No one wants to see their pup have diarrhea, especially watery and mucus-filled poops. While it can be an early warning signal of something amiss within his or her gut, it can also be very distressful and distressful for everyone involved in his care.
Start by helping them stay hydrated; this can be accomplished with water bottles or Pedialyte that are designed specifically for children.
Rice Water
Rice water is an easily prepared remedy to help ease your dog’s diarrhea, working by binding loose stool together and decreasing fluid loss during diarrhea. You can make this remedy yourself using plain white rice and water; brown or minute-ready varieties will only worsen his discomfort.
Make sure your rice water has fully cooled down before offering it to your dog, adding some flavor with some chicken broth if desired. Refrigerating is also an option to ensure its freshness for several days.
If your dog has diarrhea, it must drink enough water to stay hydrated and relax the digestive tract. If they seem resistant to drinking enough fluids on their own, adding beef broth or chicken broth as part of their beverage could encourage them to drink up more fluids.
Although it is essential to monitor your dog’s diarrhea symptoms, if symptoms persist it is also crucial that you visit the veterinarian as this could signal more serious problems. Blood in the stool could indicate something more serious is brewing inside.
Diarrhea in dogs may be caused by various sources, including food spoilage, changes to their diet or food intolerances, stress, or illnesses like cancer or diabetes. A bland diet like rice water with acidophilus supplements may help reset their digestive systems if minor symptoms exist; bring along a stool sample for your veterinarian so they can assess its severity.
Marshmallow Root
Marshmallow root is one of the safest herbal treatments your dog can take to relieve gastrointestinal issues. Acting as a demulcent, marshmallow coats your pup’s digestive tract for relief from irritation and inflammation while its antimicrobial properties help fight bacteria in his gut and elsewhere on his body.
Your dog may receive marshmallow root in either powdered form or as an alcohol-free tincture; for optimal absorption of its mucilage properties, aim to give 1/2 to 1.5 milliliters per 20 pounds of body weight twice daily.
Pumpkin provides your dog’s digestive system with moisture, fiber, and nutrients for optimal functioning. Pumpkin also acts as a prebiotic, encouraging healthy bacteria growth within his or her gut. Canned pumpkin puree may help your pup recover faster, or try roasting an entire pumpkin and mashing up its meat!
Add one tablespoon of this homemade remedy to your dog’s food to help ease his digestive distress, but beware that too much pumpkin could act as a laxative – start slowly before gradually increasing as soon as your pup feels better.
Blurred Food
If your dog’s diarrhea is due to eating something they shouldn’t or due to changes in diet and they otherwise appear healthy and acting normally, it usually won’t be an issue; often simple home remedies (see below) may help.
However, more serious causes of dog diarrhea may require professional veterinary assistance. If it lasts over 48 hours and includes mucus in their stool or has an offensive odor, then immediate medical intervention should be sought.
Food allergies, intolerances, and various other issues may also contribute to your dog’s diarrhea, so when this occurs it is advisable to start feeding them an easily digestible diet like white rice or potatoes that have been boiled until completely uncooked to reduce any irritations to their stomachs. This will also help avoid any potential irritants affecting them during this process.
Avoid seasonings or spices on this bland diet to minimize further irritation. When switching back over, do it gradually as a sudden switch could trigger another bout of diarrhea in your pup.
Some pet foods are specifically formulated to soothe upset stomachs. If you have one of these in your pantry, they could provide the ideal solution to your dog’s diarrhea as they provide tailored nutrition while still offering a bland diet suitable for dogs with digestive issues. Furthermore, using such food may speed up recovery more rapidly than simply giving your pup regular white or brown rice as part of its diet.
Probiotics
Your dog should always have access to clean drinking water; it is vital for keeping their bodies hydrated and aiding digestion. Diarrhea dehydrates dogs quickly, leading to electrolyte imbalances if left untreated.
An easy, homemade solution for helping restore healthy bacteria in the gut of your dog is mixing live probiotics into their food. Research shows that probiotics (live bacterial cultures) may help decrease the duration and severity of diarrhea episodes in dogs – specifically Saccharomyces boulardii, Bacillus subtilis, and Enterococcus faecium 4b1707.
Slippery Elm Bark Powder can also be an effective home remedy for dogs suffering from diarrhea, making an easily-absorbed and non-drowsy natural laxative that you can find at most health food stores under their herbal section.
Keep careful track of these details so you and your veterinarian have all of the information necessary to quickly diagnose and treat the source of diarrhea in your dog. Keep accurate notes; the faster we can diagnose and treat a problem, the greater our chance for successful outcomes.
Most minor digestive issues that cause diarrhea typically resolve themselves within 24-48 hours without intervention from a vet visit, but if your dog’s symptoms last beyond this window it is likely time for more targeted solutions from him/her. Please inform them if there are multiple signs of illness such as blood in their stool or vomiting so they can more quickly diagnose your pet; early diagnosis means more effective treatment, particularly in severe cases like IBS or EPI that require specific treatments.
Electrolyte Solution
An episode of diarrhea can result in the loss of electrolytes – a potentially life-threatening situation for dogs. Electrolyte loss disrupts pH balance and alters numerous chemical reactions vital to normal physiology, creating severe health concerns.
Home remedies for dog diarrhea typically only mask symptoms and firm up feces, while others are very effective at speeding up the resolution of the issue. Probiotics have proven themselves as one effective option that has helped speed up resolution time; you can either purchase specially formulated probiotics from a veterinarian or try natural yogurt as a simple and natural option instead.
Plain pumpkin puree can also help speed recovery time by adding just a teaspoon or tablespoon to bland diets, helping manage liquid digestion more effectively and firming runny stools more quickly. Furthermore, this home remedy has the bonus of decreasing inflammation within your stomach.
Use alone or add it to a broth made with chicken, beef, or other types of meats for maximum impact. Some dogs with diarrhea may refuse to drink water alone so adding this extra flavor could encourage them to do so.
If your dog has experienced diarrhea that persists for longer than 48 hours or is exhibiting other worrying symptoms like blood in its stool, it must visit a veterinarian as soon as possible. A vet will be able to recommend an effective strategy for treating the root issue; in extreme cases such as dehydration, they may prescribe oral rehydration solutions like Pedialyte.
