Dogs get sick for a wide variety of reasons. Whether they are recovering from surgery, suffering from a bacterial infection or having a bad case of diarrhea, sometimes they need a little help getting better. There are several steps to take when your dog has been having digestive upset. Following this "sick dog diet" will help them recover as soon as possible.
The first step is to fast your dog for 24 hours, which for most dogs means skipping two meals. By fasting your dog, you give their digestive system a chance to clear itself out and settle down. Giving the digestive tract a chance to calm down is the first step in making your dog feel better. Animals can go days without eating, so don't worry about starving your pet. You won't cause them any harm fasting them for 24 hours UNLESS they have a medical condition that requires regular food intake. Water should always be available, and you should add unflavoured electrolyte replacement such as Pedialyte to their water to replenish all they lose by having diarrhea.
After that 24 hour period, you can start feeding your dog a bland diet. The bland diet will introduce food back to your dog without stressing the digestive system. A bland diet is essentially easy to digest food that will provide healthy fibre to firm up the stool and soothe the digestive tract.
Feed your dog as many cups of the bland diet as you would their normal meal. Raw feeders can offer the same amount of bland food as they would a raw meal. For my 85lb German Shepherd, I give him two or three cups of the bland diet twice a day. Feel free to give half of that for the first meal to introduce your dog slowly to the food once again.
Consider feeding your dog one cup at a time spread out throughout the day if possible. This will help soothe the digestive system and firm up the stool.
The first step is to fast your dog for 24 hours, which for most dogs means skipping two meals. By fasting your dog, you give their digestive system a chance to clear itself out and settle down. Giving the digestive tract a chance to calm down is the first step in making your dog feel better. Animals can go days without eating, so don't worry about starving your pet. You won't cause them any harm fasting them for 24 hours UNLESS they have a medical condition that requires regular food intake. Water should always be available, and you should add unflavoured electrolyte replacement such as Pedialyte to their water to replenish all they lose by having diarrhea.
After that 24 hour period, you can start feeding your dog a bland diet. The bland diet will introduce food back to your dog without stressing the digestive system. A bland diet is essentially easy to digest food that will provide healthy fibre to firm up the stool and soothe the digestive tract.
Feed your dog as many cups of the bland diet as you would their normal meal. Raw feeders can offer the same amount of bland food as they would a raw meal. For my 85lb German Shepherd, I give him two or three cups of the bland diet twice a day. Feel free to give half of that for the first meal to introduce your dog slowly to the food once again.
Consider feeding your dog one cup at a time spread out throughout the day if possible. This will help soothe the digestive system and firm up the stool.
How to make a bland sick diet for your dog:
Grain-Free Bland Diet:
Rice and Meat Bland Diet:
Additional ingredients you can add:
Feed this diet for 24-48 hours and then re-assess your dog's condition. No change or worsening of symptoms will require a visit to your dog's veterinarian.
To learn more about changing your dog's life through diet and nutrition visit my Diet and Nutrition consultation page or contact me for more information!
Don't forget to like K9 Instinct on Facebook to follow new and old blog posts!
Want more great information like this, or don't want to miss any of these great articles? Click here to sign up for the monthly K9 Instinct newsletter. Free treat and homemade dog food recipes, tons of information, important recall alerts and so much more are available in our newsletter!
Want to make dramatic positive changes with your dog's nutrition? K9 Instinct provides nutrition consultations and a collection of great canine diet and nutrition eBooks to help you keep your dog healthy and strong!
Angel
K9 Instinct
www.k9instinct.com
Grain-Free Bland Diet:
- Two large sweet potatoes
- One can of pure pumpkin (not pie filling)
- One cup of boiled ground beef or shredded chicken breast
- 1/8 a teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1/8 a teaspoon of ground ginger
Rice and Meat Bland Diet:
- Two cups of double-boiled brown rice or oatmeal
- One can of pure pumpkin (not pie filling)
- One cup of double boiled ground beef or chicken
- 1/8 a teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1/8 a teaspoon of ground ginger
Additional ingredients you can add:
- Boiled green beans
- Unflavoured Electrolyte Replacement (add 1/4 cup per 20lbs to a bowl of water and/or add a tablespoon to the meal)
- Probiotic and Digestive Enzyme supplement
- Baked potato
Feed this diet for 24-48 hours and then re-assess your dog's condition. No change or worsening of symptoms will require a visit to your dog's veterinarian.
To learn more about changing your dog's life through diet and nutrition visit my Diet and Nutrition consultation page or contact me for more information!
Don't forget to like K9 Instinct on Facebook to follow new and old blog posts!
Want more great information like this, or don't want to miss any of these great articles? Click here to sign up for the monthly K9 Instinct newsletter. Free treat and homemade dog food recipes, tons of information, important recall alerts and so much more are available in our newsletter!
Want to make dramatic positive changes with your dog's nutrition? K9 Instinct provides nutrition consultations and a collection of great canine diet and nutrition eBooks to help you keep your dog healthy and strong!
Angel
K9 Instinct
www.k9instinct.com
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