Sick dogs require special care, and feeding a sick dog can often be a problematic time. When our dogs are sick they usually lose their appetite and respond poorly to meals by vomiting, having diarrhea, or refusing meals altogether. There are a lot of things we can do to encourage our dogs to eat sick-friendly meals and feel better faster!
When your dog is sick, you must focus on three things: monitoring their condition for rapid decline that requires veterinarian attention, providing nutritious meals that are easy on the stomach and keeping your dog hydrated!
When your dog is sick, you must focus on three things: monitoring their condition for rapid decline that requires veterinarian attention, providing nutritious meals that are easy on the stomach and keeping your dog hydrated!
Bone broth is a highly nutritious, healing food that is perfect for sick dogs! Full of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and enzymes... bone broth will help your dog heal faster! Bone broth is also extremely easy to digest and soothing to the stomach. You can offer bone broth by itself, with a bowl of water (50/50 ratio) or add a cup to a bland meal! Click here to read an article on how to make inexpensive, healthy bone broth - it is super easy to make right at home!
When it comes to feeding your sick dog, you want to provide them with a meal that is both bland and easy to digest. The most common bland meal for sick dogs would be double boiled rice (rice that is boiled with twice the amount of water you would normally use, and overcooked until the rice is very soft) and boiled chicken breast or ground beef. Ideally you would do 50/50 rice and meat, and you can include additional ingredients that can help soothe the stomach and firm up stool!
TIP: If your dog is dehydrated, add a few tablespoons of plain electrolyte replacement (like pedialyte) to their meal! Don't use the flavored varieties!
TIP: If your dog is dehydrated, add a few tablespoons of plain electrolyte replacement (like pedialyte) to their meal! Don't use the flavored varieties!
- When your dog first starts showing signs of sickness - like vomiting, diarrhea or lose of appetite - fast your dog for 24 hours! No food for 24 hours will help settle your dog's stomach. Make sure your dog always has access to fresh water!
- When you re-introduce food, start by feeding them in several small meals through out the day.
- If you dog is having diarrhea, make sure to take them outside to potty every hour until they start feeling a bit better!
- A probiotic and digestive enzymes can really help dogs feel better fast. Good bacteria takes up a lot of intestinal wall space, so bad bacteria can't get out of control!
- Keep your dogs hydrated by providing lots of fresh water, electrolyte replacement and/or bone broth!
- Lastly but most importantly, take your dog to see their veterinarian when your dog gets sick. If you dog gets worse after their vet visit, make sure you take them back in!
Some more great TIPS for feeding your sick dog...
Electrolyte replacement fluids (such as unflavored Pedialyte) and water are extremely important and beneficial for dehydrated, sick dogs! When your dog is sick, keeping them hydrated is of vital importance. Dehydrated dogs will continue to decline and keep feeling worse until they are hydrated again!
Make sure your sick dog has access to fresh water at all times, and you can add 2 tablespoons of electrolyte replacement to their bowl of water, or even in their food!
Make sure your sick dog has access to fresh water at all times, and you can add 2 tablespoons of electrolyte replacement to their bowl of water, or even in their food!
There is a special supplement I like to make specifically geared towards soothing an upset stomach and helping to firm up a dog's stool. Take a cup of pumpkin puree (not the pie filling), 1/8 of a teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/3 of a teaspoon of ginger and a dose of probiotics and digestive enzymes (such as NaturVet Probiotic and Digestive Enzyme mix) and add a 1-2 tablespoons to every meal. Alternatively, you can include 1 acidophilus probiotic capsule per meal if you don't have a probiotic enzyme mix on hand!
This mixture works great to help sick dogs feel better fast!
This mixture works great to help sick dogs feel better fast!
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