Diarrhea is a common problem in dogs and can have a variety of causes. The most common causes are sudden changes in diet or ingesting non-food items. Diarrhea can also be caused by stress, disease and infection.

There are several things you can do to help get your dogs’ digestive tract get back to normal. The fist thing you should do is assess the severity of the diarrhea. If your dog suffers from frequent liquid bowel movements or the attack includes blood, get your dog to your vet. Your vet can check for possible food allergies, intestinal parasite, bacterial infection, malabsorption conditions, tumors, and metabolic problems. If the case is not severe, here are a few ways you can help your dog from home.

First and Foremost, Keep Your Dog Hydrated!

Your dog can lose a lot of water when having diarrhea. It is very important to make sure they stay properly hydrated.

• Offer plenty of water
• Offer a 50/50 ratio; water/clear or unflavored Pedialyte
• Offer a 50/50 ratio; water/low-sodium chicken broth
• Offer ice cubes

Next I suggest deleting food and treats for 8-10 hours in mild cases and 12-24 hours in moderate cases. This gives your dogs’ intestinal tract an chance to rest. When you do begin feeding, start with something mild such as a bit of plain boiled chicken and cooked rice. A simple scrambled egg or a bit of plain ground beef is also ok.

Probiotics

Probiotics are good bacteria that are naturally found in your dogs’ gut. Unfortunately when he has diarrhea, some of these good bacteria get flushed out and his natural probiotic levels drop. This can make it even more difficult for his bowels to recover. You can purchase over-the-counter probiotic powders which contain live cultures. I highly recommend Purina’s FortiFlora. Feeding a bit of  low-fat, unflavored yogurt is also a good way to help get some natural bacteria cultures back into your dog’s gut.

Medications

With you veterinarians approval you can administer some over the counter medications to help alleviate doggie diarrhea. The most common are:

• Pepto Bismol-0.5-1ml of Pepto Bismol per pound of weight. It should be administered every 6-8 hours. If you’re using the tablets, that is equal to ¼ tablet per 20 pounds of weight every 6-8 hours.
• Immodium-0.1 milligrams of immodium per pound of weight in each dose. Doses should be administered orally every 6 to 8 hours for no more than 2 days.

*Pepto is not safe for dogs with von Willebrand’s disease or other bleeding problems. It is also not safe for dogs that are pregnant or nursing young puppies.

*Immodium should never be given to dogs that are allergic to narcotic drugs, or dogs with underlying kidney, gastrointestinal, liver or respiratory conditions.