How To

How to treat mild diarrhea in your dog

By knewf, eHow Member Rating

Phoenix looks like she has a HANGOVER!

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Often a dog will suffer diarrhea that is not necessarily going to need an expensive vet visit to cure. Of course one important thing is to sure that the diarrhea is not severe. Changes in diet, access to diferent foods, your dog getting into garbage, etc., can cause symptoms of mild diarrhea. These instances are the type of occurrence which can be treated with this method. The suggestions here are meant as advice for treating mild diarrhea. You can try these simple steps first and then if it continues or becomes more severe do not hesitate to take your dog to a vet.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

pepto bismol (tablets or liquid) or Kaopectate
cooked rice
yogurt
your dog's regular dry dog kibble

Step 1

Give your dog a dose of Pepto Bismol or Kaopectate that compares to an adult human if your dog is over 60 pounds in weight. A dog that is medium sized or small should receive a dose meant for a child under 12. You can give him another dose every six hours.
Step 2

"Fast" the dog for a full 24 hours. The dog's intestines need this period to "rest" and provided your dog is suffering only a mild case of diarrhea this should not hurt him in any way.
Step 3

When your dog has abstained from food for 24 hours, give him a meal of HALF his regular ration of dry kibble plus the other half of cooked rice mixed with one or two teaspoons of yogurt. (More yogurt if the dog is a large dog breed)

Tips & Warnings

Avoid diarrhea in your dog by gradually switching him over to a new dog food. Mix together half "old" food and half "new" food if you are switching his diet, as this can be a major cause of diarrhea.
Do take your dog to a vet if there is bloody diarrhea or severe diarrhea and ALWAYS stop his regular feeding schedule until he is seen by a vet.
Make sure your dog has plenty of fresh water available at all times.
If your dog has severe diarrhea take him immediately to a vet. The steps recommended in this article are for MILD cases.
Keep your garbage in a closed container and keep your snacks and food in places where your dog can not get into them. Many cases of diarrhea are caused by your dog ingesting stuff that is simply not meant for dogs, such as oreo cookies, raw potatoes, etc. You'd be amazed at what dogs like to get into!
NEVER feed your dog "people" food except as a very small treat, (like a tablespoon or so) mixed with his dry kibble. Dog's intestines are not meant to ingest the same types of food that we eat.