Nursing dog diarrhea with natural remedies is definitely a valid approach. But which natural remedy should you choose for your dog’s diarrhea? Which one will actually stop loose stools?
First, let’s start with preconceived ideas that don’t work as well as “advertised”.
Stop dog diarrhea with white rice
You have certainly already heard of this old trick, this remedy from grandmother who wanted us to give the dog rice cooking water to drink or to feed him well-cooked white rice or pasta (sometimes with cooked carrot), to overcome its diarrhea. Nursing dog diarrhea with white rice can be effective because it creates the opposite effect, in other words, it constipates your dog. Indeed, these ingredients are very difficult for the dog to digest, they stagnate in its intestines and can considerably slow down its transit.
Apparently, you think you have cured your faithful companion but in reality you are maintaining the intestinal irritation, since you in no way remove the cause of the irritation of his intestines. You create the illusion of a better condition but it’s not the case.
Using white rice to cure diarrhea in dogs is a bad idea for their health because as soon as you stop feeding your dog with it, the condition reappears! Rice is therefore not an adequate natural remedy for dogs in the short or medium term because it does not treat the cause of the digestive disorder.
Treating dog diarrhea with baked potatoes
Ouch! As much as everyone once knew that potatoes are not a good remedy because they are extremely bad for the health of carnivores, our beloved dogs, today it tends to be totally forgotten.
NEVER give your dog a potato, neither cooked nor raw! If the potato is cooked it tends to result in very soft stools rather than fight against diarrhea. The potato is therefore definitely not a good natural remedy for dogs, quite the contrary.
The potato has been registered at Animal Poison Centers for several years because of the digestive and neurological effects it can cause, ranging from simple diarrhea, to blackish diarrhea, to paralysis. Many cases have been documented of dogs rear end being paralyzed after just a few months of a diet rich in potatoes. Be careful with some cereal-free kibbles which will cause significant digestive sensitivities. Fortunately, switching back to a healthy diet as quickly as possible will allow your dog to regain motor skills in less than 7 days.
Treating dog diarrhea with pumpkin
Pumpkin, like many other vegetables, will cause intestinal irritation. It is a bad idea to give it during diarrhea. We don’t even know why this idea or “solution” arose. It’s quite curious to observe these new “trends” that come up that are far from being proven.
Probiotics as a natural remedy
Nursing dog diarrhea with Probiotics is not a bad solution to consider, but it’s by no means the answer for the following three reasons:
They must be taken in the long term but without guarantee of result.
If you don’t change the diet of the dog that is causing chronic irritation to the gut flora, then these probiotics will be useless.
Fasting your dog for 1 day will replenish his intestinal flora naturally, whereas probiotics will take months to achieve the same results.
While they have upsides, probiotics are not the answer as a natural remedy. It is much more appropriate to invest in a good diet rather than spending the money on probiotics that have little chances of success.
Now let’s give way to real natural remedies!
Fasting for 24 to 48 hours
One of the first thing we should do when dealing with diarrhea in dogs is to stop food intake for a full 24 hours or sometimes up to 48 hours, depending on the severity of the symptoms. Fasting quickly soothes the intestines and intestinal flora. It relieves the dog and participates in the rebalancing of its intestinal flora and therefore, in its future digestive transit. Obviously, you will have to go through the trouble of subsequently putting together a real good diet that will perfectly meet the organic and natural needs of your dog which will not include unsuitable industrial kibbles, which are unfortunately quite common in the market.
Nursing dog diarrhea with natural food
Feeding your dog with raw meat without anything else (and especially without vegetables!) is arguably the best natural medicine for your dog. However, some kibbles can be a real alternative for owners who do not have the opportunity to feed their animal raw meat every day or simply do not have the time or the budget in the long term. Indeed, quality meat is expensive and can be a big ticket budget item.
Fortunately, it is perfectly possible today to still find quality kibble that will keep your dog healthy or restore its intestinal flora and sometimes even help in cases of more serious diseases such as atopic dermatitis and renal insufficiency.
So how do you choose the right food for a dog with diarrhea?
Does anti-diarrhea kibble for your dog exist? The food for a dog with diarrhea must meet certain quality criteria which are absolutely essential if you want to permanently stop this diarrhea.
In summary, your dog’s kibble should meet the following specifications:
Does not contain any vegetables or fruits
These are not well digested by our dogs and are sources of chronic diarrhea, chronic gastritis, vomiting of bile, and so many other intestinal disorders, if not worse. Peas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, parsnips, blueberries, apples and the like should be avoided!
Does not contain any animal by-product
Carcasses, legs, feathers, beak, tendon, pig udder, etc. In the opinion of a growing number of veterinarians, this industrial waste is not appropriate and is a source of many digestive disorders and other serious pathologies in the long term.
Contains quality proteins
The proteins and fats used to make the croquettes should preferably be suitable for human consumption.
Low in cereals (maximum 33% of the food intake)
Even if dogs are not made to eat cereals, starch is mandatory to make kibbles, is most digestible and above all without risk to your dog’s health as long as it is used in reasonable quantities, unlike starchy vegetables (indigestible for our domestic carnivores) used in cereal-free kibbles.
Action plan in 4 essential STEPS!
By know you have a good grasp of the key principles that should guide you in nursing dog diarrhea the natural way. Let’s summarize the recommended action plan in 4 key steps.
STEP 1
The first step is to remove the cause or origin of the diarrhea in your dog, which is often an irritating diet and not adapted to the dog’s intestinal transit. As already mentioned, these are foods rich in vegetables and fruits or foods rich in low quality protein.
Note that if diarrhea or loose stools are just a side effect of drugs such as omeprazole, corticosteroids or an antibiotic, you will simply have to stop giving them to your dog or bear with the condition for the time prescribed.
STEP 2
Faced with diarrhea, you must systematically make your dog fast for 24 strict hours! He will only be allowed to drink water. This step is essential to quickly relieve your dog’s intestines. If the cause is food, it will also help him make the transition to a better diet. This new diet will be mandatory if you do not want to relapse into a new phase of diarrhea. Sometimes dogs can stand medium quality kibble for a while, until the body can no longer take it and from that point on, it cannot accept more.
Note that in some dogs it is sometimes necessary to extend fasting to 48 hours, especially in cases of food poisoning, gastroenteritis and vomiting.
STEP 3
On the second day, you can feed your dog with half of the normal intake, with quality kibble adapted to his real biological and natural needs.
STEP 4
On the third day your dog can finally eat a normal portion as usual. But be careful to adapt the ration to its new kibble. In general, with higher quality kibble, you will give your dog 25 to 40 % less than with the “old” ones.