cup in the morning's meal. On day two if he is better, I add a small amount of kibble, like about a half a cup with the rice and chicken. I don't usually have to do this too many days, usually just 2. I don't use the hamburger too much because my hounds don't like it very much and I have found it to cause diarrhea on its own.

 

Good Luck! I did have to take my boy in to the vet when I could see blood in his stools. He was put on a probiotic for a while.

[Guest Winnie2014]

Thanks for your responses. I'll follow the vet's advice this time around and will hold food for tonight and see how she does overnight. She's my first dog so of course I'm concerned. She had an accident in the house after they left. Winnie definely doesn't feel well but she isn't lethargic and she isn't dehydrated.

 

Now the vet also wants a stool sample. Is there a better container to put that in than a poop bag?

[Guest Winnie2014]

Winnie are rather greedily this morning. Split up her breakfast into thirds and fed it over time. We'll see how she does today. My sitter is coming in twice mid-day and afternoon to let her out. She had an accident in the house after the sitter left yesterday. Poor dear. It was near the baby gate where she stood the night before to go out so she definitely didn't want to go in the house.

 

Random question but could also be related - she got her Heartguard on the 15th, but didn't get diarrhea until a day later (technically the 17th at 3am). Any chance the beef chewable caused it? She hasn't had a reaction like this to it before.

[lukasmom]

I would try Olewo carrots. My new hound Carter had bad soft poops for a few weeks after I brought him home. Checked for worm. Put him on the Olewo carrots and his poops have been great. It is a natural de-wormer and calms the digestive system.