Bland Diet for Dogs With Diarrhea or Ones Who Are Vomiting

Why is a bland diet needed? We have all at one time or another, experienced the pain and discomfort of an upset stomach. Sometimes we may have diarrhea or bouts of vomiting or both, which is pure misery. The first thing a physician will try to do is get the stomach quieted so as to be able to accept fluids, which is necessary for proper functioning of internal organs. If an adequate intake of fluids is not possible, dehydration will occur, which if not corrected, will cause death. Thus, a bland diet is needed.

A dog's upset stomach is similar to ours in that his stomach when upset for prolonged periods, also needs complete rest for twenty four hours or more to ward off dehydration. It is important that immediate care be taken to prevent this situation from becoming critical. In some cases a dog may not be able to drink water without vomiting it out. If your dog is experiencing this problem, offer small amounts of water (use good judgment according to size, such as giving a teaspoon full for petite dogs or a tablespoon full for the larger breeds) every 15 minutes or so. If he is able to contain the water, gradually increase the amounts offered over the next few hours until his thirst is satisfied. If you wish, give clear liquids such as chicken broth or a little Jell-O. After at least 12 hours, when your dog's thirst has been satisfied, you may begin giving small amounts of food.

A bland diet may consist of:

Mix one and a half cups of cooked white rice with one half cup of cooked chicken or turkey meat (no grease, no skin). Boiled or baked potato may be substituted for the rice.

  • Bland foods include:

  • 1/3 meat

    • Cooked meats that are very low in fat such as chicken (you can also boil hamburger, which will remove all the fat)

  • 2/3 rice or other bland grain

    • Cottage Cheese

    • White Rice (some will do better on cooked oatmeal)

    • Do not add any oils or fats to the diet at this point

  • To the bland food, add:

  • Yogurt 1-3 tablespoons per meal (yogurt is soothing but does not really provide any significant beneficial bacteria.... see our information about Lactobacillus sporogenes)

  • Provide a Probiotic. We recommend Lactobacillus Sporgenes.

  • Boiled Sweet Potato: 2-4 tablespoons

  • Consider giving Gastriplex if your dog has repeated bouts.

When should you take your dog to the veterinarian? If your is:

  • Acting very sick.
  • Lethargic.
  • Shows signs of bloating or abdominal pain.
  • Feverish (Rectal temperatures above 103.5 degrees F).
  • Dehydrated. One way to try to decide if a dog is dehydrated is to feel his gums. If they feel dry or tacky, he may be dehydrated.
  • Vomiting persistently.
  • Passing large amounts of blood in his stool.

See also:

http://www.k911.biz/Petsafety/Parvo.htm