If your dog has diarrhea, bringing him to a veterinarian is often advised. But if symptoms are milder, there may be home remedies you can try as well.
One effective way to prevent and stop diarrhea in pets is giving them probiotics – live bacteria that help restore normal gut flora and speed recovery.
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Fiber Supplements
Fiber supplements may help dogs with digestive issues or diarrhea to curb appetite and decrease calorie consumption while supporting normal gastrointestinal function and blood glucose levels, and stabilizing cholesterol (cholesterol).
Insoluble fiber helps regulate intestinal transit time, speeding it up during periods of constipation and slowing it down when diarrhea strikes. While high doses are generally well tolerated, too much fiber may rob diets of their nutritive value by binding minerals – leading to weight loss, poor coat quality, vomiting diarrhea and flatulence as a result.
Soluble fibers help absorb excess fluid, firming stools in those suffering from acute diarrhea. Furthermore, they may be combined with other diet changes to decrease incidences of diarrhea in dogs.
Before offering any fiber supplements to your pup, always consult with a veterinarian first. They can recommend the right type and dose as well as which products won’t cause adverse reactions.
Probiotics
Probiotics can improve your dog’s digestive health by helping balance out bacteria in his gut and improving his immunity as well as increasing nutrient absorption.
Probiotics come in the form of capsules, soft chews or powder and should be administered alongside food as a supplement. Before making changes to your pet’s diet with probiotics it’s wise to consult a veterinarian first.
Probiotics may help your dog when their gut flora becomes imbalanced due to stress, illness or malnutrition, as well as during antibiotic therapy to avoid diarrhea.
Probiotics are typically made up of lactic acid bacteria such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus species, usually abbreviated on supplement labels as B or L.
Anti-Diarrheal Medications
Antidiarrheal medications may help your dog with regular bouts of diarrhea. Be sure to follow the advice and instructions of your veterinarian regarding when and how much to give.
One of the most prescribed antidiarrheal medications, Imodium (the brand name for Loperamide), can effectively curb diarrhoea by slowing fecal passage and increasing water absorption; the result being firmer stool formation.
Imodium can be purchased over-the-counter and is generally safe if taken at appropriate dosage levels. Unfortunately, however, too high a dose could cause constipation.
Pepto Bismol is another effective over-the-counter antidiarrheal medication. When administered properly and using an empty plastic syringe, Pepto Bismol should be safe to use and should be safe to take as directed.
Notably, both Pepto-Bismol and Kaopectate contain bismuth subsalicylate as their active ingredient; as this could potentially cause toxicities if given unsupervised to anti-inflammatory drug taking dogs.
Diet Changes
Dog diarrhea is a widespread condition that may have numerous causes, from illness to nutritional imbalances.
Diet changes can be one of the most effective ways to treat and prevent diarrhea in dogs. Usually this means withholding their regular food for 12-24 hours to allow their stomach time to recuperate.
Once this period has passed, slowly introduce food again using a diet consisting of lean proteins and easily digestible starches to soothe their stomach and decrease symptoms. This simple meal should help your pet feel better soon after being fed again!
As soon as your dog experiences digestive distress, it’s essential that they be fed on a bland diet for several days and gradually transition back into regular food over several weeks, otherwise further digestive distress and diarrhea could occur. Furthermore, adding high-quality fiber supplements such as Metamucil or Psyllium Husk could further help.
