Most cases of canine diarrhea resolve on their own with some home remedies to hasten recovery.
Make sure your dog always has access to water – dehydration is a serious risk associated with diarrhea and vomiting. Consider adding probiotics such as high-potency acidophilus cultures from yogurt into their food supply as probiotics may provide some support against further infection.
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Home Remedies
Once you’ve spoken with your vet and received approval for home remedies to alleviate diarrhea in dogs, make sure they have access to plenty of fresh water (diluted unflavored Pedialyte may also be an option as per recommendation) in a cool place where they won’t overheat.
Rice water can also be an effective remedy: Simply boil high-quality white rice in large quantities of water until all grains have been removed, strain out the starchy liquid, and serve it cooled off starchy liquid as a refreshing beverage. Adding chicken or beef broth or even cooked baby food may make the experience more palatable.
Yogurt can also help soothe your dog’s tummy ache, helping restore their gut flora balance. Probiotics – living bacterial cultures designed to aid in digestion – may support his natural flora balance as well. Many pet stores carry yogurts with living bacterial cultures or you can ask your veterinarian for high-potency powdered acidophilus culture supplements that you can mix into rice water or add directly to their food.
Fasting
Dogs suffering from diarrhea must be given a bland diet in order to effectively treat it. A bland diet should include boiled chicken, lean ground turkey or beef (ground turkey is better due to less fat that could further irritate stomach irritation) cooked together and rice water for drinking purposes – an important step because diarrhea causes dehydration that requires fluid replenishment from their bodies in order to stay hydrated and overcome symptoms.
As part of your treatment for diarrhea in your dog, give some high-potency powdered acidophilus cultures to restore natural bacteria that have been lost due to diarrhea. These can be purchased in most pet stores or online. It’s best to steer clear of over-the-counter human medications like Pepto Bismol or Imodium (bismuth subsalicylate and loperamide respectively) since these may be harmful. For any ongoing issues that don’t respond well to home care treatments it is always wiser consulting with a vet for history taking, physical examination and diagnostic testing.
Medication
Mild diarrhea in dogs may go away on its own if the dog is otherwise healthy and their stool appears normal; however, many cases require basic treatments to restore normal function to the digestive tract and restore health.
To prevent diarrhea, doctors recommend offering a bland diet consisting of food like boiled chicken or low-fat hamburger, plain rice, baked plain sweet potato (not canned as this contains sugar), and cooked pasta.
Maintaining proper hydration during this period is of vital importance; dehydration will worsen diarrhea symptoms. You can give your dog water or unflavored diluted Pedialyte solutions, following the advice of their veterinarian.
Veterinary Treatment
Maintaining proper hydration levels in dogs with diarrhea is of the utmost importance to their overall wellbeing, as they may quickly become dehydrated if their stool releases more fluids than what can be replenished through food sources.
Veterinarian treatment is usually the best solution. Your veterinarian will conduct a detailed history and physical exam to ascertain the source of diarrhea, then may offer medications or supplements to address its cause.
A doctor may suggest taking metronidazole (Flagyl), which isn’t technically an antibiotic but kills bacteria responsible for diarrhea. Tylosin or loperamide may also help alleviate symptoms and ease discomfort.
Probiotics can help restore the normal balance of bacteria in the digestive tract and control diarrhea. You can purchase plain unsweetened yoghurt or high-potency acidophilus culture powder from your vet’s or health food store containing guaranteed live colony-forming units (CFUs).
